Moses RutahingwaMoses Rutahingwa with over 14 years in banking, pastor, mentor, Rotarian, and sportsman believes that work-life balance remains an area many people battle with today. And for him to stay sane, he adopted a simple weekly schedule. Weekdays are for work, Saturdays for his family of four girls and his lovely wife Irene A whom he fondly calls boss, and Sundays for the church at Life Line Ministries, Kampala, where he is a lead pastor.
“The person you marry will determine the path of your career. She leaves me to do my things, Gives me the freedom to enhance my career,” he described the character of his wife.
Indeed, from a humble beginning, as an ordinary churchgoer was ordained pastor in 2013 before raising to a lead pastor at Life Ministries Kampala.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had not become a Christian,” he notes, explaining, this has shaped his character and hopes to face challenges
In banking too, he has also climbed from a simple teller at Nile Bank to a mid-level manager at Barclays as head of consumer, private, and business banking (CPBB) at Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, a strategic position. He has been able to climb the leadership ladder helped by three things: “Number one; competition. Not competing to kill you know that I don’t support clubs that do not win. Two, I believe in open-mindedness, you take on anything. Number three, I love challenge which helps one to take on hard work. Believe in generosity and integrity.”
During his early years in banking, he not only impressed the clients but also his bosses. He says it is Ms Milly Manzi, one of his clients who recommended him to take up a new opening at Standards Chartered Bank Uganda.
And as a go-getter, he has not disappointed his employers. “I did not have a chance to be flamboyant and arrogant. Whatever I did in life was being humble as possible.”
As a person who tries to use his talent and education to help others, he remains down to earth at his workplace.
“I am not here because I am the boss. I am here because I need to work harder every day. I ensure that I give help them, sponsor them, and be part of their growth. Be part of their lives challenges.”
He sacked the traits from his mother emphasizing what he does is a way of giving back to the community by even taking assignments that one would not expect him to be part of.
When he joined Standard Chartered Bank, has remained a team player, a character that made him easily catch the eyes of his bosses but also win the support of his subordinates to drive real growth of the bank through innovations to beat the competition
He lovingly talks about Grace Mulisa, the former country head for retail clients at Standard Chartered Bank Uganda who was later posted to Standard Chartered Singapore. She is the managing director of Ecobank Uganda, who picked him up from Mbarara to the Kikubo branch in the busiest trading area in Kampala.
“Mulisa took a risk on me to move me from Mbarara. I believe in a few months we did quite a good job because it helped me grow to where I am,” he says adding the people he has worked under have been instrumental in his career.
These include Mr Lamin Majang who was a managing director of Standard Chartered Bank Uganda’s chief executive officer, Mr Harman Kasekende the current CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania, and Albert Saltson he describes as lovely to work with.
“No one rises alone in positions. Takes a village to raise a child, the same way careers are built. I have been privileged to work with over 15 managers. Kasekende got to know about me through a client who recommended me to Standard Chartered. I don’t have a relative here. I don’t know anybody here. Kasekende has been my great supporter. He has helped me become who I am. He mentored me to grow through the career”.
As a beneficiary of supportive bosses to climb the leadership ladder, Rutahingwa also tries to use his talent and education to help others. “I am not here because I am the boss. I am here because I need to work harder every day,” he reveals a character that has helped shaped him.
A strong believer in competition, not competing to kill, taking on anything, loves a challenge