There aren’t many places better to find answers to all questions business than a room packed with the region’s leading chief executives. Even better, if those chief executives are interfacing at a platform which boasts a decade of existence.
The Annual CEO Forum marked its tenth anniversary today, with the 2019 edition at the Kampala Serena Conference Center, providing the stage for intriguing debate on how to drive growth in an unpredictable economic environment, as the myriad captains of industry in attendance went about separating myth from fact with regard to what makes businesses work.
To lead the dissection was Guinness Nigeria PLC Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Baker Magunda, the tenth edition’s keynote speaker whose address focused on the topic; “Business Growth in a Volatile Economy: Facts Vs Myths”. It was a discussion that couldn’t have been more apt, tying in nicely with the theme of the event; “How Corporate East Africa Can Claim the 21st Century”.
Mr. Magunda told attendees at the invite-only forum that included key business stakeholders, industry and thought leaders, that for a transitional economy like Uganda to grow, CEOs should be willing to not only be competitive but also build from the grass roots
“Lift as you rise,” he said.
He then went ahead to talk about the complexities and disruptions that influence business growth in divergent cultures like Uganda. He noted that issues of urbanization, technology and environmental change play a key role in how people work and live in a said economy, adding that businesses with smart and flexible options are likely to win in 2019 and the outer years.
More than 200 of the region’s best business and industry minds, representatives of leading private sector firms, civil society and Uganda’s public sector leaders devoted the day to discussing what works, what matters and what needs to change, ensuring an enriching exchange of ideas and insights.
Among those in attendance were State Minister for Finance and Planning Hon. David Bahati and Standard Chartered Bank chairman Dr. Robin Kibuuka, Barclays Bank Executive Director and CEO, Micheal Segawa, IMF Resident Representative Clara Mira, as well as dfcu Managing Director Mathias Katamba, Tullow Oil Managing Director Jimmy Mugerewa and Prof. Maggie Kigozi, among others.
The forum, first held in 2009, is a platform which was created to stimulate an open dialogue between the participants, forming healthy debates and creative thinking opportunities that can be adopted in creating favourable conditions for businesses to thrive in diverse and volatile economies.
The platform combines a unique blend of brilliant minds from multiple disciplines unpacking critical issues and exploring practical options and possibilities to foster a healthy business space especially in the public-private sector.