BIAN appoints Uganda CIO Rita Akot to executive board

The Banking Industry Architecture Network has appointed Rita Apell Akot to its Executive Board, making her the organisation's first board member from East Africa.

Akot, Chief Information Officer at Stanbic Bank Uganda, joins as BIAN seeks to deepen its presence in African banking markets amid rising participation from African banks in its membership community.

Her appointment adds regional representation to an industry body focused on common standards for banking architecture and interoperability. BIAN is a member-owned not-for-profit association with more than 100 members from financial institutions, software vendors, system integrators, technology partners and consultancies.

Akot was selected after contributing to a regional BIAN meeting hosted by Standard Bank in Cape Town. The organisation pointed to her experience in banking transformation and her regulatory relationships across the region.

At Stanbic Bank Uganda, Akot oversees technology strategy as Chief Information Officer. She brings more than two decades of experience in digital transformation and technology leadership in financial services, including governance, risk and advisory support for senior executives and boards.

The move comes as African banking markets face change driven by economic pressure, new technology and regulation. BIAN wants to broaden engagement with financial institutions in Africa as banks review how to modernise systems and connect services across the industry.

Regional role

For nearly two decades, BIAN has developed a common architectural framework for the banking sector. Its work centres on service definitions and semantic standards designed to help banks integrate systems more consistently and at lower cost.

Wider geographic representation can shape how standards are discussed and applied across different banking environments. East Africa has drawn growing attention in recent years for digital financial services, mobile-led payment ecosystems and banking models shaped by varying regulatory structures and customer needs.

Akot said her appointment would help bring those perspectives into a global forum.

"It's an honour to join BIAN's Executive Board and contribute to an organisation shaping the future of banking globally. East Africa is home to a dynamic and innovative banking sector, and I look forward to fostering greater dialogue around the world. By bringing together global perspectives and experiences, we can drive meaningful transformation for East African banks and equip them for the future," said Rita Apell Akot, Chief Information Officer at Stanbic Bank Uganda.

Standards focus

BIAN's model is built on shared definitions for banking IT services to improve interoperability between systems. The association says this can help banks adopt newer software structures, including microservices-based approaches, while containing integration costs.

The appointment also reflects how standards bodies are responding to the spread of banking technology expertise beyond traditional financial centres. Banks in African markets have often developed around different infrastructure constraints and customer behaviour, producing approaches that can diverge from those seen in Europe or North America.

BIAN's leadership said the board change reflects that shift.

"We are delighted to welcome Rita to BIAN's Executive Board. Throughout our 18-year history, we have seen how bringing together different perspectives and experiences strengthens our organisation and the value we deliver to the industry. We look forward to working with Rita and benefiting from her insight as we continue to support collaboration and innovation across the global banking community," said Hans Tesselaar, Executive Director at BIAN.

BIAN said the appointment is part of a wider effort to advance interoperability in banking through common standards and joint industry work. Akot's arrival gives the organisation a board-level representative from East Africa as it expands relationships with banks across the region.

The association said its community is focused on building a standard semantic banking services landscape, with consistent service definitions, levels of detail and boundaries across participants.