Hartnell Ndungi was the first Chief Data Officer to be appointed in East and Central Africa. In the banking and financial services sector, he has been able to master the development and execution of key data and digital strategies for banks, FinTechs and large financial institutions.

He is Absa Kenya’s Chief Data Officer and he leads the bank’s data science, data governance, BI and analytics teams. Previously, he worked as a senior data consultant, providing advisory and analytics services to governments, banks, insurance firms and telecom companies. He has also led and set up data teams for top banks in Africa.

With a deep understanding of AI, data management and digital transformation, Ndungi seeks to ensure that organizations are able to set up dynamic data teams, understand the data they hold, harness actionable insights and deliver key use cases that drive profitability, operational efficiency, growth and transformation.

He holds a Leadership certificate from IMD Switzerland, a master’s degree in analytics from Georgia Institute of Technology, an executive data science specialization from Johns Hopkins University and a degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Moi University.