To unpack the complex intersection of leadership, governance, and organizational resilience, CEO East Africa Magazine’s Paul Murungi sat down with Trevor Ariho, Chief Executive Officer of the League of East African Directors (LEAD).
In this conversation, Ariho shares his insights on how East African boards are evolving, the importance of training and proactive succession planning, ESG concerns, and why skills, transparency, and trust are more vital than ever in the modern boardroom.
Tell us about your professional journey to the LEAD boardroom.
My academic and professional journey has been an intentional ascent through diverse leadership roles. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and an MBA with a Marketing Major from Makerere University.
I’m also a Certified Leadership Coach with Franklin Covey and the John C. Maxwell Institute, a Certified Digital Marketer from Humber College, a PhD Fellow in Leadership at York University, and most recently, a Law graduate (LLB, Hons) from Makerere University.
Professionally, I started in media as a Business Editor at Red Pepper, moved to ZK Advertising as PR Manager – Media, then transitioned to AAR Health Services where I rose to Managing Director from 2014 to 2017. I later served as a consultant for the City of Toronto, focusing on communications and policy.
These rich and varied experiences have positioned me to now lead LEAD as its CEO—bringing together vision, governance expertise, and a drive to elevate boardroom excellence in East Africa.
What is LEAD solving in East Africa’s board ecosystem?
LEAD is solving a credibility and capability gap in the board ecosystem. Many boards in East Africa still rely on familiarity rather than merit for appointments.
We are building a strong, visible pipeline of board-ready professionals, grounded in governance, ethics, and leadership. LEAD is also promoting cross-border director mobility, professional development, and institutional strengthening.
What skills and mindset gaps does LEAD seek to close in the boardroom arena?
We are addressing three primary gaps: governance literacy, strategic foresight, and digital fluency. Many directors still operate from legacy governance mindsets that are reactive rather than forward-looking.
LEAD equips directors with global certifications, simulations, and contextual case studies to sharpen their critical thinking, financial acumen, ESG orientation, and crisis management capability.
What are some of your key partnerships, upcoming trainings, and the vision for 2025?
We recently partnered with the DCRO Institute (Ohio) to offer up to 50% discounts on their prestigious courses, including the Qualified Risk Director (QRD) certification.
This is part of the LEAD Learning Project. We’re also curating regional board immersion labs, launching a Director Visibility Index, and finalizing collaborations with institutions in Canada, South Africa, and Singapore.
By 2025, our goal is to have a fully-fledged East African Board Accreditation System, a published East African Board Competency Framework, and a thriving network of directors contributing to ethical, inclusive, and resilient governance.
What is your definition of a board-ready director in today’s Africa?
A board-ready director today must blend governance principles with cultural fluency, geopolitical awareness, financial literacy, and digital agility.
They must bring independence of thought, courage to challenge, and the humility to learn. Africa’s complexity demands directors who can steer both legacy institutions and tech-driven enterprises with equal dexterity.
How does LEAD support board appointment visibility for underrepresented professionals?
We’re intentional about this. Our Directory of Board-Ready Talent highlights skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds. We work with search firms, regulators, and nominating committees to expand their radar.
Additionally, we train and coach professionals to meet board readiness criteria and package their board value proposition.
Redrawing Uganda’s Credit Map: gnuGrid's David Opio and His Fintech-led Mission to Democratize Credit in AfricaWhat are the major governance red flags you see on East African boards?
Some persistent red flags include: failure to separate oversight from management, excessive board tenures without renewal, low diversity, poor induction practices, and lack of performance evaluations.
Many boards are still stuck in procedural governance, not strategic governance. LEAD is working to shift this paradigm.
What’s the criteria of selecting board members, particularly in the Ugandan context? How should boards ensure diversity in skills, gender, experience during such selections?
Selection must be guided by a competency matrix aligned to the organization’s strategic direction. Boards should ask: what expertise do we lack? What lived experiences can enrich our deliberations?
Gender parity, generational representation, and sectoral diversity should be intentional—not aspirational. In Uganda, we still need stronger regulatory nudges to mandate transparency and inclusion in board appointments.
How has board governance evolved in Uganda in recent years, especially with pressure from investors and regulators?
There’s been a clear shift. Institutional investors are demanding ESG accountability, and regulators are now pushing for disclosures, tenure limits, and risk governance. We’ve seen an uptick in board evaluations and director upskilling.
However, enforcement remains patchy, and many SMEs and family businesses still operate below governance par. That’s where LEAD comes in, to democratize access to boardroom excellence.
What is likely to cause conflicts of interest among board members and what measures exist to prevent such scenarios?
Conflicts often arise from dual loyalties, related-party transactions, and poor declarations. Boards must take preventative measures such as annual conflict disclosures, robust codes of ethics, external board evaluations, and whistleblower policies.
Boards must foster a culture where declaring a conflict is seen as integrity not weakness.
How often should boards evaluate their own performance, and what does that process look like?
At minimum, annually. Effective evaluations are 360-degree, anonymized, and tied to the board’s strategic contribution, not just compliance.
We recommend using both internal reflection tools and external governance experts. At LEAD, we provide customized evaluation frameworks, complete with action plans and capacity-building follow-up.
What’s the most suitable approach to board succession planning?
Succession should be continuous, not event-based. Start with skills mapping and mentorship. Each board seat should have a readiness pipeline, both internal and external. Diversity, tenure, and renewal must be part of the strategy. The Chair and Governance Committee play a key role in owning and reviewing succession annually.
Looking ahead, what reforms or improvements would you advocate for in Uganda’s corporate governance ecosystem?
We need three urgent reforms: a national code for board diversity and disclosure, mandatory board training for all public institution directors, and a regional registry of blacklisted directors for gross misconduct. I’d also advocate for legal recognition of digital board meetings, ESG reporting frameworks, and youth inclusion thresholds.
Uganda and East Africa at large is ready for a new era of governance. And LEAD is proud to be driving that transformation.