The SBS Presidents Roundtable: Building Momentum for the Transform Africa Network (TAN)

Strathmore University Business School (SBS) celebrated 20 years of developing great African leaders in 2025. So, we took stock. We celebrated. We got reenergized. We repurposed ourselves to our mission. Out of introspection, new ideas were birthed.

First, the Presidents’ Roundtable was initiated, where all the past and present Presidents of the various SBS classes have a conversation with the Executive Dean on themed topics. Secondly, the Transform Africa Network (TAN) was initiated as a movement that drives the transformative agenda of SBS’s mission.

The Transform Africa Network is focused on driving a change in the African mindset and pushing our citizenry to do more within their spheres of influence. This stems from the concern of the Business School that Africa’s transformation is too slow and insufficiently focused on serving society. Since its launch in November 2025, stories of changemakers led by our alumni have emerged, giving impetus for this year’s Presidents’ Roundtable to be themed around the Transform Africa Network (TAN).

The event opened with Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School, reiterating the mission of SBS and the role of TAN in delivering that mission. This was followed by a panel discussion featuring the Dean, an alumni representative, a representative from Mastercard, and a representative from KCB Bank.

Dr. Caesar Mwangi spoke about the values and successes of SBS over the last 20 years, especially the leaders that have been trained by SBS and the need to activate them over the next 20 years to become changemakers in society. He also highlighted the need to provide avenues for youth to prosper and the role of the SBS Presidents as catalysts for the TAN movement.

Pauline Kamau, representing the pioneer MBA class (2007), spoke about doing more as an alumnus and shared the journey the class has undertaken in supporting a student through a degree program at Strathmore University. Beyond financing the degree program, she spoke about her fulfilling mentorship journey with the supported student. She reiterated the power of collective effort, reflecting on what it took the class to contribute toward the scholarship, and expressed her joy that the student would be graduating with First Class Honors in a Bachelor of Science in Computer Informatics. She concluded by encouraging the alumni to join in supporting the SBS Endowment Fund, which had a soft launch on the same day.

The representatives from KCB Bank and Mastercard outlined numerous initiatives that they are undertaking to increase financial inclusion across Africa, particularly targeting the youth. Key to the discussion was the shift among financial institutions toward supporting younger businesses and their openness to financing innovations that have not been market-proofed if they are concept-proofed. This presents a major opportunity for entrepreneurs across Africa, as it will unlock the much-needed capital to deliver the continent’s transformative agenda.

At our second Presidents’ Roundtable, we have gathered key learnings to build momentum for the future, ensuring the Transform Africa Network initiative takes root across the continent.

By Anthony Mbandi