CEOs Breakfast Forum coming soon

By Eskedar Kifle 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Precise Consult International PLC and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Ethiopia will be holding “The CEOs Breakfast” forum on March 28th 2013 at the Sheraton Addis Hotel.

This quarterly event brings together leading CEOs, government officials, donors, and international agencies to discuss business issues.

Organizers state that the aim of the forum is to create a platform for Ethiopian CEOs to share their experiences and enhance business leadership by stimulating innovative business management. They further state that participants will be able to take advantage of the extensive management and leadership skills that ACCA can offer. “The forum to be held on 28 March will focus on investment prospects in Ethiopia and understanding potential risks and rewards of doing business here. We will be exploring issues around finance and foreign exchange, upcoming trade policies with neighboring states like Kenya, Sudan and South Sudan.

Most importantly, we will be discussing emerging opportunities for Ethiopian light manufacturing industries from Asian firms who have already started migrating into Ethiopia and continue to show strong interest to increase their presence,” said Henock Assefa, Managing Partner of Precise Consult International PLC.

During the event, there will be several points of discussion such as how, in a difficult financing and foreign exchange environment, CEOs can engage banks and equity investors to meet their financial needs, what kind of challenges and opportunities will be introduced by Ethiopia’s special status agreement with the government of Kenya as well as what Ethiopian CEOs have to know to survive and thrive in a highly competitive business environment. There will also be discussions on the changes occurring in the global business environment like the increased production cost in China and if Ethiopia has the opportunity to become a global manufacturing hub. Another discussion point will be on how agro processing has become an attractive sector and how CEOs can steer their companies into profitability in the agro-industry.

This quarterly forum is said to bring 40 CEOs of top performing companies in the country. To further increase their learning experience it was stated that ten CEOs of up-and-coming companies will be invited to attend as well. “We don’t intend this to become a mass event. The idea is not to attract many people to the forum. Rather, it is to engage a small number of leaders in an exclusive and friendly setting,” Henock said.

A small number of government officials that have links to the private sector have been invited to attend as well as leaders of international agencies and of important state-owned corporations. The expected outcome of the forum is said to be increased networking of CEOs of top performing companies in the country, ensure similar adequate risk and reward investment management practices and further promote ethical and governance standards in existing businesses.

Source: CapitalEthiopia.com