The Angaza Awards; Women to watch in Banking and Finance in East Africa took place Online via Zoom on 8th June 2021.
The event was set to celebrate the top 10 women shaping banking and finance across East Africa. The 2021 Angaza Awards, which will be a Pan-African Awards program, was also announced at the event.
Key speakers at this virtual event were Dr Nancy Onyango, Director of Internal Audit and Inspection at the IMF; and Gail Evans, New York Times Best Selling Author of Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman, and former White House Aide and CNN Executive Vice President.
Dr Nancy Onyango advised women to deep expertise in their fields, spend time in forums and link with key players in that sector.
"Gain exposure with other cultures by seeking for employment overseas and use customized CV for each job application," said Dr Onyango.
According to Gail Evans, women should show up and be fully present and not be preoccupied with other issues.
"Be simple and avoid jargon. Multi-tasking only means that you are mediocre. Smart people ask good questions in a business meeting. Most women face drawbacks due to perfectionism, procrastination, and fear of failure," said Evans.
She advised women to play like a man and win like a woman, be strategic, and intentionally make their moves to get to the top.
"For us to pull up businesses that have been affected by effects of COVID-19 pandemic, we need to re-invent business models, change the product offering and make more use of digital platforms," said Mary Wamae Equity Group Executive Director.
Mary Wamae emerged top at the inaugural Angaza awards( East Africa) ahead of other finalists.
While women continue to excel in banking and finance, the number of that occupies top executive positions is still less.
"There is a gap for women occupying C suite level and it continues to widen in the finance sector. At entry level, there is still an experience gap for women," said Nkirote Mworia, Group Secretary for UAP-Old Mutual Group.
She said that at the Middle Management level, women do not express their ambition. For this reason, UAP-Old Mutual has developed an executive sponsorship program to help women get to the next level. Mworia added that most women hold the notion that top positions in management have politics and pressure.
"One needs leadership skills and not technical expertise to get to the top," said Mworia.
According to Catherine Karimi, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Officer of APA Life Assurance Company, women need to focus on the strengths and natural abilities that they already have.
"Take risks and raise your hand to get to the high table. Find mentors along the way and develop your own brand and not compare yourself with others Focus on your strengths because it will make you move faster in the career ladder," said Karimi.
Lina Mukashyaka Higiro, a Rwandan businesswoman and chief executive officer of the NCBA Bank Rwanda since July 2018, has three lessons for women who want to excel in banking and finance.
"Always spend at least 20 minutes each day reading, seeking genuine feedback from other staff members and widen your network," Higiro told the webinar.
Women picked for Angaza awards
Mary Wamae, Executive Director, led this year's Top 10 Women in Angaza Awards, Equity Group (Kenya) (2) Catherine Karimi, Chief Executive Officer, APA Life Insurance Company (Kenya) (3)Lina Higiro, Chief Executive Officer, NCBA Bank (Rwanda) (4)Elizabeth Wasunna Ochwa, Business Banking Director, Absa Bank (Kenya) (5)Joanita Jaggwe, Country Head of Risk and Compliance, KCB Group (South Sudan) (6) Millicent Omukaga, Technical Assistance Expert on Inclusive Finance, African Development Bank (Kenya) (7)Emmanuella Nzahabonimana, Head of Information Technology, KCB Group (Rwanda) (8)Judith Sidi Odhiambo, Group Head of Corporate Affairs, KCB Group (Kenya) (9)Rosemary Ngure, ESG & Impact Manager, Catalyst Principal Partners (Kenya) and (10)Pooja Bhatt, Co-Founder, QuantaRisk and QuantaInsure (Kenya).
The Kenyan Wallstreet, a financial media firm, partnered with Kaleidoscope Consultants to raise awareness of seasoned women shaping and influencing the sector through their organizations.
The Angaza Award criteria included assessing the applicants' area of responsibility and contribution to firm performance. Professionals in Banking, Capital Markets, Insurance, Investment Banking, Fintech, Fund Management, Microfinance, and SACCOs were invited to submit their applications or nominations via the Kenyan Wallstreet Award Web page.
