Francis Ishmail

Francis Ishmail has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over several years. Francis is currently serving as the Head of Information Technology at Red Dot Distribution, where they oversee IT operations across multiple countries. Prior to this role, Francis worked as a Senior Product Manager at Andela, where they played a vital role in driving the vision and supporting the product throughout its lifecycle. Francis also translated business strategies into technical requirements and managed project scope.

Before joining Andela, Francis worked as a Senior Technical Program Manager at LCT Africa, a start-up that emerged from a successful product they developed at Compulynx Limited. In this role, they managed the project and served as the lead developer of the LCT platform.

Earlier in their career, Francis held the position of Lead Software Engineer at Compulynx Limited. Francis was responsible for delivering projects, designing solutions, conducting code reviews, and providing level one support.

Francis also gained experience as a Data Scientist and Software Developer at SEVEN SEAS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, where they participated in the creation of a job creation portal. Francis developed an intelligent rating algorithm and contributed to the filtering of qualified workers for specific professions.

Furthermore, Francis worked as a Lead Data Scientist at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology - ICEOD, where they were involved in ICT and open data projects. Francis also founded and directed DevsAfrica Limited, a startup focused on collecting data on factors affecting students' performance in high schools and providing advice to improve performance.

In addition, Francis had the opportunity to work as a Software Developer at the IBM research lab Africa, where they developed an android application and web client addressing Africa's grand challenges.

Lastly, they gained early experience as an Internship Software Engineer at INTREPID DATA SYSTEMS LTD. Overall, Francis Ishmail's work experience showcases their expertise in IT management, product management, program management, software engineering, data analysis, and entrepreneurship.

Francis Ishmail's education history begins in 2010 when they enrolled at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology for their Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. Francis completed this degree in 2014. During that same period, from 2010 to 2011, they also pursued a Diploma in Business Information Technology at Strathmore University, focusing on Software Development and Deployment.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, Francis continued their studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, starting in 2019. Francis pursued a Master's in Software Engineering with a specialization in Computer Science. This program is expected to be completed in 2023.

In addition to their formal education, Francis has obtained several certifications. In 2010, they achieved CCNA 1 & 2 certification from Cisco. In March 2019, they completed the "Essential Cloud Infrastructure: Foundation" and "Google Cloud Platform Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure" courses on Coursera. Finally, in January 2022, they obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.