Before moving to Nigeria for a relatively long period, I thought that testing the waters would be a good idea: would I adapt to a country so different to my own? I had many question marks: some were important issues, others were really minute. One of these minute issues was: will I find the toiletries […]
Rethinking Growth in Emerging Markets
Last week I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on “How companies need to rethink growth in emerging markets.” Panel members were stellar, all members of IESE’s International Advisory Board (IAB). While four of them work for and/or seat on Boards of Western companies, Ibukun Awosika is founder and CEO of a Nigerian company: The […]
Top Companies in Africa
The Africa Report just published their list of top-500 African companies. This ranking is based on turnover (2014 data), and it includes companies operating in Africa whether they are homegrown or multinational affiliates. Some highlights (refer to the tables below): Top-10 companies in Africa: There hasn’t been much variation relative to last year: Sanlam, a […]
Time Horizons
I hope you started the new year off on the right foot. At this time, we all think a bit about the passing of time, don’t we? Each day offers 24 hours to each one of us. But we live them with very different attitudes. And it’s important to be aware of these as we […]
Alliances: The Key to New Markets
Last week was a high-energy one for me. A group of top-level executives from Kenya and Nigeria came to IESE. This week is part of their programs back at Strathmore Business School and Lagos Business School. I say the week was high-energy for me because I get re-energized whenever I am with Africans, as one […]