On June 9th, 2015 LEAP Africa, Lafarge and Sterling Bank converged over 800 well-known industry business leaders, entrepreneurs, risk management experts in Nigeria’s business sector at the 10th CEOs Forum themed Staying Ahead: Maximizing Profits and Mitigating Risks.
Centred on Risk Management, the forum addressed SMEs on the importance of risk identification, assessment and analysis with a focus on minimizing loss of revenue.
The opening remarks were delivered by LEAP Board member and Google Country Manager, Juliet Chiazor. She noted the posture of a company regarding risk management should not be reduced to a checklist. It should be imbibed in the DNA of a company and is the responsibility of all employees.
Drawing from seasoned entrepreneurs and business managers speakers of the event comprised of Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, MD/CEO; Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr. Guillaume Roux, Group Managing Director, Lafarge Africa Plc; Mrs. Peju Adebayo, Managing Director, WAPCO Operations, Lafarge Africa Plc; Mr. Oluwole Oshin, Managing Director Custodian And Allied Insurance Limited; Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Executive Director, Finance & Strategy and Mrs. Clare Omatseye Founder, Managing Director JNC International Nigeria Ltd and was moderated by Mrs. Morin Desalu; Managing Director, RiskWatch Insurance Brokers.
Broadly discussed at the Forum were how to manage Financial and Currency Risks in the Nigerian & Global Business Landscape as well as supply Chain, Operations and Sales Risks in Nigerian Business Landscape. The Importance of Insurance and Other Formal Risk Mitigation Strategies as well as how to build a risk management Culture was also covered.
Mr. Oshin highlighted the importance of insurance policies and the benefits to SMEs. Mrs. Adebajo spoke about using a risk matrix to analyze risks at all levels of the supply chain drawing on experiences of Lafarge. Mrs. Omatseye, shared her experiences in dealing with risks as an entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of a strong risk culture.
At the event, LEAP presented its 11th book, The Art of Managing Risk. The book introduces entrepreneurs and business managers to Risk Management as it applies within our local context and introduces them to explore opportunities with boldness by taking practical steps to identify, analyse and mitigate risks.
LEAP’s CEOs Forum is an annual gathering of private, public and social development CEOs where the organization provides framework for SMEs to build sustainable companies.
