The award ceremony had a total of 15 categories spanning across commercial, industrial, residential and hospitality sub-sectors. SBS was nominated in the category of Best Green Building Development in Africa alongside Community Cooker Foundation – Kenya, Fedha Plaza – Kenya, The Bridge City Shopping Centre – South Africa, The Atrium – Kenya and The Coca-Cola Plaza – Kenya.

The green business school building which is also the first green business school in the Africa. It was part of Strathmore University’s Phase III of physical development that broke ground in October 2008. The SBS building has a capacity of 800 executives.

The building has three floors and a basement with MBA style classrooms and flexi classrooms which can adapt depending on the teaching style and need to optimize the relationship between course participants and professors.  It also has discussion rooms and breakout areas for course participants.

The soul of the building is its dramatic atrium. The atrium is multidimensional as it can be used as an auditorium, graduation court or cinema hall. It has 12 tiered, breakout areas, each of which can seat 10 people on break-out mode and up to 20 on auditorium mode and circulation spine. It features two giant waterfalls and a tensile structured glass roof curtain wall system.

The building also features an auditorium, chapel, dining area with a lounge and a spill-out balcony, a library completely fitted with indoor air quality designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards with optimum relative air changes controlled using evaporative cooling air units situated at the top of the building.

Rain water is utilized as it is collected from the roof of the building and channeled to an underground tank. LED lighting connected directly to Photovoltaic Solar Louvers also act as sun shading devices on the East and West facades. The indoor air quality utilizes evaporative cooling units that use the rainwater harvested to control temperatures in all the classrooms with temperatures and humidity set at ideal learning conditions.

Media relations involves working with the various forms of media to inform the public of the organisation’s mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner. To gain publicity, it is crucial to coordinate with the media directly to maximize on positive coverage.

Understand that the media too is a business and the stories that will gain public interest are more likely to be published. Based on this, it is imperative to cultivate a good relationship between the organisation and the media.

Fostering a positive relationship with the media in order to maximize on one’s publicity can be achieved by identifying a journalist and familiarize yourself with the beat they cover through research. A beat is specialized reporting on a particular issue such as business, court, health etc. Create a media list of the journalists, the beat they cover, the hook of their stories and their target audience.

Provide a local angle to the media through the journalist by informing them of your product or service, how it will impact the market and the interest it will be to the target audience. Consider that the media has many potential pitches and stories to publish therefore ensure that your pitch is catchy. Remember to keep it short and simple as journalists have tight schedules and deadlines.

Maintain the relationship with the journalist and media by continuously reaching out to them when there is a news item of interest.

A press release is a key invitation to a media house that states a newsworthy event with the aim of attracting favorable media attention. A good press release should have a catchy headline that will not only automatically grab the attention but also summarize the event. Due to the media deadlines, summarize the 5 W’s and H (who, what, where, when, why and how) in the body of the press release. Include a background of the organisation and the contact details.

Before you send out the press release, pick the right time to attract media interest. Morning hours are the best to meet journalists as many are busy in the afternoon with deadlines.

Finally, maintain a good reputation of your organisation by always portraying it positively.

By Christine Mbwayo

Since October 2008, Strathmore University has been putting up buildings that will increase its capacity from 2,350 to 4,350 seats by adding 22,000 square metres to its built area – more than double the current 20,190 square metres. The new buildings are designed and built using the latest “green technologies”. Strathmore has applied for LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certification from the USA for the new buildings.

The University has in the same period been building sports fields for its illustrious teams – its hockey team is the Kenya Hockey Union champion for the second season in a row and most of its sports teams play in the country’s premier leagues. Mr Luis Borrallo, the Director of Fund Raising at Strathmore speaks about the project and his experience fund raising in Kenya

Q: Strathmore is more than doubling its physical capacity. Why now?

A: Two reasons. In 2014, the pupils who joined Standard One when the government started offering free primary education in 2003 will be leaving high school. We want to be ready for them. Kenya’s business environment is also growing, and so is the need for business education. Thus the need for more capacity. The new business school facility will have a capacity for 800 executives plus a new students’ centre with non academic services for our staff and students.

Q: What non-academic services does the University need?

A: In the Students’ Centre we will have a cafeteria for 800, some shops and other student services, plus rooms for the students’ clubs and student council. We will also have a business incubator for our recent graduates who want to start businesses but need a bit of mentoring or support from our lecturers and other staff.

Q: Tell us more about this business incubator. Are there many like this in Kenya?

A: I must confess my ignorance here. I am not aware of any other university with a business incubator in the country. But given the level of interest that this has generated among companies, donors and other stakeholders, I would not be surprised if other universities start business incubators.

Q: How has Strathmore managed to pay for this huge construction?

A: We have used a number of strategies. The first was to reduce costs: building materials have been brought from abroad, mainly China, reducing thus expenses substantially. The Government has waived VAT on construction material to help private universities expand physical facilities.

We have also used the same basic materials for the three buildings. All this has helped reduced our expenses to close to 40%. In fact the project management has been so successful that the Project Manager has already run a course in the Business School on Project Management based on the Strathmore case. So the theory and the practice were combined.

Q: How much did the whole project cost?

A: The budget for the whole project, which also includes some refurbishing of older buildings that have been in use for close to 20 years is KShs 750 m.

Q: Where did you get the money?

A: Again we used a variety of ways. We got the cheapest commercial loan available to pay for some of the expenses. A donor has given us a loan with very good terms. And then we have received many donations from Kenya and abroad.

Q: What proportion of donations came from abroad?

A: Initially, we were hoping that several big donations will come from abroad. Then the Western world was hit by the financial crisis. Because of that, relatively little has come from outside. This forced us to concentrate more on the local stakeholders and we have been very pleasantly surprised by the support that we have received from Kenyan businesses, as well as parents, alumni, staff and students.

Q: How have your students contributed to your fund raising?

A: Their main involvement has been in the raffle that we are running. Many of them have been selling tickets to their parents, friends and neighbours.

Q: And how did staff contribute?

A: Some staff members have contributed very generously. Others are beginning to get more involved now with the raffle. In general, we are very happy with the level of support that we have received from our staff.

Q: If the question is not too personal, have you contributed?

A: The question is not too personal. I am always asking people for money so I am quite ready for this one. Apart from my best efforts in my work, I have also contributed a six digit figure to this particular project.

Q: Is it easy to fund raise in Kenya?

A: It is not easy to fund raise anywhere. Kenya has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, there are many donors who have offices and support projects in Kenya. On the negative side from our point of view, very few of them think it is a priority to support university education. They think they need to support more basic needs in Kenya today.

Q: Do you agree with them?

A: I would like to make a few clarifications on this issue if you allow me. The distinction between private and public university has disappeared in great part in Kenya and many other parts of the world. The biggest private universities in Kenya are the public universities. They have more privately registered students than students sponsored by the government.

Q: But would you not agree that Strathmore has a reputation as an elitist institution?

A: Strathmore has a reputation for quality, and somebody has to pay for it. The unfortunate thing is many parents would like to send their children to Strathmore but they cannot afford it. That breaks our hearts because it is one of our foundational aims – that no one who deserves to be at Strathmore should be turned away. But we have not given up!

Q: What are you doing to make this dream a reality?

A: We are trying to increase the number of students who receive financial aid in Strathmore. At the moment about 7% (300 students) receive some kind of financial aid. That includes scholarships that companies like East Africa Breweries Limited and I &M Bank have been giving us.

Alumni and individuals also give us some donations for scholarships. We also have an endowment fund with seed money given to us by the European Union. We are trying to make that endowment grow so that eventually, in the not too distant future, we will be able to take care of the financial obligations of all our bright and needy students.

Q: When did the European Union give you money for an endowment fund?

A: We have been giving scholarships funded by the EU endowment fund since 2001. These are scholarships for professional courses such as ACCA, and CPA, and for diploma courses. The EU also paid for the building of about 18.000 square metres of our facilities – that is all the facilities built when Strathmore was a mid-level college.

Q: When did the EU start funding Strathmore? Do you have good friends in high places in Brussels?

A: To a great extent we make our own luck. We courted EU for close to 20 years. The Brussels bureaucracy is famous, and we managed to work with it not only to get our project approved, but also to get them to disburse the money, despite misunderstandings that happened between the EU and the Kenyan Government in early 1990s, through whom we always had to go through.

Q: Can ordinary Kenyans contribute to your project?

A: All Kenyans are welcome to contribute to the project. Many have already contributed either as individuals or organizations. If they come to our Madaraka campus they should ask for the Advancement Office. Somebody in the office will then give them more information on ways they can help.

Q: Any last word?

A: Strathmore just celebrated 50 years in 2011. We thank God for all that we have achieved in these 50 years of life and we look forward to the next 50 years in which we hope to keep contributing to the education and well being of Kenyans and East Africans. Strathmore is known for its values: professionalism, hard work, integrity. We hope to get even stronger in these key values for us and with that help all Kenyans.

Eric Kathenya is the Communication Manager of Strathmore University.

As recently as 2007, international investors were showing great interest in African real estate and infrastructure. This is because the fundamentals in most African countries – economic growth, urbanization and burgeoning youth – are good news for the property industry in the decade to come. Economic growth generates jobs and higher incomes. Urbanization drives settlement in cities and suburbs and young people create families and form households. This drives increased demand for urban homes, offices, retail facilities and municipal amenities.

Once the global economy recovers, it is likely that international interest will surge once again, bringing with it opportunities for capital inflows, technical assistance and corporate partnerships. Companies in China, India and Brazil have benefited from this. If we harness this opportunity, some African firms also have the potential to be transformed into multinationals genuinely capable of competing with the best in the world.

But are we ready for the increased scale and sophistication that will be required of us? Unfortunately not.  Our regional building industry has developed bad habits over several decades. Collapsing buildings are only a small symptom of a larger crisis in standards and aspirations. Unless we name and address our key challenges – Capacity, Capital, Complacency, Culture and Corruption – and converge with the rest of the world, we will remain a backwater attracting only cowboys and crooks.

Our professionals, from architects and engineers to lawyers and brokers, need to upgrade their ethical standards and deepen and globalize their technical skills to handle larger, more complex transactions. Many have to learn to do business with strangers, rather than with old classmates who do not demand very much of them. Investors must learn how to astutely assess opportunities and negotiate deals in competitive capital markets. Financiers need to manage rather than avoid risk, spot market gaps and innovate and lead rather than follow. Contractors and suppliers must employ systems, processes and technologies to streamline their supply chain and deliver projects on time, under budget and to specification. Policy-makers and regulators must embrace their role in facilitating efficient land markets and ensuring fair play.

Rather than opting for protectionism, everyone, including private developers and chamas, must transform to compete with the best of our global peers. But most of all, the building industry – business, policy-makers and academia – must start articulating a joint vision that sees our building industry move to its rightful place as an engine for the larger economy, but also as a leader in green construction and thoughtful community planning. Only then can we position ourselves at the forefront, rather than at the sidelines, of the new dispensation to come.

Laila Macharia is the principal of Scion Real, an advisory and investment firm focused on real estate and urban infrastructure. www.scionreal.com.

What is a personal brand?

Everyone has a personal brand. Your reputation, what people know you for, what you’re not. People do not know that they have a brand as they are not aware. Awareness is the first step. An effective and authentic personal brand is a combination of your personality and character all embedded in your world view and values which in turn determine your world-view. People always ask where do I start? What are the skills I need to build my personal brand? What is my competitive edge? What is my competitive edge?

One’s personal brand includes competitive edge, personality which is a combination of character, competencies, temperaments and habits of excellence/virtues. An authentic personal brand helps one be self aware and know their purpose.

Once you have a personal brand, you are able to impact and influence others.

Who can build a personal brand and when is the right time to begin?

Anyone can build a personal brand and start at any point in time It’s never too late.

A personal brand (credibility) is damaged when people don’t trust you. How do you salvage it?

It is crucial to build a brand that is identifiable by one’s positive traits. Know your commitments and be punctual e.g. that person is always punctual – they are committed to being punctual. Once you breach your positive traits, know how to make amends and how to bridge that gap. Communication is a key starting point in building credibility which will help you salvage your brand.

Why do I need to build my brand?

Ask yourself; am I proud to meet me? If not, then there is some inconsistency. Human beings were born to be happy and typically when we grow older, many things begin to influence us. Grow your circle of control and circle of influence which should have more efficiency, less noise, less clutter, more serenity and more meaning to life.

How can I build it?

One can build an authentic personal brand by combining several things; purpose, vision, deep self-knowledge, self-learning, reflection, mindset-change, integrity, passion, commitment, trust and self-discipline.

Allow me to borrow from Abraham Maslow who said that we can only respect others when we respect ourselves. We can only give when we have something to give to ourselves and others and we can only love when we know the source of love, love ourselves and as a result love others.

What are the benefits of personal branding?

With personal branding one is able to maintain clarity, consistency and constancy. In addition, one develops a deep sense of well-being in the five areas of health; physical, spiritual, emotional/social, financial and mental.

 In case of a crisis, what are the measures one can take to ensure that the personal brand/reputation is not damaged?

The first step is to look back at your reference model and find out what it is that you refer to be it Christianity, money, family or principles. Check if you have veered away from the right one.

Take time to invest in accountability in others such as mentors, family, friends, and colleagues. Realize that failure is just a detour and not a dead end and take a good lesson out of it and begin again. Have the discipline of execution and act!

After building a personal brand, what are the steps one can take in order to maintain the brand?

Reflect, monitor and evaluate yourself to check if your commitments march your convictions. Be sincere to ask yourself hard questions such as I’m I spending time, energy and resources on my convictions? Countercheck your purpose and determine if you are on target. Be accountable to someone whom you trust to help you reduce the gaps between your day-to-day actions and your personal brand.

Use a Personal Balanced Scorecard (PBSC) – which is a combination of your personal ambition and brand and try to see how the two are resulting into real action.

Remember Vision without action is hallucination and a Personal Brand without continuous improvement of yourself based on your PBSC is merely cosmetic and will not lead to the sustainable development of your potential and marketing success. Hubert Rampersad.

Patricia Murugami, Vice-dean, Executive Talent Management at Strathmore Business School and the CEO & Founder – Elegant Bridal & Wedding Essentials interviewed by Wangui Kanyotu, Marketing and Communications Manager – Strathmore Business School.

In reality, the dinosaur became extinct, because it failed to adapt to the changing environment. Its body systems just refused to adjust in tandem with environmental changes and just got itself phased out of the earth. In the same way, several brands that were well known 10 years ago, today are in the trash bin of history because, they liked their way of doing things so much so that the more things changed, the more they looked the same internally but externally new ways of conducting business came.

The typewriter was a novel invention at the time it came into being but was soon replaced by the electronic version. Today, typewriters are no longer required because of the modern day computers that continue to evolve. It is the computer that perhaps has contributed to our world today and impacted in a way no other invention has done. It has pervaded every specialisation, profession, career, age, race and any human situation you can think of.

Our world is fast changing and with every step, new rules to cope with the changes are sprouting. Adverts are no longer as effective as they were in the past. If anything many people feel intruded when adverts come their way. Why has this happened?

To answer the question I want us to look at the four major transformations in the history of humankind.

Man was initially a hunter-gatherer. Life as it were at this time rode on the back of violent and sudden interruptions of existence, in the form of hunting down animals and plucking plants from fields he had not tilled and livestock he never reared

Man was clearly reaping from where he never sowed. Over time, he realised that working smart, and not hard was the way to go. It also paid to have some etiquette too though unfortunately every stage of transformation has late adopters who have carried forward the outdated methods of yester years.

Therefore, agriculture and domestication of animals became the new way and animals provided food, transport, security and wealth. Food plants were grown based on seasons. Large-scale agriculture led to the industrialisation stage.

This phase has been with us for a while and is what defines the world order from first to third world. Industrialisation has thrived on advertisements on radio television, newspapers and magazines to reach out to the targeted masses. This is soon changing as we advance further in the information age.

Technology like a disease is about the only modern day phenomena that does not require a progressive approach. If you went to the remotest end of the earth and had a computer with you, you will just be as well equipped as someone in the modern world. Because of its versatility as a communication tool, and the fact that man by nature is a communicator, the computer is now the way of the future in almost all forms of communication.

In the information age, power is shifting from cash money to community. Money was needed in the industrial era for advertisement but in the information age, just a targeted audience. He who has a community of followers via the internet will have the real power. For now in Kenya, the efforts to avail electricity ( be it solar or mains) to all parts of the country, is a step closer to bringing everyone to the information age. Just as is the case in the USA, newspaper sales will steadily decline. TV and radio will be with us for longer till a point is reached when the levels of computer literacy go up significantly.

The computer is a product convergence magnet and has seen the internet, telephony and software applications via many gadgets, impact phenomenally to our lifestyles.

The internet is a popular avenue to reach consumers without boundary limitations. It is our means to becoming instantly global without set up costs in other jurisdictions. Internet and mobile payment platforms have made it possible to order for just almost anything you can imagine. This happens at your pleasure and leisure without the presence, of an intrusive salesman.

All the earlier forms of conveying information I.e. Newspapers, radio, and television do not give the audience a chance to choose what they want. The internet, allows us to go into sites of our interest and hence the freedom of choice. It also allows us to be at global level without travelling and hence a real equaliser of opportunity and information.

Tools such as you tube, twitter, face book e.t.c. are augmenting the way of the future. They create platforms where birds of a feather can flock together and exchange ideas. These are platforms of choice for generation Y. This is the generation that is now doing reverse mentoring. The older generations are learning of how to use the new applications through them. When the oldies now have to listen to the young, then you can no longer afford to be hanging on to outdated and outpaced practices.

Cold selling is equated to hunting and is four levels below the stages of human transformation. On the other hand the internet allows for interactive and targeted communication and hence one is able to create a community of people interested in your products or services.

The new way of marketing is about you being the hub that creates and sustains relationships in much the same way the farmer takes time to sow his field. Relationship rather than the intrusive selling is the way to go. The internet allows you to follow links of interest to you at your own pleasure and leisure. The old way, required you to market to people who wouldn’t help you. You were then happy with a 10% feedback ratio. The 90% were not worth your spend but the internet allows for much higher ratios and a broader market reach having only spent a fraction of advertising budgets. So it pays, to have your own technology based infrastructure for communicating with your target market.

David Mugun is the Director – Executive Education at SBS and the author of  the books “ 10 Critical Success Answers for Small Business Enterprises” and “ How to Undo Life’s Airlocks.” Both are available at www.amazon.com.

In the last few decades, there has been an increasing number of executives who although they have achieved great professional success, they have at the same time experienced huge family and personal failure. They seem to have valued their professional triumphs so highly that they have neglected their family and personal life. Their health has also been greatly affected by this lopsided approach to life.

What is even more worrying is that many young people seem now in line to form the list of people with this sort of imbalance. They are faithfully following in the footsteps of their elders. Is there anything that can be done to stop this trend?

A great deal can be done to reverse this trend both at the company level and on a personal level. Here are five simple steps that can help to create better harmony between our work, family and personal life.

Step One: Establish Your Position

One cannot plan a route that will take them somewhere without knowing the starting point of their journey. Both the starting and finishing are essential because without these two points, what you create is a circle! Ask yourself, where am I? What am I doing right already? What must I stop doing? What could I start doing? There are three areas of balance which could help you assess your position; time, involvement and satisfaction. How much time do you dedicate to each aspect of your life?

How involved are you in each of these areas in terms of engaging your skills, talent, energy and other resources? What level of satisfaction do you derive from your achievements in these different areas? Are there some that you give more value while you consider others as trivial?

Step Two: Determine Your Destination

This is the second key point you must know when planning the best route to take you from where you are, to where you want to be. How do we establish this destination?

Write out a mission statement for yourself and one for your family. This has been suggested by many authors and it makes sense. After all, a human life is the greatest establishment possible. That life is unique and unrepeatable. It has a defined purpose in creation, which cannot be duplicated. Does this not sound big enough to warrant a mission statement? This statement should be guided by your values. Your chosen values will guide you in the compilation of your mission statement and in the pursuit of all the goals you set for your life. Some authors also suggest that it helps to imagine yourself in the ideal situation that you desire to achieve. I say … there’s no harm in trying.

Step Three: Prepare A Plan

 Once you have the beginning and the end of your journey defined, mapping the route becomes easy. It means getting down to writing a set of goals. These must have those characteristics we know so well that are specific, measurable, accurate, realistic and time bound. The goal must be meaningful; based on the values you have already defined and suited to you as an individual. In setting your goals, it is important to know what you want and when you want it. Make a list of rewards and consequences

for achieving each target. Identify potential obstacles and the skills you need to overcome them. List the exact actions you need and the people who could help you achieve your plans.

Step Four: Take Massive Action

A fortune is an idea acted upon. The key word is action. Program yourself for action. Taking action does not mean setting off at a pace that burns you out all too soon. Break the journey into small steps starting with your annual goal into monthly, weekly and daily goals. No matter how big the goal, it can be broken down into small enough steps that can easily be taken. By breaking the goals, you sharpen your focus.

It is then important that you incorporate the daily steps into your time management system. If you use a planner, write your targets there. If you record events on your phone, include these plans there too. Then with discipline and commitment, get on with the action.

Step Five: Journalize

The final stage is to record your experiences for yourself and future generations. If life is worth living, it is worth recording. Many action plans are made from records of past mistakes. We can use our successes to build our enthusiasm to achieve our goals. Harmonizing work and family requires focus, commitment and constant effort but it’s worthwhile. We can look back in later years and say we did our best to develop our potential we did our best to bring up a happy family and we enjoyed life as a whole.

About CROWF

The Center for Research on Organizations, Work and Family (CROWF) is a research institution within Strathmore Business School that has, as one of its objectives, the task of developing strategies that help organizations in Kenya improve employee retention, commitment and personality through enabling employee engagement.

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He has also served on various company boards including Brunner Mond (South Africa), Kenya Power and Lighting Company and Housing Finance Company Limited. He was awarded Manager of the Year Award in 2002.

Don’t start at the top, instead start at the bottom

Start from the bottom and garner the experience needed to lead. I had always aspired to be the Managing Director and when I finally became one, I was given the task of convincing my colleagues of my ability to run the company. However, I did not begin as an MD. Always be prepared for what you think may not happen – be prepared to take up the next level – that way, you will be ahead of your game. By starting from the bottom, one can be empathetic to the experiences of others especially those at the bottom. However, do not be afraid to take risks or fear unchartered territories. I moved from a comfortable private company to work for the Government. Had I not taken this risk, I would not have gained the wealth of experience that I did.

Create and forge good relationships

We spend a great amount at work sometimes nine or even ten hours, more than even the time we spend at home with our families. It therefore makes sense to create friendships to avoid destroying the biggest portion of your life if you do not create friendships which enhance productivity. Some of the friendships formed at the workplace can outlast the positions and jobs and move on in time to even the next generation. Be open and honest to your colleagues and support each other, even out of work.

Create a great relationship with your suppliers. Understand that they must support you in order for you to succeed which will in turn reflect on their success. Initially Kenya Airways needed good facilities in order to train their crew. I negotiated with Boeing to sponsor the construction of the facilities which they did as they understood that for them to succeed, Kenya Airways had to succeed.

Do not burn your bridges

There is nothing wrong with resigning from your position or work place. I had tendered my 3 year resignation to Magadi Soda. I was not sure where I was headed though I knew that I needed a change as I had been in the same position for almost 10 years. At that time, I got an invitation to join the “Dream Team”, a team assembled by the Government to turn around the Kenyan economy and sponsored by the World Bank. I discussed the offer with those who were close to me including the Chairman at the time of Magadi Soda. I thereafter joined the team and after a while left to return as the MD of Magadi Soda. It is important for one not to burn bridges but instead be open and leave after an amicable agreement. Even after I joined Kenya Airways, I remained the Deputy Chairman of Magadi Soda.

Adhere to Ethics

As a leader be ethical in your behavior at work and be guided by professionalism and the right principles and not those of nepotism in recruitment. Do not go to the procurement office or interfere with procurement processes. Being unethical will not lead you anywhere and once a leader is unethical, then the team will also be unethical.

Use your employer’s time wisely and do not steal it by doing your personal errands or businesses. Remember, non -ethical behavior will not take you very far.

Expertise, Expertise, Expertise!

As leaders we are afraid to get expertise from the best. We tend to toil and toil until the situation becomes uncontrollable. Expertise is very crucial especially when it comes to managing a crisis. Go out and look for the right and best expertise.

You’re greatest asserts are your people

People! People! People! They are the greatest resource and probably the hardest to manage. Understand the value of your people and develop them.

As a leader, develop your people and groom them for the next step possibly, to take over from you. You become a success when you realise that they can do even better than you.

Have a Vision

As a leader, have a dream, a vision and a benchmark. Your people must believe in it so as to be able to attain it. If someone is skeptical, amicably agree on how you will part ways.

My personal benchmark is to serve for 10 years as a CEO. In developing your vision, ask yourself ‘Where do I want to be? Where is my treasure?’ Once you know the answer, it will not take you long to reach and attain it.

The sky is the limit.

About Dr. Titus Naikuni

Dr. Naikuni, holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nairobi. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Management Development Programme (PMD71) and was awarded a Doctor of Science Engineering by the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, an honorary award in recognition of his contribution to development. He joined the Magadi Soda Company in 1979 as a trainee engineer and rose to the positions of Managing Director of that company in 1995 and Managing Director of the Magadi Railway Company (a subsidiary of Magadi Soda Company) in 1996. Between August 1999 and March 2001 Mr. Naikuni was a member of a team of World Bank sponsored Kenyan technocrats, known as the “Dream Team” who were engaged by the President Moi to turn around the Kenyan economy. In this capacity Mr. Naikuni served as permanent secretary to the Ministry of Information, Transport and Communications and was a member of the Board of Kenya Airways during that period. He returned to Magadi Soda Company in April 2001 where he continued to serve as Managing Director, a position he held up to his present Appointment with Kenya Airways in February 2003.

Adapted from www.kenya-airways.com

One Barclayshttp://sbs.ac.ke/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=163&action=edit, one Africa

Africa has come of age with increasing flows of capital from China, India and other economies coming into individual countries without passing through the traditional hubs of London and New York.

Barclays intends to integrate their business operations throughout Africa to provide financial solutions to corporate and individual companies throughout the continent. One of the latest developments is the installation of numerous ATM machines, a cost effective strategy of building their network in the continent.

Why the sudden interest in Africa?

Momentum has been building over time. The world has come to the realization that political risks in Africa are manageable e.g. when Kenya went through a crisis in 2008 which the country has, since then, come out of.

There are vibrant business activities that generate even more business (business begets business) which leads to growth at the local and regional levels.

Barclays keys to future growth

As an organisation, Barclays is focused on execution of their strategy, defined as delivering on promises made to their stakeholders, on a day to day basis in the following areas:

• Capital, liquidity and funding
• Ensuring adequate returns
• Generating income by driving their customers businesses
• Corporate citizenship – how they make decisions, how they interact with the surrounding community and how they give back to society. It was observed that a significant number of Barclays staff in Kenya give their own time to social responsibility.

Was the global financial crisis caused by greedy bankers / short term thinking?

There were a variety of factors that led to the 2007/8 market crash.

• Poor management of some, not all, financial institutions some of it occasioned by inept regulation and the notion that some organizations were too large to be allowed to fail.
• Questionable public policy e.g. the move by Congress to ensure that everyone in the USA should be enabled to own a home which proved unrealistic.
• The effect (loss of public confidence) the collapse of financial institutions e.g. RBS, Lloyds in the UK had on other players like Barclays even though they were not financially unstable.

Why is Europe in such financial disarray?

The seeds for the current crises were sown in 1947 after the end of WW2 as a result of policies driven by fear of the dominance of the USA and other Eastern Economies. The challenges of financial integration are more economic than political and the effects e.g. austerity measures in Greece will be long term (for the next 20 – 30 years). However, the issues need to be addressed urgently because there are social consequences to problems like joblessness among the youth.

What have we learned from the financial crisis?

• That inefficient organisations need to be allowed to fail regardless of their size.
• That it is beneficial to maintain higher cash reserves to ensure that the organization remains liquid.
• That the free enterprise system is resilient.

Who is Bob Diamond and how is it being CEO of a multinational organisation?

I grew up as one of nine children in Massachusetts. I worked my way through high school and college. My first job was as a lecturer in the School of Business, University of Connecticut. I have a very supportive family comprising of my wife Jennifer and three children.

I loves Barclays and the people in the organisation. I am energized by the opportunities they have to be the best in the world in what they do, the challenges and the opportunity for teamwork.

Click here to view the pictures of the day that was.

By Peter Mutua

Sustainability can be defined as – meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. When it comes to agriculture, sustainability is a core issue that needs to be taken care of. Sustainable agriculture entails the practice of farming using techniques and methods that will last over a long period of time without compromising environmental quality and natural resources. Sustainable agriculture strategies should ensure economic profitability, it should enhance the quality of life of farmers and the society as a whole; in addition it should make the most efficient use of non – renewable resources. In addition to strategies for preserving natural resources and changing production practices, sustainable agriculture requires a commitment to changing public policies, economic institutions, and social values.

Agriculture extends far beyond the farm and involves the interaction of individuals and institutions with contrasting and often competing goals including farmers, researchers, input suppliers, farm workers, unions, farm advisors, processors, retailers, consumers, and policymakers. Relationships among these actors shift over time as new technologies initiate economic, social and political changes. Thus in the recent past a broader term that captures the extension of ‘food systems’ has been introduced and its gaining more popularity as a way of commercializing Agriculture, this term is Agribusiness. Agribusiness involves the field of food productivity, farming contracts, seed supply, agrichemicals, farming machinery, wholesale and distributing, processing, marketing and not limited to retail sales of agricultural products. Agribusiness has become the subject of many economies around the world and is quickly transforming out-dated agricultural practices into successful commercial businesses. As a result of increase in commercialization, most businesses are now vulnerable to under-selling of their products at low prices due to lack of market availability. This leads to lesser capital formation, declining business opportunities, poverty, unemployment and ultimately, distress in the economy. This phenomenon has been witnessed all over the world and more so in African countries. We have had many cases of food insecurity and unemployment caused by drastic failure in food produce in Africa. Based on the capabilities we have as a continent we need to look for solutions that can take us to higher level of food security. Specifically we have to identify what we have been doing wrong and take measures to correct it. We must also identify untapped ventures in agriculture and work towards processing and marketing our products locally and internationally.

Is Agribusiness the Way Forward for Africa?

Agricultural development is a necessary precondition for economic development to many countries in the world including a big percentage of African Countries. Through Agriculture Africa will benefit directly from it without major interference unlike our vulnerability when it comes to export of minerals. Reason being, through food security our people will be healthy and able to take care of themselves, through agriculture we will be able to create direct employment and curb poverty.

Besides, there are a few issues that need to be addressed for the continent to compete with other countries in Agribusiness. First we must strive to move from small scale food production to large scale where possible; from food production we must expand to Agro – processing (the art of turning primary agricultural products or crops into secondary goods for sale). For example, as the concern over global warming intensifies, bio fuels derived from food crops are becoming popular; this is a market Africans can tap. Other ventures include Leather, Cotton, Insecticide, Rubber and Cocoa manufacturing among others. For so many years we have been exporting our raw materials and in return import them as finished products purchasing then at double the price. It is high time we move from simple to high- tech business in Agriculture; we have the resources and the capabilities to manufacture.

Most farmers in Africa practice subsistence farming, and are heavily depended on seasonal weather to cultivate their lands. With the dangers of global warming and the needs of a growing population, governments should encourage green agriculture to help reduce poverty through increased yields and creation of new green jobs especially in the rural areas. Green agriculture will also ensure food security on a sustainable basis and will significantly reduce environmental and economic costs of Agriculture. It is a cheap way of farming as it reduces soil erosion and chemical pollution in addition it restores and maintains the fertility of the soil, thus very applicable to the continent.

In conclusion, for agribusiness to be successful national and international policies are vital in ensuring the environment to do business is conducive. At a national level accessibility to credit extension for small scale farmers, price control policies for products, and frequent training of farmers on new technology and new practices should be given priority. Research also plays a vital role in identifying what a country can invest in. Agriculture research plays a key role in increasing production by carrying our research on the local and global market, research on type of soil conducive for different crops, research on biotechnology among others. This if taken keenly by governments, will create avenues for improvement in the agribusiness sector. Above all governments should strive to reduce on imports and instead become export oriented in order to grow the industries and agriculture economy in Africa.

By Esther Kanyi