The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group's newly appointed Director of Information Technology Roger Adom has credited his former employer for readying him for his role at the Africa-focused development finance institution.

Adom says work at multinational telecoms company over the last ten years in several roles including most recently as Chief Information Officer responsible for Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA), has put him in good stead.

"I worked for an innovative, ambitious and competitive company during these last years. Like AfDB, Orange wants to become and stay best in its class. I have already managed big IT teams and I already work in an international environment. I have also traveled a lot across Africa to manage IT teams and I know all the big actors in the African IT domain."

Adom managed an annual budget of 200 million euros and 23 country teams with a total of 1200 employees during his time at Orange. He shared what his immediate tasks will be two weeks into the new job.

"The first one is to understand and know AfDB better. The Bank is an institution with more than 50 years. There are some rules. It is really important for me to be well informed about the practices. The second one is to connect with my team and the important stakeholders on the IT part. The third is to learn AfDB strategy and to ensure that it is in line with the IT strategy. It will be really necessary to have a strong alignment between business team and IT. To finish I will have to identify quickly the weakness and the threats."

Adom initiated Mobile Banking for the Orange Group in Africa and the Middle East. His new employer has identified mobile banking as a key driver for change in its strategy document for the years between 2013 and 2022.

"The new broadband infrastructure and the proliferation of mobile banking and other wireless applications can be harnessed to 'leapfrog' older ones and accelerate growth and job creation," says the Bank in its strategy document focused on the nine-year period.

The new appointee does not expect his new job to be without challenges. "I anticipate a lot of projects, a lot of initiatives, a lot of needs, a lot of interactions with business teams. I anticipate I will have to act faster and better."

Akinwumi Adesina, President of AfDB said, "Mr. Adom is an experienced, passionate and dynamic information systems manager who has accumulated considerable practical experience in the sector. He brings along very sound know-how in the management of information systems. As we implement our new business delivery model, I count on Roger to drive a digital system transformation to serve the Bank everywhere, for a Bank on the move."