Last week, I shared with you some of the speakers and sessions we will be having at the 5th edition of the Made in Africa Leadership Conference. I am excited this week to bring to you more speakers and their sessions at MLC2023 on 14 & 15 June 2023.
Yaw Nsarkoh – Executive Vice President, Unilever
Yaw Nsarkoh has extensive experience, spanning over 30 years with Unilever, in leadership and managing market conditions at strategic levels across developing and developed economies. His areas of expertise include Business Development, Strategic Leadership, Marketing and Branding, Corporate Governance and Organisational Strategy and Leadership.
He is currently an Executive Vice President of Unilever based in the UK. He was the former Executive Vice President of Unilever Ghana and Nigeria. Prior to this, he served as the Managing Director for Unilever Nigeria and Managing Director, Unilever, East and Southern Africa, based in Kenya from 2010 to 2013.
Yaw has played several strategic roles on Boards in Ghana and across Africa. Key amongst these roles are as Executive Board Member, Unilever Ghana, Council Member, Trade/Employee Associations and Strategic Private Sector committees, Nigeria. He was previously Director, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Chairman, East African Shippers Council and Director, Changing Lives Endowment Fund (CLEF), Ghana. Yaw holds a postgraduate Diploma in Management from Henley Management College, United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Learning to let go: Leadership Transitions
Letting go can be a difficult process for many leaders, especially those who have invested significant time and energy in their current role. It is worse for people who have built their organizations right from the beginning to an appreciable level of growth. During this session, you will gain a better understanding of the emotional aspects of letting go and develop strategies for managing these emotions effectively. You will also learn how to delegate effectively and create a transition plan that ensures a smooth handover of responsibilities.
Dr Edward Brown – Senior Director, Research, Policy, and Programs at ACET
Dr. Edward K. Brown is a Senior Director, Research, Policy, and Programs at ACET. He has more than 35 years of experience in international development and public policy, half of which were spent at the World Bank. He has worked extensively in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
Currently, Ed manages a team of ACET in-house senior policy advisors, researchers, and economists, drawing on a worldwide pool of expertise to assist African policymakers to respond to specific challenges and opportunities—with the explicit goals of transferring knowledge, building local capabilities, and spurring economic growth and transformation.
His main interests are in public policy, economic management (public resources mobilization and expenditure management), and natural resource management, including institutional and organizational reforms and development strategies.
David Meek Jah – CEO CADAP World
David Meek Jah is a consultant with a successful track record in delivering technology solutions to various industries in West Africa, including Nigeria, Senegal, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, as well as in East Africa and the Middle East, with extensive experience in software, hardware, satellite, and space technology. His current goal is to use IoT, satellite and space technology to help low-income African countries achieve middle- and high-income status before 2035.
Beatrice Chaytor – Head of Division, Trade in Services, AfCFTA Secretariat
Beatrice Chaytor is an international trade lawyer, called to the Bar in England and Wales as well as Sierra Leone, with over 30 years’ experience in providing advice and support to NGO’s, governments and intergovernmental organisations on trade and investment legal and policy issues.
She is currently Head of Division – Trade in Services in the Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, IPRs and Digital Trade at the AfCFTA Secretariat, based in Accra, and prior to this was Senior Expert- Trade in Services in the Department of Trade and Industry at the African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, working on the negotiations for the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Beatrice has previously served as Director of Policy in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Sierra Leone, and as Programme Director for the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development in London. She has undertaken assignments for DFID, the European Union Commission, and the UN FAO. Beatrice is interested in research and analysis on a range of economic policy issues affecting Africa. She also has private sector interests in fintech, agribusiness, textiles and garments, and the creative industries.
Panel Discussion: Trade and collaboration in Africa
Trade and collaboration are crucial for Africa’s development and growth. By promoting regional integration, attracting investment, facilitating technology transfer, promoting sustainable development, and enhancing competitiveness, Africa can unlock its potential and become a major player in the global economy. How are we doing this individually in our businesses and where are we in terms of implementing policies that will facilitate trade and collaborations with Africans? This session will be hot and tough but it will be fulfilling in the end because, we will all know where we fit in the grand scheme of trading and collaborating amongst ourselves.
Professor Sir Tumani Corrah
Professor Sir Tumani Corrah KBE is an Emeritus director of the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council Unit, at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine based in The Gambia. He is the Founder and President of the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF). Established seven years ago, AREF focuses on the continent’s talented emerging health researchers, providing them with the knowledge and essentials to a successful research career in Africa for Africa. Research that will impact policies to improve health and save lives in Africa and the rest of the world.
Africa’s Health is Africa’s wealth
Despite notable advancements in healthcare, such as an increase in life expectancy, significant improvements in child and maternal health, and a decline in communicable diseases, many Africans still face significant challenges in accessing quality healthcare. This is due to a range of factors, including insufficient healthcare infrastructure, inadequate funding, limited availability of essential medicines and technologies, and a shortage of skilled healthcare workers. You will learn about some amazing health care delivery systems put in place by Africans for Africans.
Join us on 14th and 15th June at the Marriott Hotel in Accra and connect with African company owners and executives, Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Managing Directors and other C-Suite leaders to deliberate on the theme “Making Africa Work for Africans: Collaborations and Partnership” this year.
The two-day hybrid (in-person and virtual) conference aims to inspire and support leadership development among African leaders, promote intra-Africa trade and collaboration, and boost productivity and production of goods and services in Africa.
Visit bcaleadership.com to register to attend the conference.
