Rodgers Karani Obetele
Summary
- A committed Financial Services and Strategic Product Management Leader with cross industry experience cutting across Financial Services, Telco, Fintech, Airline and Software development industries. Currently Responsible for Deriving and executing the T-kash DFS by Telkom Strategy , PnL and Product Management in Kenya.
- Over the Last 5 years I take pride in some of the achievements made while at various organizations in my career that have been transformational including leading the development of the T-kash strategy & delivery of the PnL , development and scaling of the Financial Inclusion Fund ( Personal, Group , Savings Product ) for T-kash ,Decoupling & migration of Key core payment and transactional services from the Core Wallet to a new in-house Middleware and channels (*334# and Mobile APP) , Implementation of the Till and Paybill Inteoperability between T-kash and Mpesa , co-development of a term loan and triggered savings product with Sidian bank - among others.
- I have also spent my time as a co-founder & tech lead of Dohyangu an instant digital loyalty cash rewards product that served various manufacturers across Kenya through leading tier two retail outlets. My passion for excellent customer experience is also evident in the product development leadership i continue to offer.
- In the year 2019, I published a study on the Effect Of Strategic Management Practices On Organizational Growth. A Case of Diamond Trust Bank > More Details on the Publication from Strategic Journals http://strategicjournals.com/index.php/journal/article/view/1242/1215
- Rogers continuously engages in changing the social and financial thought process amongst the youth in Africa by contributing to the sustainable and continuous development of people, economies, processes and technology. Im passionate about innovative disruptive thinking that leads towards cost reduction, revenue generation, process improvement and or legislative amendments for financial inclusivity and health.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Product, Projects, Delivery & Operations
TELKOM KENYA
06.2023 - Current
- Lead the development and execution of the T-kash growth strategy on customer, revenue, innovation and new products introduction. Responsible for defining and implementing T-kash 5 Year strategic and financial objectives by driving usage, penetration and improvement of operational performance to meet consumer satisfaction and the overall business strategy.
- Developed comprehensive roadmaps to guide product development from ideation to launch, ensuring timely delivery. Delivered Functional requirements and co-owned sourcing of a DFS Platform
- Spearheaded decoupling of payment and transaction services from the Core-wallet to an in-house middleware enhancing product development & management turnaround time.
- Spearheaded collaborative efforts to bring products to market. Delivered Kenyan Government :- Financial Inclusion Fund ( Hustler-Fund Lending & Savings ) For T-kash Customers
- Mentored junior team members in best practices for product management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Optimized user experience by collaborating with UX designers and conducting extensive user testing.
- Drove adoption of best practices for project management within the organization as a whole by introducing standardized processes and documentation methods.
- Collaborated with sales and marketing teams to develop go-to-market strategies that maximized revenue potential.
Program Manager: @ Telkom Kenya
Marathon XP Lead
02.2022 - 05.2023
- Leveraged project management processes and tools to define and execute projects. Identified program obstacles and communicated possible impacts to team.
- Delivered high-quality results by setting performance metrics and monitoring progress against targets.
- Addressed and resolved technical, financial, and operational concerns by working with team members and directors.
- Coached team members on professional development opportunities, contributing to improved overall performance.
- Delivered : Merchant Interoperability with Mpesa and T-kash , Delivered 2 Bank Integrations (DTB & Coop) , Delivered Implementation of the KE-QR Code Standard
Senior Manager Information Tech & Ramp Services
KENYA AIRWAYS
01.2020 - 11.2021
- Deliver and ensure the synchronization of ICT & ramp services functions that include but not limited to overall revenue & budgeting for Nairobi and Mombasa ICT & Ramp handling. Reduced costs, optimized resource allocation, and improved efficiency in managing projects.
- Ensure that a risk management process is applied throughout the Kenya airways ICT & ramp operations at the JKIA Nairobi Hub.Implemented and developed operational standards, policies and procedures.
- Contribute to the definition and development of the Information Technology KQ product portfolio particularly ramp services.
- Plan and take responsibility for the overall project objectives- provide project management and direction to ensure overall success of assigned initiatives by developing the project implementation plan .
- To liaise with relevant authorities and stakeholders ensuring conformity with all regulatory requirements, organization standards, local procedures and SLAs.
Manager Hub Control Information Technology Center
Kenya Airways
05.2017 - 01.2020
- Continuous Re-evaluation of the 3 Year Rolling Plan on developing the resourcing and budgetary needs for ground services touching on people, technology and processes as driven by the 5-year strategic plan..
- Review and Analysis of all major incidents and breaches of SLA's in respect of impact to the Kenya airways across revenue, cost and risk dimensions for the purpose of prioritization of improvement plans, both tactical and strategic.
- Definition of KPI's and creation of capabilities to measure progress against KPI's to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Continual Service Improvement function.
- Oversee risk identification classification and evaluation. Including implementing mitigation controls as well as close safety and audit issues on time.
- Maximized performance by monitoring daily activities and mentoring team members.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by resolving disputes promptly, maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
- Monitored and analyzed business performance to identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments.
Global I.C.T Project Manager
Kenya Airways
10.2013 - 05.2017
- Delivered detailed progress reports to senior leadership regularly, maintaining transparency in project status updates.
- Together with Senior Management Handle the delivery portfolio as well as communicate and follow up on dependencies between projects
- Monitor, direct and support the delivery portfolio as well as ensure that delays in projects that may impact others in the portfolio are communicated.
- Achieve operational objectives by contributing information and recommendations to strategic plans and reviews; preparing and completing action plans; implementing production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; resolving problems; completing audits; identifying trends; determining system improvements; implementing change.
- Met financial objectives by forecasting requirements; preparing an annual budget; scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; initiating corrective actions.
- Managed cross-functional teams for successful completion of complex ICT projects within budget constraints.
- Proactively manage full cycle of assigned initiatives, including overall project plan, scope, change control, risks, issues, impacts and reporting through standardization and best practice project implementation
- Reduced overall project costs by identifying opportunities for process improvements and implementing cost-effective solutions.
- Led 54 geographically and culturally diverse cross-functional teams for large companywide projects.
IT Business Analyst
Kenya Airways
10.2011 - 10.2013
- Provided expert consultation on best practices for IT systems usage, enabling clients to achieve their goals more efficiently.
- Work very closely with internal customers to perform business process analysis so as to create documentation of processes and workflow requirements for the development of project requirements and functional/technical specifications.
- Ensure there is an appropriate level of analysis and research of alternatives, and participation of internal customers, to deliver objective recommendations.
- Co-ordinate and participate in the planning, design and implementation of new systems to meet the set business objectives;
- Co-ordinate and fully participate in quality assurance testing for new systems to confirm process integrity and relevance to the business;
- Work with project team and users to conduct user acceptance testing including creation of business cases, test scripts, and manage change requests;
- Conducted in-depth data analysis to inform strategic decision-making, leading to more effective resource allocation and prioritization.
- Developed high-quality documentation, providing clear guidance for future system enhancements and maintenance.
IT Project Manager
Pensoft Systems
11.2010 - 11.2011
- Mentored junior staff in best practices for IT project management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
- Led technical upgrade projects for clients by working and coordinating with consultants and developers for integrations.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction with timely deliveries, effective communication, and high-quality results.
- Streamlined project delivery by implementing Agile methodologies and improving collaboration among team members.
- Oversaw quality assurance testing processes, ensuring that all software met organizational standards before deployment.
- Outlined work plans, determined resources, wrote timelines, and generated initial budgets as part of project scope determination.
- Built and maintained strong relationships with stakeholders, resulting in increased trust and collaboration on future projects.
ICT ASSOCIATE
Verve KO
10.2008 - 11.2010
- Optimized application performance through thorough testing, bug identification, and resolution efforts.
- Financial E.R.P Project definition, implementation and scheduling.
- Development of payment processing solutions for sacco's, banks and microfinance institutions.
- Continuous monitoring and reevaluation to facilitate proper reporting to all stakeholders.
- Project management, monitoring and evaluation.
- Client liaison for requirements development, gathering and implementation.
- Maintained up-to-date documentation on all IT projects, facilitating knowledge transfer among team members and stakeholders alike.
Education
Master of Science - Strategic Management
Jomo Kenyatta University Of Technology
Juja, Kiambu District, Kenya07.2019
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology
Jomo Kenyatta University Of Technology
Thika, Nairobi Province, Kenya07.2008
Diploma - Airline Business Management
IATA Business School
Geneva11.2016
Certificate - Leadership & Customer Management
General Electric School of Leadership
San Fransisco03.2014
Certificate - Digital Competition in Financial Services
Copenhagen Business School
Online : Copenhagen04.2022
Diploma - Certified Expert in Digital Finance ( Ongoing )
Frankfurt School of Business
Online-FrankfurtSkills
- Economic & Financial Inclusion
- Product Development & Management
- Strategy Development & Execution
- Project & Risk Management
- Alliances & Strategic Partnerships Management
- Cross Functional Leadership
- Design thinking & Product Documentation
Accomplishments
• Lending Hustler Fund Impacted 500,000 Customers, Disbursed 500,000,000 KES
• System Integration Solution for UAP Valued at 50,000$
• Customer Origination Application Equity & KWFT Valued at 150,000$
• ERP For CASSOA Valued at 100,000$
• Hand Held P.O.S Devices and Money Cards for TN Bank Zimbabwe, South Imenti Tea Sacco & Meru Sacco
• Annual Gross Revenue of 560,950,600 KES by selling ground handling services.
• Rollout of the Altea DCS Application in 54 World Wide Stations Within Budget
• Project Manager Migration of KQ & Customer Airline Operations From Unit 1,2 into Terminal 1 A After Airport Fire in 2014.
• Implementation Of Enhanced Communication Applications & Tools , CuG, Radios, Enhanced FTA & Mayfly Improving OTP from 75% to 80% .
• Cost Reduction projects by Well over 50 million Shillings
• Co-Founder & CTO at DohYangu, 100K+ App Downloads , 30+ Shopping Outlets , 40+ SKUs Valued at 12M KES in Purchase Orders
• Implementation of Till Ni Till Interoperability Initiative
• Wallet to Bank CooP Bank , Now at Production Environment
• Bank to Wallet : Equity , Family, DTB, NCBA, NBK,ABSA, PostBank ,
• Agency , Loans & Interoperability : Total, Pezesha , Vooma,
Timeline
Head of Product, Projects, Delivery & Operations
TELKOM KENYA
06.2023 - Current
Program Manager: @ Telkom Kenya
Marathon XP Lead
02.2022 - 05.2023
Senior Manager Information Tech & Ramp Services
KENYA AIRWAYS
01.2020 - 11.2021
Manager Hub Control Information Technology Center
Kenya Airways
05.2017 - 01.2020
Global I.C.T Project Manager
Kenya Airways
10.2013 - 05.2017
IT Business Analyst
Kenya Airways
10.2011 - 10.2013
IT Project Manager
Pensoft Systems
11.2010 - 11.2011
ICT ASSOCIATE
Verve KO
10.2008 - 11.2010
Master of Science - Strategic Management
Jomo Kenyatta University Of Technology
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology
Jomo Kenyatta University Of Technology
Diploma - Airline Business Management
IATA Business School
Certificate - Leadership & Customer Management
General Electric School of Leadership
Certificate - Digital Competition in Financial Services
Copenhagen Business School
Diploma - Certified Expert in Digital Finance ( Ongoing )
Frankfurt School of Business
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