Women’s Day: Celebrating 10 Ugandan Women in Corporate Leadership

As Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate Women’s Day, we bring you some of the Ugandan women that have shone bright in top corporate positions, making a positive impact on Uganda’s economy.

Allen Catherine Kagina

She is the Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), a position she has held since 2014.  Prior to that, she was the Commissioner General Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) since 2004. Kagina is a married, religious, hardworking and inspirational woman. She holds a Bachelors degree of science in psychology and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.  She started off her career as a teaching assistant from Makerere University, she later joined the office of the president after which she joined URA in 1992 as a senior principal revenue officer

Dr Maggie Kigozi

Margaret Blick Kigozi, commonly known as Maggie Kigozi, is a Ugandan medical doctor, business consultant, educator, and an investment advisor. She is the chairperson of Africa Scouts Foundation and the Global Fund Board Uganda. She sits on the board of Crown Beverages, Trade Mark East Africa, Shell Foundation, plus other boards of several NGOs.

She is a consultant at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), from 1999 until 2011. Maggie Kigozi is a woman of no limits. She is into private businesses, a tourism promoter, a mother among others. She is a true example of what a woman is able to achieve if they put their minds to it. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University

Doris Akol

Doris Akol is the current Commissioner General of URA since October 2014. Akol joined URA as a legal officer in 1995. Between 2012 and 2014, she was the commissioner for legal affairs and board matters before being appointed head of URA.  Akol is married with three children. She is a courageous, highly organized woman that aims for the highest results

She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree obtained in 1993 from Makerere University, a postgraduate Diploma in Law Practice from Law Development Centre, in Kampala, Diploma in Financial Management obtained from the Uganda Management Institute. She holds the degree of Master of Laws from Makerere University and a second degree of Master of Laws, from McGill University in Canada in 2001.

Anne Juuko

She was recently appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited, the largest commercial bank in the country. She started her banking career in 2001 AT Citibank Uganda limited where she served as Vice President and Head of Fixed Income, Currencies. She was then transferred to Citibank Kenya Limited, serving there as Vice President, Customer Sales and Derivatives Marketing.

In 2012, she was hired by Standard Bank Group, as head of Global Markets for Stanbic Bank Uganda, serving in that capacity until December 2017. In January 2018, she took up a new appointment as Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Namibia, a role she served in until February 2020

She graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Makerere University.  Her second degree, a Master of Strategic Planning, was obtained from Heriot-Watt University Business School, in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

 

 

Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo

Irene Kaggwa  is a Ugandan electrical engineer and corporate executive, who was recently appointed  the Acting Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), a government body that regulates the communication sector in Uganda.

Prior to her appointment, she served as the Director for Engineering and Communication Infrastructure at UCC. Before that, she was the head of research and development unit, as well as coordinator in the office of the executive director

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and largest public university, a Master of Science in Communications Systems and Signal Processing from University of Bristol. She also holds a Master of Science in Economic Management and Policy from the University of Strathclyde.

Proscovia Nabbanja

Nabbanja is a Ugandan geologist and corporate executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). Prior to that, she served as a Senior Geologist at the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department (PEPD), in the Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, the first woman to hold that position.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Chemistry from Makerere University, a Master of Science in Petroleum Geoscience from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, in London and a Master of Business Administration from the Imperial College Business School.

Lilly Ajarova

Ajarova is a Ugandan conservationist and tourism expert. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Before that, from 2005 until 2019, she served as the executive director of Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust on Lake Victoria. She started her career at Uganda Wild Life Authority in 1995 as the Tourism Development and Marketing Manager where she spent 8 years.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology from Makerere University, Masters in Business Administration, from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), in 2004. She also holds a post graduate diploma in Hotel and Tourism Management from International Institute of Tourism and Management in Austria.

Annet Nakawunde Mulindwa

She is the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Finance Trust Bank.

She graduated from Makerere with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, she obtained a postgraduate diploma in financial management from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) in Kampala. Still later, she obtained a Master of Business Administration in finance, also from UMI

In the early 1990s, Mulindwa started out at Pride Microfinance Limited and later moved to Nile Bank Limited, before joining Finance Trust Bank. At Finance Trust, she has worked in different capacities, including: operations and compliance manager and head of operations. Over time, she was recognized for her leadership skills and was offered further training in leadership, management, and problem-solving.

Victoria Sekitoleko

Sekitoleko is a former Agriculture minister and is currently the Chairperson of the governing board of Uganda Agribusiness Alliance. The purpose of the Uganda Agribusiness Business Alliance is to unite all those involved in the industry to best optimize their ability to profitably and sustainably pursue the many global opportunities that present themselves as part of competing in the world’s largest industry.

She was educated at Makerere University in Kampala, where she attained a BSc in Agriculture majoring in Farm Management and Extension (1970–1973). In 1983, she attended the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) where she obtained a Certificate in Agriculture Project Identification, Appraisal and Management. She has also held several diplomatic positions including representative for the United Nations’ FAO in China, Mongolia, and South Korea (October 2006 – April 2011). She was recently appointed to the Biyinzika Poultry International Limited (BPIL) Board in June 2017.

Prudence Ukkonika

Prudence Ukkonika is the CEO of Bella Wine. She singlehandedly started making wine on a small scale in 2000 drawing an inspiration from her departed son Godwin Ukkonika who initiated the project. With just Sh100, 000 ($28.5), Ukkonika kicked off the project inspired by the heaps and volumes of leftover fruit dumped along the streets and markets.

She is hardworking, innovative, risk taking and opportunity seeking. She is also a tough lady who does not tolerate mediocrity. She works closely with employees but it is tough when they make mistakes. This is what makes her fully engaged in production and marketing of the product.

We celebrate her because she was able to break the barriers of what women can do. She is into manufacturing and exporting which was originally a male dominated area.