SOUTH AFRICA – Ukheshe Technologies, fintech enablement partner, has appointed Darryn Botha as its Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Botha’s role will include overseeing data security, maintaining a stable IT infrastructure, while enabling Ukheshe’s business strategy and improving its ability to engage and collaborate with clients.
As we have seen in recent years, the scope and importance of the CIO has increased severalfold, with the same applying here.
Botha has spent over 25 years in the financial services industry with experience in building bespoke insurance and investment platforms to service local and international markets, and helping startups deliver new and easy-to-use business acquisition channels.
He also headed up the systems team in charge of implementing business solutions for Discovery Life, Discovery Insure and Vitality Life in the UK.
Botha says he looks forward to collaborating with the Ukheshe team and its clients in order to meet business goals, and drive value through the empowerment of staff.
“There is an ongoing challenge, which I plan to meet head on, of attracting and retaining talented people, as well as creating a culture that allows our teams to thrive and deliver against tough business goals.”
He believes Ukheshe’s key to success is the speed to market of its products for fintechs and entrepreneurs, which enables clients to realise value in new and existing markets in a short time frame.
Botha plans to build on this success by ensuring a marked increase in the distribution and take-up of Ukheshe’s product offering, locally and internationally, with the implementation and introduction of new and innovative products to increase revenue streams.
“In order to remain a leader in the financial sector, it is imperative that innovative products are introduced on a regular basis. These products must be easy to use and have a profound influence on the lives of our clients,” he says.
Botha’s appointment comes at a time when fintech companies are increasingly looking to CIOs to understand their company’s medium- and long-term requirements and how IT systems can support them, bring in revenue and assist in remaining competitive.
According to a worldwide Forbes study, 40 percent of CIOs believe their function is becoming vital to formulating customer-facing solutions and fostering innovation within companies.
“As CIO, it is important to understand our clients’ business objectives and enable their profitable business growth and success,” said Botha.
“To ensure this, we need to constantly provide information to help them understand and tweak their business model, and this, in turn, will allow Ukheshe to build business IP and enrich our products and data reserves.
“I am delighted to make the move to a start-up and have the opportunity to work with the founding members of Ukheshe,” he concludes.
In recent months we have seen Ukheshe expand into new territories, as well as partner with startups on the continent as an enablement platform, so Botha will no doubt look to ramp up the company’s efforts in that department.
As such, it will be interesting to see what this latest addition brings to the fortunes of Ukheshe.
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