On July 17, 2017, the Center for Global Enterprise (CGE) and the Global Business School Network (GBSN) convened key stakeholders in a roundtable discussion focused on developing a deeper understanding of the management skills gap in Africa.
Hosted by the IESE Business School in New York City, the roundtable featured speakers and discussants from foundations, government agencies, corporations, startups, and academic institutions that share the goal of advancing business and management skills among Africans.
Throughout the meeting, participants returned to several central themes:
• The need for business mentors and peer networks
• The importance of developing non-cognitive, socio-emotional skills
• The diverse needs of individuals based on geography, culture, and opportunity
• The need to balance high-quality learning and affordability
• The unique needs of entrepreneurs, and particularly female founders
This roundtable is the beginning of what CGE and GBSN hope is an ongoing conversation and perhaps eventual partnership amongst diverse stakeholders interested in helping build the contemporary management skills across the continent needed to increase employment, advance careers, and start and grow businesses that will benefit from a global economy.
Speakers included:
• Tom Coogan, U.S. African Development Foundation
• Shubha Jayaram, Results for Development
• James Newlands, EY
• Dr. Olayinka David-West, Lagos Business School
• Lisa MacDougall, Goldman Sachs Foundation
• Francine Beleyi, Nucleus of Change
