Thadeus Kamara does not see numbers as figures on a spreadsheet. He sees them as signals, indicators of behaviour, discipline, and strategic alignment. For him, data is not about reporting what happened. It is about understanding why it happened and what must change next.
Currently a Business Manager at dfcu Bank, Kamara built his career in data across logistics, FMCG, and banking. His journey began at DHL, where he worked as a Data Analyst for two years before moving to Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL).
There, over four years, he rose from Commercial Performance Analyst to Commercial Performance Manager – RtC, later serving as Acting Commercial Governance and Performance Manager.
He eventually joined dfcu Bank as a Finance Business Partner, continuing his work at the intersection of performance, governance and execution.
In a conversation with CEO East Africa Magazine, he explains why numbers matter and why most organisations misunderstand them.
Who is Thadeus Kamara?
Professionally, I’ve built my career in the world of data.
What excites me is uncovering the story beneath performance. Data allows you to see what others do not see, as everyone sees performance at face value, but there is always something hidden beneath it, and that is where the real story lies.
At a personal level, I enjoy reading, playing golf, watching films and meeting people. I’m curious by nature, and that curiosity translates directly into how I approach data.
What led you into data analysis?
From a young age, I enjoyed mathematics and numbers. That is why I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Business Statistics. But also, my father was a banker, so I always assumed I would end up in banking.
After university, I joined DHL as a Data Analyst, and I would say I was very fortunate. That experience showed me that organisations do not just run on data (having it) but on using it to make decisions.
Throughout my career, I have consistently focused on bridging two critical questions: whether we are collecting and measuring the right data, and, more importantly, what decisions we are actually making from it.
And it is for these two reasons that I always ask: What decisions can I make from this? If the answer is unclear, then that dashboard is simply noise.
When did you first realise that data was more than reporting but a tool for execution and performance?
Like in most organisations, we receive several reports. Those reports tell a story that sometimes is worrying or reassuring. For example, you might be going after profitability but struggling to see where these profits are coming from.
Sometimes, when you look at your reports for some of the core KPIs, they might show great performance, yet the overall result is not. That disconnect made me see that outcomes and drivers are not always correlated.
When we started having the right KPIs and measuring the right things, we began to see the results improve. That is when I understood that it is not just about the outcome you see; it is about identifying and measuring the true drivers behind it.
Every organisation has a goal, for example, improving customer retention by 20%. But the critical question is: how do you achieve that?
To sum it up, while the end goal is important, what truly matters are the daily activities that lead to it. If retention is the target, then the real question is what actually drives retention? Is it engagement, is it frequency, is it response time?
Those are the drivers you must measure.
Simply measuring attendance or surface-level activity is and will never be enough. You must understand what truly influences performance. So yes, sometimes we need to go beyond the macro KPI and examine the micro drivers beneath it.
You’ve worked in FMCG, logistics and banking. What common thread has shaped you as a Data-for-Strategy success leader?
EXECUTION!
At the beginning of every year, organisations define ambitious targets, say 20% growth in sales, 30% growth in customer profile and so on. But the real challenge is translating that strategy into daily execution.
Execution differs by industry. In FMCG, it may mean sales representatives properly executing routes. In banking, it may mean ensuring branches open on time and follow operational standards. In logistics, it may mean accurate stock counts and shift productivity.
Regardless of industry, there must be a clear bridge between strategic intent and operational discipline.
What struggles have you faced in getting people to see data beyond figures?
One challenge is that leaders often focus only on the outcome, forgetting the how.
For example, focus is on the Profit After Tax (PAT), without looking at the factors leading up to the final number.
If a company wants to deliver UGX30b in profit for the year, tracking a focused list of things that lead to it is better than increasing the KPIs or having more data.
It is always going to be about measuring the right things.
You have delivered results like improving the sales strike rate from 38% to 78%. What data did you use?
At Uganda Breweries, we noticed some sales representatives returning with up to 90% of their load unsold. Instead of simply blaming performance, we analysed the data.
We discovered they were loading products unsuitable for certain market routes. This mismatch would have been invisible without analysis.
We also uncovered behavioural issues. Some representatives were starting their routes at midday rather than early morning (say by 8:00 am).
By then, customers have already allocated their purchasing power to competing products like soda, bread and the like.
By tracking “first time in call,” we shifted behaviours, ensuring we reached customers earlier, meaning fewer opportunities were missed.
Once we adjusted product allocation by route, our strike rate improved.
The real struggle is shifting conversations from outcomes to root causes.
Where does execution break down, and how does data fix it?
Execution breaks down at translation.
Take a simple example: if I want to save UGX15 million in a year, I must break that down into monthly, weekly and daily behaviours. What must I track? Clearly, it is the earnings and spending habits. Then that translates to what one must cut back on to achieve the target.
Similarly, if DHL aims to deliver 30,000 cases in a month, which must translate into daily targets, shift targets (because employees work in shifts) and also site-level accountability.
Data enables us to track those routines and cadences. It turns ambition into measurable daily behaviour. What I noticed is that there has been an issue translating the information on the slides and decks into measurable targets.
Nicholas Mukasa Appointed Bank of Namibia Deputy GovernorFor example, at UBL, we created a structured meeting cadence across the layered teams of salesmen/women, Regional Sales Managers, Divisional Sales Managers, Commercial Director, and then the MD.
We created a meeting rhythm which showed the meeting dates for the different teams.
For instance, the sales team met with the Regional Sales Manager to discuss business in their regions, who thereafter met with their Divisional Sales Managers and the same trickled up across the layer.
We also created a pack of specific KPIs that were similar all the way to the top.
That created consistency in what all looked at and measured, avoiding scattered focus, hence alignment.
What are the common mistakes leaders make when they say they want to be data-driven?
The biggest mistake is adding more data. More KPIs do not equal better performance. In fact, excessive measurement dilutes focus.
Frameworks like 4DX are highly recommended as they narrow attention to one Wildly Important Goal supported by a small number of predictive lead measures.
4DX (4 Disciplines of Execution) in data analysis and management is a framework used to drive results by narrowing focus to one Wildly Important Goal (WIG).
The WIG acts on predictive lead measures, tracking progress via compelling scoreboards, and holding regular accountability sessions. It bridges strategy and action, turning data insights into executed outcomes.
What makes dashboards effective rather than just impressive?
An impressive dashboard may contain 50 or 60 KPIs. An effective dashboard focuses on the few that truly drive strategy.
Imagine an organisation having over 50 KPIs with 45 of those green and 5 red, yet the overall performance was poor. That shows misalignment and that they are measuring too much yet not prioritising what truly matters.
The best dashboards are simple, strategic and decision-driven, measuring the key things that should deliver for you your main measure. The fewer KPIs, the better.
How do KPIs fail in organisations?
Organisations are good at crafting KPIs. However, having too many KPIs is a sign of failure. The other is a lack of accountability.
For example, if a bank wants to achieve UGX20 billion in Profit after Tax, say you are measuring deposits, loans, disbursements, and non-funded income.
However, if no one is responsible for the actualisation of each KPI, they will fail. In addition, accountability for KPIs should go hand in hand with the scope of influence. For instance, telling a branch manager to deliver on a system is not ideal because it is not their direct Control.
Additionally, if these KPIs are not tied to execution, they will not help in achieving the strategy.
A KPI without ownership is a statistic, not a lever and must be tied to execution routines and consequences. Otherwise, they are decorative.
What trends will shape performance management in Africa over the next five years?
Over the years, people have come to appreciate that data works. As a result, I see three key trends emerging: simplification, with fewer and sharper KPIs; faster feedback loops, enabled by real-time visibility; and leadership-led analytics, where executives engage directly with data.
AI and structured frameworks like 4DX are enabling leaders to quickly identify weak links and act decisively, unlike before. The organisations that master speed of insight will outperform.
What must organisations fix to harness data effectively?
Leadership mindset is critical: data must be driven from the top, because a lack of management buy-in leads to failure, especially given that data infrastructure requires significant investment.
Focus is equally important because pointing to what the company must prioritise is key. Once that is clear, establishing the operating rhythm of the organisation becomes easier.
That is because there are defined frequencies that guide what people do each day and over weekly or monthly review cadences.
Without rhythm, data sits unused.
How does data become a competitive advantage?
Data becomes a competitive advantage when it helps you know your problems faster. For instance, a bank could know which branches are underperforming and point out the missing link. That eases making decisions faster, based on the data.
Seeing that each organisation, especially the private ones, is serving a customer, data gives you customer insights. For example, you can tell that most youths are drawn to social media more than traditional media. That will dictate your marketing trajectory.
For a bank, it could be that you will have more clients at the end of each month, hence aligning the team.
On a global scale, you can see what your competitors are doing, which could help you improve your services. Ultimately, data improves both internal efficiency and customer experience.
What advice would you give a young data professional?
Understand the business first.
Technical skills are important, such as Excel, Python, and analytics, but without understanding operations, your insights lack depth.
At DHL, I spent time in the warehouse and at the yard observing and learned how forklifts work and their speeds, plus loading requirements such as loading time and manpower.
At UBL, I visited markets to observe sales interactions and even how long teams spend at a particular point. At DFCU, I visit branches.
You must see the work behind the numbers. That practical exposure shapes better insights and stronger recommendations.
If you had to summarise your philosophy in one sentence
Focus, accountability and disciplined execution turn strategy into results through data.
If addressing a Board, what five non-negotiables would you emphasise?
If I were addressing a Board, I would emphasise the following five non-negotiables to ensure that data truly drives strategy success.
- Clarity on priorities – We should not measure everything. Focus on the critical 20% that drives 80% of results.
- Ownership – Every KPI must have a clear owner.
- Lead measures – You should only track those daily behaviours that drive outcomes.
- Operating cadence – Weekly reviews and structured accountability lest you have redundant data.
- Leadership discipline – You must be willing to confront uncomfortable truths in the data and act decisively. Data only works when leaders are willing to accept what it reveals, even when it is uncomfortable and take action.
