African Leadership Network set for Ghana in October

28 Aug 2012

The Annual Gathering of the African Leadership Network (ALN), a membership network of a new generation of leaders in Africa with a single mission is to drive Africa's prosperity, will take place in from 10-13 October 2012 at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel, in Accra, Ghana.

The network serves as a year-round platform that enables members to connect with key decision-makers, forge strategic partnerships, develop solutions to common challenges on the continent, and enable substantive collective action aimed at unlocking the continent's economic potential.

The annual gathering is the network's flagship event that convenes members of the network. The event has traditionally brought together 300 members, representing 40 countries, and the biggest companies in the continent. This year promises to be the most engaging yet, with over 200 members already confirmed for attendance two months ahead of the event.

The list of speakers that include Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa's wealthiest man and Founder of Dangote Ltd.; Halemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Dr. Arthur Mutambara, Zimbabwe Deputy Prime Minister; Chiwetel Ejiofor, accomplished Nigerian/British actor; Matt Bannick, Managing Partner of Omidyar Network; Pedro Arboleda, Partner at Monitor Group; Alan Knott Craig Jr., CEO of Mxit; Hon. Hannah Tetteh, Ghana Minister of Trade and Industry; Khumo Shuenyane, Group Chief Strategy, M & A MTN Group; Kwadwo Afari Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission in Ghana; and Dr. Jonathan Woetzel, Director at McKinsey & Company, Shanghai.

Key highlights on the agenda this year includes:

The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship gala awards ceremony to recognise Africa's most impressive entrepreneurs. Dubbed the 'Oscars of business' in Africa, the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship is this year in its sixth year of existence. The awards are sponsored by Omidyar Network and has attracted more than 7 000 applications from African businesses and awarded prizes of over $1.4 million to 25 leading companies since inception.

The awards will be judged by a panel of African business leaders including: Ahmed Heikal, founder and chairman of Citadel Capital; Chris Kirubi, serial entrepreneur and investor at Divine Ndhlukula, founder and CEO of Securico; Adedotun Sulaiman, founder and chairman of Arian, Capital Management; Yvonne Ike, CEO of West Africa, Renaissance Group and Paul Harris, Former CEO of FirstRand Limited and professorat University of Stellenbosch.

Entrepreneurship in Africa Summit hosted by Omidyar Network in collaboration with the African Leadership Network will discuss the state of entrepreneurship on the continent and share results of a pan-African survey on the entrepreneurial ecosystem. For the first time, over 350 entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions, policy-makers and other key players in Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystem will gather to address the core challenges to fostering high-impact entrepreneurship in Africa and set a vision for advancing the sector and driving greater prosperity across the continent.

The Inaugural African Corporate Summit will bring together the leading corporates doing business in Africa and the senior government leaders across the continent to develop a roadmap for greater collaboration between the public and private sectors in Africa's economic development.

For more, go to www.africanleadershipnetwork.com.