The Journey to CIO with Elijah Kitaka⏤ Meet Rita Kabatunzi, one of the mentors

We all know Elijah Kitaka in Uganda’s technology space. We also know the ex-Google and former NSSF and Stanbic Bank CIO’s love for technology as well as his passion for deploying technology to solve problems. 

Well, he is at it again, but this time, a little bit different. He has come up with “The Journey to CIO” initiative. He is opening a little bit of his world and allowing other upcoming CIOs to download from not just his well of tech wisdom, but he is also tapping into his tech and non-tech executive networks to enrich the experience.

In his words, he says the initiative is to “grow the pool of highly effective CIOs at home”.

“The goal is to build a pipeline of highly effective CIOs that can reach ready-now status by the end of 2024. Essentially, a pool of talent out of which we can confidently recommend if a CIO need comes our way,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page.

The initiative will kick off with one in-person boot camp on 24th January 2024, followed by an optional quarterly online check-in session for the subsequent 3 quarters. 

“At the end of the physical boot camp, you will have a roadmap to rapidly improve your CIO readiness. The quarterly online check-ins will focus on tracking progress and course-correcting your journey to ready-now,” he adds.

Amongst topics to be explored, is creating a highly effective CIO mindset; building your executive and talent networks; maintaining clarity of vision; earning trust & respect of chief executives, EXCOs, boards, and ManCos as well as selecting bets & building squads. The boot camp will also explore topics like building resilience and calmness and the pitfalls to avoid on the journey to CIO, amongst others. 

As they say, “Iron sharpens iron”⏤ there will be special guest chats and experiences sharing with other guest executives.

To chat about board dynamics⏤ very vital knowledge that every CIO must have, will be Dr. Rita Kabatunzi, currently, the Company Secretary, Stanbic Holdings Limited. 

As the Company Secretary, she oversees the compliance and governance functions, ensuring that it adheres to the highest standards of ethics, transparency, and accountability. She also facilitates the communication and collaboration between the board of directors, management, and shareholders, and provides strategic advice and guidance on various corporate matters.

She has been in that role since 2019. Prior to that, she was the Company secretary for the Vision Group.

She holds a doctorate in Business Administration from Walden University, with a focus on leadership, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Leicester, amongst other qualifications. 

“As techies grow into executive roles, there is a need to learn the language of the boardroom to influence effectively. You will have to build trust with this mostly non-tech audience,” explains Elijah on the importance of the ‘board dynamics’ component of executive mentoring. 

“In my experience, a chairman and board that understands and buys into your tech vision/roadmap and sees how it fits into the overall organisation strategy becomes such an asset. But while you pursue the board to buy-in, you must also understand their concerns and take them seriously. Rita will share her reflections on how to achieve this balance and save you a lot of time as you level up,” further reiterates Elijah Kitaka.

It appears, though, that the 2024 session is already over-booked, so you may need to keep your ears on the ground for the next opportunity.