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The in-person CFO Awards returned this year at the Kampala Serena Hotel
Kampala, Uganda | Ian Katusiime | After they were held virtually last year, the Deloitte ACCA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Awards bounced back this year as an in-person event at the Kampala Serena Hotel where Uganda’s Finance Awards leaders were rewarded for their innovation and excellence.
Charlotte Kukunda, the interim head of ACCA Uganda kicked off the day highlighting the growing role of accountants plus the growth of the awards as a top corporate event since 2017.
Mabel Ndaula, a Director at Deloitte said last year’s awards were about rewarding resilient leaders while this year’s awards were about those driving sustainability. It was on that theme that the day’s keynote speaker Tony Otoa, CEO of Stanbic Incubator Ltd spoke: sustainability.
“Sustainability of SMEs is right now the most important issue and it will be about people who understand the numbers and the data- that is the CFOs.”Otoa added that as a result, CEOs like himself want to be close to their CFOs because they are the people driving the business.
Godfrey Byekwaso, the General Manager of Centenary Bank, a previous winner was chair of the panel of judges and told the audience that the judges selected the winners based on who was making strategic decisions, supporting teams and adapting to technology in a pandemic era. The awards are organized by ACCA and supported by Deloitte, a financial services giant.
Stephen Mwanje, the CFO of National Social Security Fund (NSSF) was awarded CFO of the Year beating off competition from Julius Katanaka, the CFO of the UPDF Wazalendo Sacco.
In his acceptance speech, Mwanje lauded his team at the savings body for being “agile, versatile professionals.” He said NSSF is at the forefront of financial solutions in the country.
Among other winners were Katanka who received the CFO Sustainability Award. Martha Mukasa, the Finance Director of Mengo Hospital scooped the Strategy Execution Award. The Public Sector Award went to Emmanuel Mugagga, the CFO of Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).
Other winners were Dorothy Kezia Asiimwe of Head of Finance at Equity Bank who bagged Young CFO of the Year Award, and Dennis Ochieng, the Director of Finance and Business Operations at Uganda Development Bank who received the Finance Transformation Award.
Marie Solome Nassiwa of Baylor College of Medicine was awarded the Not-For-Profit Award.
