PostBank Uganda’s Chief Financial Officer, Peter Ssenyange, has been crowned CFO of the Year 2025 at the 9th Annual CFO Awards Uganda, held under the theme “Legacy & Impact.”
The prestigious event, organised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Uganda in partnership with Deloitte Uganda, celebrated the vision, resilience, and innovation of Uganda’s top finance leaders.
The annual gala, held at Serena Hotel Kampala on Thursday night, brought together chief financial officers, CEOs, regulators, and business executives to honour excellence in financial leadership and transformation across sectors. This year’s edition underscored the evolving role of the CFO—from managing numbers to shaping strategy, driving digital transformation, and embedding sustainability within organisations.
A Leader of Legacy and Impact
Ssenyange was recognised for his exceptional leadership in advancing sustainable banking, financial inclusion, and operational excellence at PostBank Uganda. Under his stewardship, the bank has spearheaded green finance initiatives, embraced digital transformation, and embedded sustainability principles across its operations.
Ssenyange also scooped the Sustainability Award, affirming his commitment to responsible finance and ethical growth. His win aligns closely with this year’s theme, Legacy & Impact, which encouraged finance leaders to reflect on the long-term value they create beyond balance sheets.
Celebrating Uganda’s Finance Leadership
Delivering opening remarks, Paul Ssali, Country Managing Partner at Deloitte Uganda, commended Uganda’s growing community of finance leaders for redefining the profession through innovation and purpose.
“Welcome to the 9th edition of the CFO Awards,” he said. “Legacy and impact transcend professions — they invite every leader to reflect on what they leave behind as individuals and organisations. As we celebrate our nominees tonight, let’s remember that legacy is built through everyday decisions that shape people, performance, and purpose.”
Charlotte Kukunda, ACCA Uganda Country Manager, inaugurated the gala by reporting a 30% surge in submissions for this year’s edition, attracting a record 546 nominations from 63 CFOs. “Out of the 63 CFOs that were nominated, only 20 were repeat nominees. The rest were first-time attempts, while 21 of these were disqualified, meaning they did not pay attention to the guidelines.”
She urged future participants to diligently adhere to the nomination guidelines, noting that 21 of the nominated CFOs were disqualified for failing to do so. “We still acknowledge that the banking and financial services and insurance continue to dominate the non-sector specific categories. 13 out of the 63 were from the banking sector, and 6 out of these were shortlisted among the finalists.”
Honouring Excellence Across Categories
The 2025 edition featured ten competitive categories recognising outstanding CFOs and finance professionals. Other major winners included:
Bob Okodoi, CFO of Amref Health Africa Uganda – Not-for-Profit Award
Amanda Ayebare, CFO of AutoXpress Uganda – SME Award
Ronald Makata, CFO of Stanbic Uganda – Compliance & Governance Award (tie) and Finance Transformation & Technology Award
Frederick Kakooza, CFO of Quality Chemicals – Compliance & Governance Award (tie)
Robinah Siima, CFO of FINCA Uganda – Young CFO Award
Irene Mwoyogwona, Head of Finance, Pride Microfinance – Leadership Award
Emmanuel Mugagga, CFO of UNOC – Strategy Execution Award
Stanbic’s Ronald Makata was also named First Runner-Up for CFO of the Year, marking an impressive double win.
Lead Judge Sanjay Rughani, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, praised the calibre of nominees, noting that over 564 nominations were received from 64 CFOs across the country — the highest in the event’s history.
“We spoke about AI, integrated thinking, climate reporting, and governance,” he said. “The finance world is evolving fast, and CFOs must evolve with it. Today’s CFOs are no longer just guardians of numbers; they are creators of value for both shareholders and stakeholders. For us, every finalist tonight is already a winner.”
Inspiring the Next Chapter of Financial Leadership
As Chief Guest, Assistant Auditor General James Bantu lauded ACCA and Deloitte for empowering the finance profession and promoting ethical leadership, urging them to maintain their leading role in Uganda’s 10-fold economic growth agenda by championing fiscal discipline, transparency, and innovation across all sectors.
He lauded the role of CFOs in promoting integrity and national development. “As CFOs, you are architects of strategy and custodians of integrity,” he said. “Your impact must go beyond your organisations into the public space. Every award tonight is not just a celebration of past achievement, but a call to future action.”
The keynote address was delivered by Patrick Ayota, Managing Director of NSSF Uganda, who challenged CFOs to go beyond financial management and drive institutional transformation.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” Ayota said. “As CFOs, you sit on immense data — and must do more than sign invoices. True financial leadership is about creating value, growing revenue, and understanding what truly drives impact.”
The CFO Awards, now in their ninth year, continue to highlight the expanding influence of finance leaders in shaping Uganda’s economic transformation. This year’s awards recognised finance and accounting professionals across 9 categories: Young CFO, SME, Public Sector, Compliance & Governance, Finance Transformation & Technology, Strategy Execution, Sustainability, Leadership, Not-for-Profit and the 10th award reserved for the most coveted CFO of the Year Award.
