The Background:
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly devastating for economies across the world. The much advanced economies in the West were not spared the effects of Supply Chain disruptions, spiraling inflation and the collapse of many businesses.
Economies in Africa fared the worst in the circumstances. As though the economic situation was not bad enough, the onset of the War between Russia and Ukraine and specific local difficulties further stressed the economic outlook for African economies. Ghana, a hitherto relatively better performer on the continent, was severely affected.
Doom and gloom was predicted on the economic front. Businesses were on the brink.
The Challenge:
With the economy in catastrophic free-fall and businesses in a lurch, the mantle fell upon business leaders and Captains of industry to lead the way. The Challenge was to fill a perceptible gap within the Space and strengthen the Capacity of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to empower them to lead the way, promote business sustainability and economic recovery.
The Solution:
Base Element undertook the Challenge to Conceptualise and Implement a Management Solution known as the CEO Dialogues. It is essentially a Capacity-building and Thought Leadership Vehicle targeted at Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).
CEO Dialogues is an intimate, frank, strictly business conversation. A key differentiator of this Concept is the absence of Media participation, a deliberate Strategy to allow for forthright, dispassionate business conversations.
The Maiden Edition was appropriately themed-“How your business can survive the Economic Meltdown”.The remit was simple and straight forward; to critically discuss the Strategic Initiatives open to businesses within the troubled times. Base Element collaborated with local and international, world-renowned Partners including Ishmael Yamson & Associates(IY&A),a Management Consultancy headed by a veritable doyen with decades of “lived business” Experience, Dr. Ishmael Yamson.
Other critically-acclaimed support was provided by KPMG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana(CIMG) the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and Dale Carnegie(UK).
The Results:
CEO Dialogues was an instant hit among the target audience. It drew participants from a cross-section of industries including Banking, Telecommunications, I.T and Manufacturing.
The success of the maiden Edition has meant a re-structuring of the original Concept into a Bi-Annual Event to discuss contemporary business topics relating to the Economy, Corporate Governance, Marketing, Finance and Legal, in active collaboration with the relevant, Subject Matter Authorities both local and international.
The enduring slogan for the CEO Dialogue Series is; ”Learn from the best, hear from the rest”.
Two further CEO Dialogues Series have quickly followed on the heels of the resoundingly successful maiden edition.
The Second Edition was under the theme-“Re-evaluating your business in the New Economic Paradigm”. It was supported by KPMG, Association of Bankers AOB) and Institute of Directors (IoD),Ghana.
The third in the CEO Dialogue Series was under the theme-“A year after the World Economic Meltdown”. It was purposely designed to evaluate how businesses have fared after the Meltdown and the Strategic Options for the way forward.
Base Element is committed to building the CEO Dialogues Series into an international brand with the active collaboration of Partners , both within Africa and the rest of the world, as part of a carefully-considered Strategy to build Capacity and a Thought Leadership Vehicle, all geared towards ensuring business sustainability and economic development in the vast, emerging, potential-laden continent.