WOMEN FIXING UGANDA: Meet Eva Naisanga, Head of Central Operations at dfcu Bank

Knowing exactly how each piece of the puzzle fits together is probably the most appropriate skill that someone who occupies the role of Head of Central Operations could have. At dfcu Bank, Eva Naisanga is exactly that person. She started acquiring these skills when she joined the Bank’s Masaka Branch in 2005 and has honed them over the twenty or so years that she’s worked at dfcu.

“Starting out a career as a teller is one of the best experiences anyone can have. You are dealing one-on-one with many people, and you have to manage each of their different needs whether it is banking their money or processing their withdrawals to helping them maneuver through the bank to find the help they require,” Naisanga recalls.

Almost 20 years later, Naisanga has served in various roles including the Back Office where among other duties, she was responsible for processing salaries and posting cheques; as a Branch Operations Manager – she was was tasked with supervising the Back Office; she then took on other roles including being, a Compliance Officer, an Operational Risk Manager, the Head of Operations and finally and as the Head of Central Operations, a position she holds today. 

She attributes her rise through the bank to a personal commitment to excellence, teamwork, and the Bank’s commitment to her development – a structured process that has been years in the making.

Aside from formal training both inside and outside the bank, Naisanga was exposed to mentorship and coaching and the opportunity to sit in different roles and appreciate their intricacies. 

In the two decades she has been employed by the Bank, she has seen first-hand how the Bank has brought meaningful change to clients, a fact that continues to inspire the way she delivers her work and leads several teams within the organisation.

Naisanga shares a story of a businessman who started as a spare parts dealer in Ndeeba, working for someone else, before breaking off to start their own operation and growing that into a bigger enterprise than the one they even worked for initially. The bank’s initial intervention of an unsecured loan to increase their stock has now grown into bigger loans, backed by securities the bank has helped them obtain.

She attributes the Bank’s success to their deep understanding of their clients’ needs and the ability to provide solutions that are tailored to these needs. Human resource wise, the Bank invests in skills development for its staff at all levels. 

Her time with the Bank has allowed Naisanga to witness critical changes such as the technological advancements that have now become routine. “When I joined dfcu, majority of our operations were paper based. Today, automation both rules and saves the day at the bank and for our customers. It is humbling to witness these massive changes and be a part of the transformation that dfcu continues to enable.” 

“dfcu prioritises the wellbeing and progress of its staff and over the next 60 years I see dfcu remaining an employer of choice for people who are looking to transform both their personal lives and those of the society where we live and do business,” she sums up.