Author: CIO Business Leaders

Navlika Ratangee is the Managing Director at Lyra SA (formerly ICAS SA). A clinical psychologist with diverse experience in workplace wellbeing. She completed her MBA in 2016 as the top student of the program. With executive education from Harvard Business School, Navlika is a seasoned presenter, editor and chapter author on corporate mental health. Humble Beginnings Coming from humble beginnings, growing up in Port Elizabeth, Navlika worked in the family shoe making business from a young age. Later the family business extended to a convenience store, and Navlika worked to help her parents after school every day. She also held…

Belonging to a family of smallholder farmers, Rebecca Amukhoye, CEO of Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust (MESPT), has always dreamed of making agriculture profitable, ensuring a quality life for smallholder farmers. Agriculture is not only her work, but her life! Influencing Others Positively As a student, Rebecca thought success was passing exams and advancing to the next grade; as an employee, success was achieving work targets and making the employer happy; as a senior manager, success was building and growing a team by delivering the organizational goals and positively impacting the community. Now, she defines success as the ability to…

Dr. Markie Idowu is a proponent of women’s empowerment and gender equality, particularly in the Fintech business. She is also a member of the Women in Technology in Nigeria advisory board (WITIN). The team at WITIN is dedicated to ensuring the empowerment of girls in the fields of science and technology. She believes that women’s empowerment is critical, particularly in the region of Africa, where women are often marginalized. Dr Idowu is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Xpress Payment Solutions Ltd. She has also carried out several women’s empowerment programs as the MD of Xpress Payments through the…

While numerous leadership styles may be effective in managing a company or organization, there are specific leadership skills that can have a profound impact. For a business to realize success, its leader must embody traits such as passion, determination, and the necessary knowledge and expertise to accomplish long-term objectives. Visionary leaders possess these fundamental qualities and more. They possess an extraordinary capability to envision a company’s future and motivate employees to adopt a unified vision. By fostering discipline and innovation, visionary leaders cultivate enhanced productivity, which is advantageous to the business as a whole. With over two decades of professional…

As the Managing Partner at Mishai & Mordecai LP, Mordecai Adejo, possesses expert skills in Intellectual Property and Technology Law, and focuses on the Finance, Technology, Transport, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Entertainment, Energy, and Health Sectors. He is a strong business development professional. Mishai & Mordecai LP is a Nigerian business law firm. They service individuals, corporate bodies, and government establishments throughout Nigeria, and around the world, on a broad range of legal issues. They pride themselves in their progressive and innovative approach to resolving legal issues, applying procedures, and delivering client service. Their lawyers deploy a proactive and commercial approach with…

Georges ALE, a distinguished scholar with an impressive educational background in civil engineering (Ph.D.) and an MBA from INSEAD, has carved a niche for himself in the construction industry over the past 25 years. Having successfully led several large projects and subsidiaries under the umbrella of renowned construction companies like VINCI Construction, VINCI Concessions, and Colas across Africa, the Middle East, and France, Georges’s latest achievement is his recent stint as Managing Director of Colas Africa. In a bid to address the dearth of specialized infrastructure project management structures in Africa, Georges launched SDP, a project development company, in 2021.…

Director of Operations at Kenbright Holdings Limited, Wendy Gondi is a dynamic leader with a talent for managing the daily operations of the business, coordinating teams across diverse departments, and implementing innovative strategies that propel the company towards its vision of becoming a global leader in risk and financial solutions. Wendy is a master of the art of adaptation, always ready to pivot and make the necessary adjustments to keep the company on track. With her finger on the pulse of the industry, she ensures that Kenbright complies with relevant regulations and maintains the highest standards of excellence. Working closely…

Leticia N’cho-Traoré was honored with the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award at the MEDEF event held in Nairobi on March 7, 2018. Although her academic background includes training in accounting, finance, and political science, Leticia has predominantly worked in marketing and communication. She views this field as a calling and has pursued it based on her interests and the opportunities that have come her way. Leticia’s career path has been unconventional, and she possesses a remarkable ability to adapt to changing circumstances. She is passionate about learning and regularly pursues additional degrees to expand her knowledge. Leticia’s personal experiences…

With 18 years of experience, Unwana Utuk has a strong track record in Contracts and Commercial engagements, Strategic Negotiation, Petroleum, Gas, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, Supplier Management, Contract Management, and Legal Compliance.  She currently serves as Supply Chain Management Head at Lekoil, with expertise in the oil and gas sector. Unwana is passionate about creating practical performance metrics for contracts to ensure businesses achieve their desired outcomes while maintaining quality and legal standards. Overall, Unwana offers a combination of commercial and legal excellence in transactions. The Power of Fusion With years of experience in the oil exploration and production industry,…

Today’s, organizations are being pushed to be more inventive as they align their leadership teams to create value, galvanize their workforce, and set action plans for the future. There is no doubt that good leadership is an important part of an organization’s success but organizations need to embrace the notions of innovative leadership so that they can build on ideas, generate value, and help improve themselves, teams, and the business as a whole. In innovative leadership, leaders are accountable for encouraging innovation in their teams to make a big difference. They regard innovation as one of the major growth drivers,…