The Boardroom Masterclass that aims to build better boards took place last week. The inaugural webinar, the first of many series to come, was organized by Japheth Katto Consult (JCK) in partnership with Ligomarc advocates.
This inaugural edition featured prominent corporate personalities like Japheth Katto of Stanbic Holdings Limited, Ruth Sebatindira of Ligomarc and Grace Kavuma, Chairperson NCBA bank.
Japheth Katto is Board Chairman at East African Breweries Limited (EABL), and is a Board member at Stanbic Holdings. He was also the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capital Markets Authority (CMA) from 1998 until 2013. Japheth is also a member faculty Strathmore Business School.
“During the peak of the covid era there was a lot of reflection and pressure from funders and stakeholders, it was during this time that the ‘work from home’ concept was adopted by many firms,” noted Katto.
“The East African community is one big market collectively as a market; geographically we have increased by 7 percent. The region is going to become more intergrated,” said Ruth Sebatindira.
The Boardroom Masterclass, event organizer Japheth Katto Consult (JKC) focuses on corporate governance, leadership, strategy and financial services.
Ruth Sebatindira is a Board Chairperson for Special Olympics Uganda and a senior counsel (SC) and partner at Ligomarc, she is also a former president of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) during which she ran legal aid clinics. Sebatindira is also a member of the Judicial Services Commission and a Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee of the commission.
Grace Kavuma is the Chairperson at NCBA bank, and Board Member Capital Markets Authority (CMA) PNC Uganda, Shell Kenya and Uganda. Plus Tullow Oil Uganda. He also has business interest in agriculture and tourism.
“The industry has evolved overtime, crypto currency is going to be a major factorin the revolution. It is going to cause processes to become faster and more simplified,” notes Kavuma.
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesHe added: “We used to see international Directors flying in to attend meetings. We are seeing hybrid boards that do not require distant flights and travel to attend physical meetings.”
He also pointed out that there have been several cases of mergers and acquisitions and new players have demanded that Boards have to change.
The online event was held on 5th May 2022 at the Kampala Serena Hotel the webinar was well attended by many other board members from across Uganda, East Africa, Africa and the rest of the world totaling to over 250 chat room members.
Ruth Sebatindira of Ligomarc also noted that climate change is now a big issue.
“Without a healthy planet we can thrive, we cannot survive as a people,” she noted in response to a question on how corporations are pushing for sustainability of our planet.
The Boardroom Masterclass seeks to “build better boards,” through keeping boards up to date with board room concepts, best practices and future trends. We explore what’s on the agenda of leading boards following the current operating environment and context.
The program is an initiative between Japheth Katto Consult and Ligomarc, geared towards sharing current and emerging boardroom concepts, best practices and principles applied in leading boards within and outside Uganda.
It will debunk the myths and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the board and furthermore appreciate the value of shared goals.
