STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL ALUMNI CHANGING THE WORLD: Peace Ayebazibwe Kabunga, Executive Director and Chief Business Officer, Housing Finance Bank, Uganda

PROGRAMME: Advanced Management Programme Alumna, Class of 2020

Peace, wields over 20 years of banking experience especially in sales and relationship management, credit, and finance.

Prior to joining Housing Finance Bank, she served as the Head, Workplace Banking and Head Mortgages at Stanbic Bank and before that, at Barclays Bank (now Absa Bank Uganda).

“I chose to specialise in sales and business growth because I enjoy dealing with people and providing solutions to their needs. This gives me satisfaction and is in line with my life’s purpose of impacting lives through delivering tailor-made solutions,” she says.

Peace, first came across Strathmore University Business School (SBS) through the CEO Apprenticeship Programme that was being conducted in conjunction with CEO Summit Uganda. “The experience was life-changing and ushered me to a new level of leadership. I have since completed three other Programmes at SBS: Women in Leadership Programme, The Effective Director Programme and The Advanced Management Programme,” she testifies.

“I vividly recall being asked why I was interested in enrolling for the Programme at the pre-entry interviews. The response to this seemingly simple question was in my immense desire to advance my leadership competence from a Head of Department level to a CEO in the next 5 years. Unsurprisingly, I felt ready for the challenge by the time I completed the Programme and was subsequently promoted to that level within a period of one year,” she says, adding: “SBS Programmes are transformational! You can’t remain the same!”

“The modules are well structured with real life and relevant case studies to discuss and learn from. The experiences shared by cutting edge leaders, research papers and data shared by the faculties, the engagements with leaders from different industries on the same program and much more offer an extra advantage to the program participants. My biggest lesson was that for one to be a successful leader, the inside work on yourself is very critical-the inside actions determine the external actions. Your mental, physical, emotional health and spiritual wellness will form the external success or failure of a leader! So, focus on the inside because the inner game runs the outer game! I have put this into practice by developing a personal strategic plan highlighting short term, medium- and long-term goals touching on myself, family, leadership, and community. This is my compass that guides and drives me every day,” she concludes.

Success, according to Peace, is not an event. “It is a result of several actions and activities one pursues daily to eventually achieve the goal or objective one has set for themselves.”

Her advice to young leaders, is: “No one is successful without being diligent. Stay focused, keep on doing, keep taking the right steps and be consistent because consistency compounds. Like John C. Maxwell said, “It’s not about what you do in a day, it’s about what you do daily.”