Co-op Bank ICT boss feted for Sh7bn ICT plan

Charles Khacheso Washika, the Director of ICT and Innovation at the Cooperative Bank of Kenya. [Courtesy]

Charles Khacheso Washika, the Director of ICT and Innovation at the Cooperative Bank of Kenya, has been named the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Year 2023, beating out five other competitors who were also vying for the coveted title among technology leaders in Africa.

The CIO 100 Awards programme, acknowledges and fetes organizations and individuals who leverage IT in creative and groundbreaking ways to enhance business value.

These may include gaining a competitive edge, streamlining business operations, fostering growth, enhancing customer relationships, or driving digital transformation within the organization, say the organisers of the award.

The award to Mr Washika comes on the year he successfully executed a Sh7 billion ($50 million) IT project for the bank.

He led the bank teams in collaboration with multiple service providers in implementing the latest Finacle core banking system from Infosys of India, which went live, without incident, on Monday 12 June this year.

Earlier, the bank announced that the Core Banking Implementation was a project worth millions of dollars and spanned multiple years.

Co-op Bank believes that its substantial investments in ICT are greatly enhancing the bank's digital transformation efforts, leading to a more sophisticated banking offering and improved customer experiences.

According to the organisers of the Award, The CIO of The Year Award recognizes exceptional individuals who have demonstrated outstanding expertise in overseeing the IT leadership role within an organization.

CIOs and judges have the opportunity to nominate deserving candidates for the peer award.