The Strathmore Executive Magazine

Executive Dean’s Note

It gives me great pleasure to pen a short message to the SBS family scattered far and wide throughout this great planet called the earth. It has been and continues to be our home in this generation and beyond. Our theme for this year’s magazine is “Sustainability: Caring for People and the Planet.” It reflects our strong desire to make sure that we take care of the place that sustains us as a human species. The welfare and prosperity of people depends on the Earth’s biodiversity and the unique features of our planet that we must protect and preserve.

My tenure as Executive Dean commenced on the 1^st December 2022, and I must say it has been a fulfilling journey engaging with and learning from great colleagues, students and stakeholders that are all members of our own ecosystem at Strathmore. My predecessor Dr. George Njenga, remains an inspirational role model and he continues to play a key role as a Senior Faculty member leading important initiatives at the Business School. He founded and led this Business School for close to 17 years, overseeing phenomenal growth and progress that has enabled us to become the premier Business School we are today. He is a clear manifestation of ethical transformational leadership that we aim to champion through all our programmes.  Over the past 17 years, Dr. Njenga and his team have built a world class Business School that has become an integral part of East Africa’s Business landscape. SBS has developed a reputation of excellence as one of the leading providers of business education and research in Africa. SBS alumni provide their skills and expertise in all sectors in Africa and beyond. We remain your worthy cheerleaders in all your endeavors and through various events and this publication, we seek to strengthen the umbilical cord that connects you to SBS.

The onset of 2023 has been exciting for the SBS family as we experienced the declining telltale signs of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. It meant that we could finally return to face-to-face teaching, work from our much-loved premises, and enjoy interacting with one another again. The team has been filled with hope and the go-getter attitude that has seen SBS delight all its clients. I am excited to have joined this dedicated, business oriented, research-driven, and intellectually vibrant community.

Our vision and mission remain the guiding light for me and the team. We continue to see ourselves evolve into the lofty vision of being ‘A Leading World-Class Business School Spearheading Africa’s Transformation’. The achievement of this vision will depend on how well we can develop ethical transformational leaders. We know deep in our hearts that this new reality is slowly unfolding before us every day. A reality where more and more people desire a better future for themselves, for others, for their countries, for our continent, and the world at large.

It is strange how good things happen when more people desire and work for the good of humanity. It is as if the universe conspires to make the right things coincide in the right way and at the right time. My view is that over the past 17 years, we have witnessed the initial momentum of a great movement brewing in our midst. It is just a matter of time and effort for this movement for the greater good to be an immense and unstoppable force as we march forward with our alumni family living out this dream in all the places we have been planted.

As we power our way through 2023, we feel the exhilaration of adventure coursing in our veins. It is indeed exciting to be part of something that is bigger than us. Quoting the words of the Organisational Development guru, Professor Charles Handy, “It is important to have a purpose bigger than oneself to make the best of oneself.”  We are called to do more and be more. To solve with focused attention important global problems and closer to home we must solve Africa’s most pressing problem. The problem of effective management and leadership in Africa is one that needs much attention. As a Business School, we have a mantra that says, ‘We Develop Great African Leaders’. I would like to remind us all that we develop them, so that they in turn, are empowered to solve not only Africa’s but the world’s greatest problems.

The problem of ineffective management and poor leadership practices manifests itself in inefficient institutions that are unable to deliver on their mandates and in the process destroy or limit job creation and business opportunities for millions of young African graduates. This is the big problem we are trying to solve through our academic and executive programmes as well as our research projects.

We live on a continent where more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25. We thus have the greatest potential and at the same time the greatest threat from the frustration of unfulfilled youthful ambitions. Many of these young people end up jobless, depressed, suicidal, and desperate. Many opt to leave the continent at all costs including trekking across the desert to migrate as illegal immigrants across the Mediterranean Sea with many losing their lives on the journey to Europe. In desperation, many end up taking on substandard jobs in subhuman conditions in various countries in the oil rich middle east. These are actions taken due to lack of options in their home countries. So let us focus on creating the right environment for them. An environment where they can be empowered to thrive. A sustainable environment which can sustain livelihoods and nurture dreams and possibilities for more and more people.

In the past I have had the privilege of working in diverse organizations. I can honestly confirm that the most successful organizations were those that had a unified view on the reason for their existence. This enhanced team spirit, reduced internal dissonance and competition, and focused effort can contribute to the greater good for society. I have a sense that this is what has propelled SBS to the level it has reached. Together with our Alumni, as we focus on being the best versions of ourselves, let us remember that future generations depend on us, Africa depends on us.

In the pages of this latest edition of your Magazine, “Strathmore Executive” you will catch a glimpse of what we have been doing, who we are and who we aspire to be. Feel free to identify opportunities for collaboration and engagement. This is the purpose of this publication. We need to remain connected, and we welcome you on board as active alumni and friends of SBS. Thank you for being our worthy ambassadors and may God richly bless all your endeavors as we strive to build a more sustainable country, continent, and world.

Kind regards,

Dr. Caesar Mwangi

Executive Dean

Strathmore Business School