My background as a teamsports athlete was formative and has had a lasting impact on me, both as professional and as a person. I represented Uganda in women’s volleyball for 16 years, retiring as national team captain, and learnt a lot from the experience – to think on my feet, celebrate the small wins, roll with the punches, and remember that you are part of something bigger. Shining alone is short-lived success, whether in your career or personal life.
There are no boundaries with finance. It is one of the most fluid professions anyone can ever have, with multisectoral, multigeographical opportunities. Your limit is yourself. Finance gave me the best option for diversity in my working life.
I may not often think unconventionally outside the box but I am great at redesigning it
I enjoy the diversity that comes with my job, both in responsibility and dealing with stakeholders. In finance, I am able to engage at all levels of the organisation, from strategic through to operational. In any week, I can pivot from coaching and training to meeting with funders and regulators, providing internal financial services, seeking supply chain alternatives or looking at business reporting. There’s never a dull day.
If I wasn’t an accountant, I would have been interested in engineering. I may not often be thinking unconventionally outside the box as a first option, but I am great at changing and redesigning the box to meet the needs at hand.
I have twice resigned without having another job lined up. Each time, it was a step outside my comfort zone, but in both cases I was feeling uninspired with my life and employment, so decided to hit the reset button and re-evaluate.
My biggest career achievement was helping bring two startups to market successfully. I also greatly value the nine years I have spent at the Infectious Diseases Institute, building a culture of excellence and teamwork across the department.
AI will simplify the measurement and adaptation of our interventions
The use of AI in the public and NGO sectors will streamline resource allocation. By providing much better visibility of cost/benefit information, AI will simplify the measurement and adaptation of our interventions. Currently, we often wait years until the end of a project to measure its impact, which limits our ability to adapt solutions. AI can also tap vast amounts of information that is held in silos, greatly improving real-time reporting and analytics, which is key to any successful project.
My favourite quote comes from Galatians in the Bible. It declares: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.’ As we wade through life, everything may change, but these are the constants needed for a fulfilled life.
If I had the power, I would ensure the transparency and accountability of government resource management and improve sustainable income generation. With 50% of Uganda’s population under the age of 18 and 73% under 30, a change in education and skilling is also an absolute necessity.
In my spare time I rest, which might be unpopular. I like to watch whatever catches my interest on TV, usually ‘how to’ channels, and I enjoy simply winding down at home with the occasional book.
