Our Story

Software technology is rapidly changing the world we live in, and we want to play a big part in enabling Africa to make that leap. –  John Seno.

John Seno is an entrepreneur with over 18 years in business. He is currently the Director of Finance and Strategy at Outside the Box Africa Limited (OTB Africa).

He has played a critical role in enabling the businesses he has founded and run to generate millions of dollars in revenue. With a bird’s eye view of organizations, he is able to see how the different pieces fit together. An avid reader and cyclist, he has worked with clients like World Bank, Trademark East Africa, Kengen, GIZ etc.

John studied business management at DALC college based in Nairobi.  He is a director of Seno Group limited, an investment firm with interests in property, securities, and food services.

With over 14 years of multi-industry experience and over 6 years of experience in business development and strategic partnerships, Emmanuel has a proven track record of driving growth and delivering impact projects, in a wide range of industry verticals. Having worked in banking, insurance, reinsurance, and now enterprise software and workflow process automation solutions, he brings a wealth of diverse experience and expertise to the table.

As a qualified actuary who pivoted to enterprise technology, he has a passion for simplifying day-to-day tasks in a typical workspace and bringing more efficiency and time savings with the use of technology. He has built a strong business development team and has successfully led them to close new business in excess of 4 million dollars with a customer satisfaction rate of 100%.

Beyond his professional expertise, Emmanuel is family-oriented and enjoys spending time with loved ones. He has a passion for helping people, especially the underprivileged, which he has pursued through Rotary and other charitable organisations. He also enjoys exploring new nature trails and mountain biking, as well as running full marathons. In his free time, he loves to read books and travel to explore and create lifetime memories and have new experiences.

At OTB Africa, he has established strategic partnerships and closed contracts ranging from 100,000 to 1 million dollars across Africa, demonstrating his ability to identify new business opportunities and anticipate market trends. Emmanuel holds a degree in Actuarial Science and has completed several relevant training and certifications in business development and leadership.

If you’re interested in exploring potential business opportunities or collaborations with us, please feel free to connect with him via LinkedIn.

One of the areas I am most passionate about in my profession is the use of technology in a highly impactful way to the lives of individuals, whether directly as consumers or indirectly by driving economic and social development. This is a lens from which I always strive to view the projects I am involved in. I truly believe that technology presents countless opportunities for holistic development of Africa as a continent, placing her as a major beneficiary of the digital revolution. – Edwin Seno

Edwin is a technology professional and entrepreneur with over 18 years’ experience in software development, project management and product development. He is currently the Director of technology at Outside the Box Africa Limited (OTB Africa).

He has a breadth of experience in software implementation, with a focus on process automation, ERP systems, cloud technologies and business intelligence, among other software applications, majorly running on open-source technology. Edwin has been the technical lead in the successful implementation of solutions for a diverse portfolio of organizations, ranging from seed stage start-ups, large private enterprises and government agencies in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Lesotho, Togo, South Africa, Zambia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. Ever since founding OTB Africa 14 years ago, Edwin has taken on roles varying from software development to his present role as director of technology, all the while steering teams in the successful implementation of over 60 software projects in 14 countries across the world, 11 of which are in Africa.

His special ability to align strategic vision and business requirements to optimal technology solutions has seen the implementation of software solutions that have transformed the operations of various organizations across Africa. He has excellent analytical, conceptual, and troubleshooting abilities. This coupled with his able leadership and strategic vision in information technology, will ensure that best practices, innovation, and customer needs will be an integral aspect of the technology component of your project.

Edwin has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi. He is a director of Seno Group limited, an investment firm with interests in property, securities, and food services, a board member for Life4Kids Children’s Home and also serves as a board member of the Football Foundation for Africa, a social enterprise seeking to drive investment into the development of grassroots football in Africa.