The Leader of the Year Award
This award recognises women who are at the forefront of leading customer experience and technology. These women inspire us by role-modelling the Women in CX values of courage, collaboration, inclusivity, authenticity, and audacity. They are highly influential within their organisations, among their colleagues, and across the wider community. These women have demonstrated a tangible impact on business performance through the CX initiatives they have led and are undoubtedly paving the way for others to succeed through their commitment to the development of others.
Winner!
Elizabeth Okomba
Group Director Customer Experience, Equity Group Holdings
Elizabeth Okomba exemplifies the highest standard of customer experience leadership on the African continent and beyond. As Group Director of Customer Experience at Equity Group Holdings, she has redefined CX as a strategic, inclusive, and system-wide force, transforming not only how businesses operate, but how they uplift communities and individuals.
Her influence spans multiple countries, financial institutions, and industries. At NCBA Bank, she led Africa’s largest banking merger through a CX lens, uniting cultures, restoring employee morale, and turning chaos into clarity. Under her leadership, NCBA was recognised as the “#1 Most Customer-Obsessed Brand in East Africa,” with transformation seen across customer retention, digital adoption, and internal service culture.
At Equity Group, Elizabeth is spearheading a continent-wide digital CX strategy aligned with financial inclusion, sustainability, and innovation. She has embedded AI into daily operations, launched a region-wide customer protection program, and elevated CX to board-level influence. Her work isn’t just operational, it’s visionary, fusing social impact with commercial results.
Perhaps most inspiring is her commitment to people. Elizabeth’s CX Go-Igniters Program, described by judges as a “talent operating system”, has nurtured hundreds of CX leaders across the region, increased women’s representation in tech, and created lasting pathways for career development. She’s not just leading transformation; she’s building the next generation of CX change-makers.
One judge noted:
“Elizabeth is a credit to her organisations, her country, and the entire African continent. Her passion and drive have delivered so much—and there’s no doubt, she’s just getting started.”
Another added:
“The scale of her impact is breathtaking. She didn’t just influence change—she built the infrastructure, strategy, and culture to sustain it long after her.”
Another said:
“Elizabeth’s work stands as a blueprint for how CX can drive growth, innovation, inclusion, and purpose. She is rewriting what CX leadership looks like.”
Elizabeth Okomba is not only the Women in CX Leader of the Year 2025—she is an architect of lasting change, a trailblazer for women in leadership, and a force shaping the future of customer experience in financial services on a global scale.
Highly Commended!
Alison Jaap
Transformational leader, Formerly Ovo Energy
With over 25 years of CX transformation experience across sectors including energy, finance, and the public sector, Alison Jaap is a standout leader whose impact has been felt at both a strategic and human level. Her approach blends bold vision with operational rigour, delivering meaningful change for customers and teams alike.
During her time at OVO Energy, Alison led a full-scale transformation that redefined service delivery, integrated newly acquired teams, and introduced cutting-edge technology, including AI-guided tools, all while maintaining a sharp focus on culture and wellbeing. Her "Great Service Every Time" strategy aligned thousands of employees around a shared vision, while significant improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and digital service delivery were achieved.
Beyond results, judges praised Alison’s ability to elevate CX from a service function to a strategic growth driver.
“Alison doesn’t just report CX metrics; she embedded CX as a business system. This is textbook transformation delivered at scale.”
Alison also champions talent development. Her innovative “T-shaped leadership” model developed over 20 journey-owning leaders, blending operational knowledge with strategic thinking. Through agile coaching, hands-on training, and a strong culture of recognition, these leaders now drive change from within.
“Her leadership development model is one of the most complete we’ve seen—blending accountability, autonomy and real-world impact.”
Judges also highlighted her authentic, human-first approach to change. Alison redefined performance management and wellbeing strategies, resulting in a significant uplift in employee engagement and cultural transformation.
Her industry-wide influence extends through her role as Vice President of the Institute of Customer Service, and as a regular contributor to national CX strategy, digital innovation, and service excellence conversations.
Highly Commended in the Leader of the Year category, Alison Jaap’s work stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when strategy, technology and humanity come together to serve both customers and colleagues.
