PROGRAM & TOPICS – 8TH GHANA CEO SUMMIT

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SYNOPSIS FOR THE THEME

“Economic Sovereignty, Sustainable Corporate Governance, Digital Industrial Transformation: New Paths for Growth and Prosperity. A Private-Public Sector CEO Dialogue & Learning.”

The 2023 Ghana CEO summit is being held under the theme “Economic Sovereignty, Sustainable Corporate Governance, Digital Industrial Transformation: New Paths for Growth and Prosperity. A Private-Public Sector CEO Dialogue & Learning.”

The theme will seek growth and prosperity for Ghana and for all , adopting three unique paths of economic sovereignty, Sustainable Corporate Governance ( ESG) and Digital Industrial Transformation.

There is an underlying factor which is causing much of the harm of the recent string of economic crises – a lack of national economic sovereignty.

“Ghana’s path through disruptions, from the pandemic to the conflict in Ukraine, remains uncertain, with interest rates trending upwards with pressure on the country’s currency rising, supply chain disruptions, agricultural commodity inflation and rising public debt, Ghana’s room to maneuver towards economic recovery is shrinking”.

Events (crises) in the recent past have accelerated the transition towards renewables and a digital economy, adding, “these crises have shown the need to transform economies and pushed economic sovereignty to the fore. From reducing the trade deficit for food, and manufacturing medicine locally, the quest for economic sovereignty is becoming central to public policy across the continent”.

How can Africa/Ghana emerge from global shocks? Public debt increasingly held locally – good or bad news? Foreign direct investment: What can be done to lure investors back? What macroeconomic outlook will propel Ghana’s Growth and Prosperity? Which sectors can best deliver economic sovereignty: pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, energy, consumer goods? Market size: How can Ghana set up value chains on a regional scale? From planning to implementation: What are the ideal forms of partnerships?

 

GAIN FRESH PERSPECTIVES AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS ON THE LATEST BUSINESS TRENDS GLOBALLY

The GHANA CEO SUMMIT has consistently provided the ideas, perspectives and inspiration to help Ghanaian business leader take their organization to the next level.

Be inspired by an exceptional line-up of 100 + renowned speakers.

Engage with industry leaders and experts on the issues most relevant to today’s global investors.

Learn from world-class consultants and experts on how to navigate your company’s greatest challenges.

INSIGHTS – PLENARY, CASES, TOPICS & EXPERT PRESENTATIONS

Explore the Latest Strategies, Trends, Research and Analysis.

THE ECONOMY & EASE OF DOING BUSINESS PLENARY SESSION

OPENING PANEL: “Economic Sovereignty, Sustainable Corporate Governance and Digital Industrial Transformation: New Paths for Growth and Prosperity.

A Private-Public Sector CEO Dialogue & Learning.”

PANEL | Economic sovereignty: From ambition to action: what are the strategic policy interventions?

Economic sovereignty has particularly caught on in Africa as the continent relies more heavily on the rest of the world than other regions with 84% of its trade coming from outside its borders.

In 2020, the continent saw its worst recession in 50 years, with foreign direct investment plummeting 16% and exports falling 8.5%. This has resulted in renewed calls for intra-African trade (~15% of total trade) and local manufacturing to underpin Africa’s growth strategy. Ghana’s path through disruptions, from the pandemic to the conflict in Ukraine, remains uncertain, with interest rates trending upwards, pressure on the country’s currency is rising, supply chain disruptions, agricultural commodity inflation and rising public debt, Ghana’s room to maneuver towards economic recovery is shrinking.

From revising fiscal policies to managing public debt and attracting foreign investment, how can Ghana pull through?

Some countries have managed to reduce external reliance, such as Nigeria in the cement industry and South Africa in pharmaceuticals. What strategies can minimize Ghana’s dependency? Is greater self sufficiency always the best solution? And how can Ghana build economic sovereignty on a regional scale?

But how do business leaders perceive this ambition? And how can they help deliver on a strategy for economic sovereignty? The country’s top CEOs share their visions of a more shock-resilient Ghana.

Does the quest for economic sovereignty threaten private sector competitiveness? AfCFTA: Breaking the deadlock? How can the private sector become more involved in defining national strategies? What public and fiscal policies are needed to avoid jeopardizing recovery?

How can Africa/Ghana emerge from global shocks? Public debt increasingly held locally – good or bad news? Foreign direct investment: What can be done to lure investors back? What macroeconomic outlook will propel Ghana’s Growth and Prosperity? Which sectors can best deliver economic sovereignty: pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, energy, consumer goods? Market size: How can Ghana set up value chains on a regional scale? From planning to implementation: What are the ideal forms of partnerships?

PRESIDENTIAL DIALOGUE SESSION

Dialogue with H. E. The President of the Republic of Ghana on important issues ranging from resetting of the economic development agenda, public sector leadership, Business Regulatory Reforms, Social inclusion to digital economy agenda of government. A conversation on Digital Economy Agenda of the Government.

DIGITAL ECONOMY PLENARY SESSION

“Digital Industrial Transformation: New Paths for Growth and Prosperity.”

PANEL | DIGITAL INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION.

Industrial digital transformation refers to a set of innovation and transition solutions towards new business models and revenue streams consisting of three fundamental pillars; automation, improved manufacturing processes and production optimization. But this type of transformation is not limited to the technologies that are used; it represents a culture of change integrated into all work areas and a transformation in the way different teams are managed. Only in this way can digitalization have a real beneficial impact on the production of any company.

As an industrial company in the midst of structuring your digital industrial transformation, what are the important questions to address?

Where should digital industrial transformation sit within our organization? Should you have a centralized strategy or allow different divisions to adopt an approach that is in line with your individual markets?

What skills should a chief digital transformation officer possess and how should the role be resourced and supported?

How should you develop a capital allocation methodology that estimates the desired level of investment needed to achieve becoming digital?

How do you balance your investment in digital industrial transformation with the existing, ongoing investment needs of your individual divisions?

What does digital transformation mean for industry?

CEO BUSINESS CASE PLENARY SESSION.

CEO Business Case: Radically Transforming your Business and becoming an African Multinational Company.

In this session, selected accomplished CEOs will share and explain how they strategized and executed corporate strategies in many African countries. And how they tackled the cultural, human and logistical challenges that bedeviled such expansions and growth. The opportunities for growth in Africa are still very high, that makes this session important.

PANEL | STATE-OWNED COMPANIES – Transforming state owned enterprises for Growth and Prosperity.

Fostering A High-Level Public-Private Sector Dialogue.
The Ghana CEO Summit provides a unique platform for Governments, CEOs for State Owned Enterprises to deepen their strategic relationships with the business community (CEOs, investors) and to boost the dialogue with the private sector, development agencies and financial institutions. A voluntary collaboration between government & business towards a solution-oriented policy framework.
Out of sync with the market, overstaffed, poorly managed: state owned enterprises have a bad reputation for serious infractions on the part of CEOs and board of directors and their hallmark of being unprofitable according to the auditor general’s report. However, there have been many success stories. Companies such as BOST, VRA and NLA are recognized as major players that have been growing steadily. They have become assets to the government’s economic policy and vehicles to reduce external dependence. SIGA has a mandate to make specified entities & SOEs profitable and to contribute25% to Ghana’s GDP from 2023. What is behind their success? How is their relationship to the state structured?

KEY POINTS

What are the possible Interventions to make SOEs profitable?

What are the specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the SOEs. Management of SOEs. The oversight role of boards.

Should the SOEs facing liquidity challenges be recapitalized to make them profitable?

Is SIGA well-resourced to undertake its supervisory role?

Social or business role: preparing a value creation strategy

Choosing the right governance model to promote management transparency, independence and responsibility

How can public enterprises build sustainable performance?

 

CEO BUSINESS CASE PLENARY SESSION.

CEO SURVEY: Doing business in Ghana, a survey of CEOs.

Ghana CEO Summit presents the findings of a survey of CEOs from various sectors of the economy. It examines their views of the economy, prospects for revenue growth and the key opportunities and challenges facing businesses today.

CEO Talk

Regional integration, global economic tensions, geographic expansion: some of Ghana’s top CEOs share their insights and make recommendations on how best to address such challenges and keep their businesses growing.

BUSINESS CASE | Building credible ESG Strategies

The private sector is facing a dilemma: delivering impact in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) while meeting fiscal targets. As the continent hosting 60% of those in extreme poverty, the most child labourers, and the largest annual rate of net forest loss of the last decade, Africa and businesses operating within its borders are under heightened scrutiny on the international scene. From navigating regulatory obligations, establishing optional targets against the 2030 Agenda, and using digital tools to measure and communicate progress, knowledge partners and leading CEOs examine how businesses in Africa/ Ghana can deploy a credible ESG strategy that delivers impact without jeopardizing the bottom line.

LEADER’S VOICE | GUEST OF HONOR

In this session, prominent political leaders will be interviewed by a leading journalist on the new paths to growth for Africa/Ghana. The major issues of the moment – from world trade to cost of living crises, inflation, crisis management, ease of doing business, corruption index, COP27 and AfCFTA – will also be up for discussion.

PANEL | FAMILY BUSINESS – Governance and growth: Leading with the best

Down the generations, family businesses are faced with the challenge of long-term viability and growth. Traditionally structured around a strong, stable core – the family – African family businesses are increasingly open to hiring outside talent for top positions. In 2020, 50% of African family businesses considered appointing a non-family member as CEO, compared to only 28% in 2018. According to several studies, outside leaders joining the board and the management team contribute new expertise, a different strategic vision and have an openness to international markets. How should family businesses go about selecting outside talent? How can companies reconcile family culture with an outside party?

Key note : Cybersecurity | How to implement robust governance

With Covid-19 and the increased digitalization, cybercrime has become a growing threat for the private sector. Due to compliance or regulatory reasons, organizations have been implementing technical safeguards such as firewalls or intrusion detection, but without always applying the proper security policies, governance or procedures. The result is inadequate practices that compromise safety and expose assets to significant risk. Cyber defense and effective risk management appears de facto as the cornerstone of effective security. How should we communicate in the event of a cyber-attack? How often should cyber crises exercises be performed? This platform will be the place to deepen reflections on the most effective information security and cyber governance for private sector’s organizations to tackle cyber-attacks.