You are 25 years. You have just graduated from University with flying colors. During your time at University you become a student leader. This helped you make good contacts. Some of your contacts were so good that you have already received some offers from the big four audit firms and some telecom companies even before you set foot on the street to look for a job. You are happy, and it shows in your steps. To celebrate your achievements especially having got a job offer directly from University without having spent any time on the streets, you invite three of…
What is the bullseye for your business?
The bullseye is the Centre of a shooting target. The role of the leader or the chief executive officer is to identify the target. The role of the managers is to gather the bows and arrows. And thereafter shooting. What is your business scorecard? What are the top three things you must accomplish monthly to achieve your five-year business objectives? Get your key team members in the room. Give each one of them a piece of paper. Ask them to write down the top three things that they think the company or organization must accomplish before the year end. Review…
Only six banks have submitted applications for the ICGU CG awards, is this good for the economy?
When the Institute is celebrating corporate governance, it is something everyone should be involved in. It is their opportunity to shine. We know that Financial Institutions mainly banks, and insurance companies are one of the most highly regulated entities. If they are regulated entities, when it comes to any award that is awarding compliance, these institutions should be at the fore front. There is a Financial Institutions Act which provides minimum benchmarks for anyone to run a bank. It also provides for the appointment of the board, and how it should run the business. The Central Bank vets board members…
ICGU Corporate Governance Awards 2018
The Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda (ICGU) has organised the first Corporate Governance awards that will take place on 17th May 2018 at Kampala Serena Hotel. This is one of the key milestones happening in the country. We will be celebrating the best corporate governance practitioners. As the secretary of ICGU, corporate governance is key to a company’s success. Any organisation in Uganda must participate because it is an opportunity to put your corporate governance practices to the test. There are so many organizations that have put boards in place but are doing things which do not necessarily add…
How to evaluate the board’s effectiveness
To effectively evaluate the board, you must have set targets against which you are evaluating the board members. This calls for an effective governance structure and separation of powers. At the topmost, there must be the owner of the business. For publicly listed companies, these are shareholders with an equity certificate. The shareholders, at the AGM or annual general meeting, must elect the board members and set clear targets for the board so appointed. For emphasis, when the owner/ shareholders appoint the board, she/he must give them a score card or targets that are measurable. According to Kaplan and Norton,…
The board’s role in oversight of risks
The board is responsible for oversight. This includes risk management and compliance. Regardless of the type of the company, failure to comply with the laws and regulations of the land presents serious risks to the business. The board executes their role by effective application of the ‘tools of the board.’ The first tool of the board is a risk policy. The board’s risk policy provides for the formulation of the enterprise risk framework or strategy which also articulates the risk appetite and the risk management process, including providing for risk register. In Uganda, MTN spent the bigger part of March…