A leader is only as capable as their lieutenants, and a good lieutenant shows up for more reasons than a salary. In the course of Brainstorm’s CIO interviews, the same questions always come up: why do you do what you do? What inspires you? Why put in the time and focus, and adopt the incredible pressure of a C-suite role?

And every CIO has an answer for that because they wouldn’t have risen through the ranks otherwise. For Khetha Cele, Group CIO of Ithala Development Finance Corporation, that introspection gained clarity during the pandemic.