Anthony Okemo
Nairobi
Summary
Dynamic IT Project Lead with a proven track record at Mahindra Comviva, excelling in international project coordination and stakeholder management. Achieved a 30% reduction in project turnaround time while leading cross-functional teams. Expert in project management tools like Asana, fostering collaboration and driving successful outcomes in complex environments.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
IT Project Lead / Co-Founder
Branton LLC
09.2020 - Current
- Led the establishment of a fully remote e-commerce business, managing cross-functional teams across four countries
- Implemented a hybrid project management methodology that combined Agile and Waterfall techniques, expediting business setup from 5 months to 2.5 months
- Leveraged Agile for iterative processes (recruitment, training, product development) and Waterfall for sequential tasks (business registration, tax compliance, banking setup), ensuring smooth collaboration despite geographical and cultural differences
- Drove the adoption of Scrum frameworks for data-driven product development, resulting in a 2x faster product launch rate
- Successfully coordinated international teams to meet aggressive timelines, achieving $1 million in revenue within the first year—quadrupling initial forecasts
- Negotiated advantageous terms with global suppliers and logistics partners, securing wholesale pricing for smaller order quantities and reducing minimum order quantities (MOQs)
- Demonstrated exceptional negotiation and stakeholder management skills, resulting in a 25% reduction in product costs, enhanced competitive pricing, and increased profitability
- Optimized logistics operations by synchronizing external partner workflows with internal processes, overcoming resistance through effective communication and relationship building
- Successfully coordinated logistics operations across multiple regions, reducing product turnaround time by 40% and boosting operational efficiency
PMO for Airtel Africa account
Mahindra Comviva
Nairobi
05.2017 - 09.2020
- Promoted from Senior Project Manager to PMO Manager, serving as the single point of contact for projects across 14 African countries with Airtel group and top management
- Implemented and enforced formal project management processes tailored to Airtel Africa's delivery model, resulting in a 30% reduction in project turnaround time and improving project delivery accuracy by 25%
- Managed a portfolio of over 20 projects across 14 African countries, leading a team of 4 project managers to consistently meet or exceed project goals
- Led complex, high-impact projects as Senior Project Manager, overseeing large-scale initiatives for key customers, including the successful migration of the Airtel Mobile Money System in Congo B and Chad
- Delivered the project on time and 10% under budget, impacting over 2 million users and maintaining continuous service availability
- Earned exemplary client commendations and was recognized with the Credo CAP Award for Excellence (Q4 17/18), awarded to the top 5% of performers for outstanding project management and client satisfaction
- Championed the organization-wide adoption of Compass project management software, leading training sessions for project stakeholders spread over 14 African countries
- Successfully achieved a 90% adoption rate within 8 months, standardizing project management processes and improving reporting accuracy by 70%
- Enhanced stakeholder communication and consistency by 90%, earning recognition for driving efficiency and transparency
Senior IT Project Manager
Mahindra Comviva
Nairobi
09.2014 - 05.2017
- Led end-to-end integrations of Airtel Money (Mobile Money) platform with diverse partners, including merchants, banks, and telecom operators, utilizing multi-channel technologies (SMS, USSD, Web, App)
- Delivered over 120 successful integrations yearly across 13 African countries, maintaining a 85% on-time delivery rate and enhancing operational efficiency
- Managed cross-functional teams of 4 project managers, business analysts, QA engineers, business teams, and directors, coordinating activities with stakeholders across 13 African countries and India HQ
- Increased project execution efficiency by 30% through implementing stakeholder management best practices, leading to a 25% increase in client satisfaction
- Fostering strong stakeholder relationships earned me a client recommendation for promotion to PMO role, reflecting outstanding leadership and delivery excellence
- Developed and implemented comprehensive risk management strategies, proactively identifying potential project risks and maintaining a robust risk register
- Established a lessons-learned culture within the team to promote continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, resulting in a 40% reduction in project delays through systematic risk tracking and proactive mitigation planning
Project Manager – Digital Banking
Cellulant K Ltd
Nairobi
04.2012 - 09.2014
- Led multiple digital banking integrations to core banking systems across East Africa, including projects for Kenya Commercial Bank, Ecobank, and Diamond Trust Bank
- Delivered mobile banking software solutions on time and within budget
- Achieved 100% client satisfaction and increasing bank transactions by 18% through optimized integration practices
- Streamlined project documentation and tracking by centralizing project documentation such as project plans, Project charters, requirements, risk registers, budgets, and technical specs in Asana project management tool, achieving a 70% improvement in stakeholder confidence and collaboration through enhanced accuracy and rigorous quality control
- Collaborated with business analysts during the requirements gathering phase, implementing rigorous monitoring and control practices to minimize scope creep
- Reduced scope creep incidents by 80%, resulting in improved scheduling accuracy, budget adherence, and client satisfaction
Web developer and Copywriter
Entier Applied Solutions
04.2010 - 02.2012
Senior Web Development Officer
Telkom Orange Kenya
Nairobi
01.2009 - 01.2010
Junior Business Analyst
Simba Café
Nairobi
04.2007 - 12.2008
Software developer Intern
Dell Australia
Sydney
02.2005 - 12.2005
Education
Masters Information Systems Management - Project Management
Keller Graduate School of management
Virginia, USABS (Hons) Technology Management -
DeVry University
Virginia, USABA Information Technology -
Charles Stuart University
Sydney, AustraliaSkills
- Business & IT Planning
- ROI Analysis
- Risk assessment
- International project coordination
- Cross-Functional Supervision
- Requirements analysis
- Client Relations & Presentations
- Costing & Budgeting
- Team Building & Mentoring
- Requirements Analysis
- Project Scheduling
- System Migrations/Integrations
- Stakeholder Management
- Asana
- Compass
- MS project
- Jira
- Slack
- MS Teams
- Zoom
- Project management
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
IT Project Lead / Co-Founder
Branton LLC
09.2020 - Current
PMO for Airtel Africa account
Mahindra Comviva
05.2017 - 09.2020
Senior IT Project Manager
Mahindra Comviva
09.2014 - 05.2017
Project Manager – Digital Banking
Cellulant K Ltd
04.2012 - 09.2014
Web developer and Copywriter
Entier Applied Solutions
04.2010 - 02.2012
Senior Web Development Officer
Telkom Orange Kenya
01.2009 - 01.2010
Junior Business Analyst
Simba Café
04.2007 - 12.2008
Software developer Intern
Dell Australia
02.2005 - 12.2005
Masters Information Systems Management - Project Management
Keller Graduate School of management
BS (Hons) Technology Management -
DeVry University
BA Information Technology -
Charles Stuart University
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