Veerakumar Natarajan is the Regional Manager for East Africa at Zoho Corporation, bringing nearly 20 years of industry experience to his role. For over 13 years, he has been dedicated to assisting businesses in the East African region with their IT development needs. In his current position, Veerakumar is instrumental in driving business growth through digital transformation. He focuses on forging local partnerships and expanding Zoho's presence across East Africa, ensuring that businesses in the region benefit from cutting-edge technological solutions.

Results-driven professional with a proven track record of transforming complex data into actionable insights. Excels at initiating and leading projects to successful completion, even in high-pressure environments. Proficient in advanced analytics, driving data-driven decision-making. Recognized for exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. Passionate about using data to fuel business growth and innovation.

Francis is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of distinguished experience as a Chief Information Officer (CIO) in diverse industries. His expertise extends to providing strategic consultation on information security and data privacy for both public and private sector organizations. Throughout his career, Francis has held pivotal roles such as Head of IT at TripleOKlaw LLP and GTBank Kenya, as well as serving as the Head of Information Security at Twiga Foods Ltd. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and currently serves on the advisory board of dx5 (Formerly CIO Africa), showcasing his commitment to shaping the future of information technology. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, Francis contributes to academia as a part-time lecturer in the School of Information Systems and Technology at USIU-Africa. Francis holds an MSc in Information Systems Security from Strathmore University and a BSc in Business Information Systems from Middlesex University, UK. His qualifications include the esteemed MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist), and he is presently pursuing the prestigious CCISP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification. Furthermore, Francis is dedicated to advancing his academic pursuits, currently undertaking a Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technology at USIU-Africa.

Lazaro Kabyemera is the Head of Cyber Security at CRDB Bank, Tanzania's largest commercial bank. With over 10 years of experience in Cybersecurity and Information Technology, he has worked with leading telecom and banking companies. Lazaro holds an MBA and a Telecommunications degree, along with CCISO and COBIT 2019 certifications. His expertise spans information security, ICT governance, risk management, and compliance. At CRDB, he oversees the security strategy, policies, and operations of the bank's technology infrastructure. Lazaro is passionate about protecting organizational data and assets, enabling digital transformation, and fostering a culture of security awareness. He leads a team of security professionals and collaborates with various stakeholders to maintain high security standards, supporting CRDB's vision to become Africa's most preferred financial service provider.

As Chief Operating Officer at Little App, my mission is to propel service accessibility and value across Africa. We focus on innovation-driven solutions, leveraging my expertise in Generative AI to enhance customer experiences. Our team's dedication has been pivotal in delivering a diverse range of essential services, achieving operational excellence that aligns with the company's vision. My role encompasses driving growth and customer loyalty, utilizing skills in New Business Development and Customer Relationship Management. With over two years at Little App, I have been instrumental in fostering technology integration that resonates with our expansive market. Our collaborative efforts have been key in establishing Little App as Africa's leading Super App platform.

With a deep understanding of market trends and consumer behavior, I am able to create exceptional experiences for our guests that not only meet but exceed their expectations. Whether it's through personalized outreach or innovative engagement strategies, I am passionate about building strong relationships with our guests and fostering a sense of community within our brand.

Benjamin is an experienced professional specializing in ERP solutions and information risk assurance. He assists public and private sector clients in implementing complex ERP systems, helping them choose optimal deployment options between on-premise and cloud solutions. His expertise extends to developing system implementation strategies, evaluating ERP systems, and providing project management services during ERP implementations. Benjamin also advises clients on optimizing their existing ERP systems. In the realm of information risk assurance, Benjamin conducts reviews of various IT systems and business processes, assessing whether IT applications deliver expected value to organizations. His experience includes evaluating the effectiveness of IT governance, conducting IT risk assessments, and reviewing IT policies and strategies. Additionally, Benjamin has expertise in information security and cybersecurity assessments.

Experienced Chief Information Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Banking, ITIL, IT Service Management, and Credit Risk. Strong information technology professional with a BSC CS focused in Programming, Networking, DB Management from University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria.

I'm an Applied AI Researcher with extensive expertise in Image Processing, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Cognitive Computing, Computer Vision, Pattern Recognition, Neural Networks, Computational Intelligence, Deep Learning and Machine Learning techniques. I'm also an Enterprise Board Level Mentor and International Conference Speaker who travels the world to teach AI and known for my skills in rescuing failing IT projects. I'm very active in publishing in my areas of expertise and technical writing on complex policy issues, evaluations, research and analysis, problem solving, development and communication of the best evidence-based policy and practices for research, industry & governments. My engagement with international consultancy firms exposed me to working experiences in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Canada, Denmark, Austria, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, China P.R and India. Most of the work involved interacting with development partners including UN agencies such as UNDP, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWFP and ILO, Development Partners such as BMGF, DANIDA, IDRC, IFAD, SIDA, World Bank and African Regional Bodies such as AERC, AfDB, EAC, NEPAD and SADEC.

Samwel Magesa stands as a seasoned banker and executive leader with over a decade of experience in harnessing the power of data to drive business growth and innovation. Samwel is responsible for developing and executing data-driven strategies to enhance decision-making processes, optimize operational efficiency, and create sustainable competitive advantages. With a proven track record of implementing cutting-edge data analytics and governance frameworks, Samwel has successfully transformed data into actionable insights, driving revenue growth and operational excellence. Samwel’s career in the consulting and financial industry has a footprint in digital channels and distributions, business development, technology infrastructure particularly in developing and managing resilient critical mission systems responsible for delivering customer-facing financial services. Samwel has been influential in the delivery of major projects involving both back-end and customer-facing platforms, where he spearheaded large-scale data initiatives and led cross-functional teams to deliver transformative business outcomes. Certified in Business Management, IT Governance, Technology Infrastructure and Project Management, Samwel is passionate about leveraging data as a strategic asset and is dedicated to driving innovation and delivering tangible business results through data-driven decision-making.

Abuu is a data and digital solutions enthusiast with vast experience in software engineering, automation, and practical machine learning for business solutions. Abuu has over 8 years of experience working in E-commerce, Banking, Retail, and Public health industries in different data science-related roles. Currently, Abuu is a senior Data Scientist at NMB PLC, mainly responsible for customer-level predictive modeling, advanced analytics, and data monetization strategies.