Doing Good Business in Africa – our report for the APP published

The Africa Progress Panel chaired by Kofi Annan, has been working with Concern Universal to mobilise greater business support for development.

The purpose of this initiative was to create a space in which business leaders could share their vision and views as to how the private sector can add practical value to existing efforts to help reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa. Specifically, it identified practical ideas that can now be disseminated and implemented.

Richard Harvey of Concern Universal was invited by Kofi Annan to Chair a new Business Advisory Group (BAG) for this unique business-led initiative. Richard then led the co-opting of senior African and international executives to the BAG (see their names below). To help inform the Group's discussions Concern Universal carried out sector-based research, examining the role business does and could play in promoting social and economic development in Africa. To ensure the quality of the research, we convened a group of peer reviewers from several organisations (listed below).

Photograph shows Richard Harvey (of Concern Universal) meeting with Kofi Annan and Tidjane Thiam in April 2009.

Read the full Africa Progress Panel Report - March 2010.

Drawing on this research and guided by the Business Advisory Group discussions, Concern Universal has now produced a short Policy Brief with the APP. The APP publishes such Briefs on key topics to highlight timely issues and opportunities, and to provide a platform for APP members to encourage action in favour of Africa's economic and social development. This Brief identifies how business can play a more active role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. It makes specific future recommendations for business leaders, African governments and the development community (including international finance institutions, bilateral and non government agencies).

Read the full policy brief - March 2010

Advisory Group members:
• Richard Harvey (Chair, Chairman-elect of PZ Cussons and former CEO of Aviva, Volunteer Advocate at Concern Universal)
• (Up to July 2009) Gareth Penny (Managing Director, De Beers Group)
• Adama Bah (Travel Foundation, The Gambia)
• Mary Boakye (Partner, Denton Wilde Sapte)/ Howard Barrie (Partner, Denton Wilde Sapte)
• Gareth Bullock (Group Executive Director, Standard Chartered)
• Angus Davison (Managing Director, Haygrove and winner of a World Business and Development Award 2008)
• Professor Muhammad Yunus (Founder, Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize Winner 2006)
• Tidjane Thiam (Group Chief Executive Officer, Prudential and former Minister of Planning and Development, Ivory Coast)
• Matthews Chikaonda (CEO Press Corporation Malawi and former Minister of Finance, Malawi)
• Peter Sutherland (Former Chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs)
• Dr Mo Ibrahim (Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation and former Chairman of Celtel)
• Linah Kelebogile Mohohlo (Governer, Central Bank of Botswana)
• David Reid (Chairman, Tesco)
• Thorleif Enger (Chairman, Spring Energy)

Read more about our work promoting sustainable business

Read more about Richard Harvey's advocacy role with Concern Universal

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Business Advisory Group members

Richard Harvey, Volunteer Advocate, Concern Universal
Richard was the long standing CEO of Aviva, the world's fifth largest insurance company, until July 2007. His notable achievements include the successful merger of Norwich Union and CGU in 2000 to create Aviva. From the summer of 2007, Richard and his wife took a ‘gap year' volunteering throughout Africa with Concern Universal. Since his return Richard has continued to work on a voluntary basis as an advocate with Concern Universal to engage business in development, and is now Chairman-elect of PZ Cussons.

Gareth Penny, Managing Director, De Beers
De Beers is the world's leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Gareth started at Anglo-American in 1988 where he led their Small Business initiative with De Beers in South Africa. He is one of the architects of the substantial change in DeBeers' business model from supply-side management to becoming demand-led. Gareth has presented at several business schools and was recently invited onto the Botswana President's Economic Advisory Council.

David Reid, Chairman, Tesco
Tesco is the world's fourth largest retailer. David has been Chairman since 2004, having served on the Board since 1985. He is a non-executive director of Reed Elsevier and Kwik-Fit. David is also President of the food industry trade association IGD, a patron of the charity Caravan, and a member of the Strategic Investment Group for Student Partnerships Worldwide.

Mary Boakye, Partner, Denton Wilde Sapte
DWS provides commercial legal services internationally, particularly to companies in the infrastructure, financial, retail and technology sectors. Mary heads their Africa Financial Markets group and is a member of the firm's Africa Committee. She serves on the Technical Committee for the World Bank/African Development Bank All-Africa Conference on Law Justice and Development. Mary was also on the Commission for Africa's Business Contact Group. She is a founder and co-chair of UNICEF (UK)'s Day of the African Child Committee.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank
Muhammad started making micro-loans to the poor in Bangladesh in 1976 and founded Grameen Bank in 1983. He and Grameen were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their efforts to create economic and social development. Grameen have diversified into other ventures serving the rural poor such as telecoms, energy and nutrition. Muhammad is also on the board of directors for the UN Foundation.

Tidjane Thiam, Group Chief Executive Officer, Prudential
Prudential Financial companies serve individual and institutional customers worldwide offering a variety of products and services. Tidjane began his career in 1986 with McKinsey and Co in Paris, and has worked in several different countries. In 1994 he returned to Ivory Coast, to become the Minister of Planning and Development. In 2000, he rejoined McKinsey as a partner, before moving to Aviva to become Group Strategy and Development Director in 2002 and being appointed to the board. He moved to Prudential in 2008.

Adama Bah, Travel Foundation, The Gambia
The Travel Foundation is an independent UK charity that aims to help tourism make a positive contribution to its destinations. Adama is an advocate of Responsible Tourism, he has travelled widely to put the case of the poor and disadvantaged on the global agenda. Following ten years of innovative work in West Africa, Adama won the 2004 international award for the person who has made The Greatest Contribution to Responsible Tourism. He is presently coordinating the Travel Foundation's support for supply-side linkage tourism projects in the Gambia.

Gareth Bullock, Group Executive Director, Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered PLC is consistently ranked in the top 25 FTSE 100 companies by market capitalisation and serves individual, corporate and institutional customers across the world. Commencing with Citibank, Gareth has had a long career in both commercial and investment banking. He joined the Board of Standard Chartered in 2007. He is responsible for growth and governance of the bank in Africa, Middle East, Europe and the Americas, and for Risk and Special Assets Management. Gareth is also a Non-Executive Director of Spirax Sarco Engineering and Fleming Family & Partners.

Matthews Chikaonda, CEO, Press Corporation Malawi
Press Corporation is one of the largest companies in Malawi with investments across many sectors including banking, fuel, fisheries and telecoms. Matthews has been Group Chief Executive since 2002. Prior to this, he served in the Government of Malawi as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. Before that he was Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi for five years. His earlier career was as Professor of Finance at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.

Peter Sutherland, Chairman, BP and Goldman Sachs
Formerly Chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International. Peter has served as the Attorney General of Ireland, a European Union Commissioner, and Director-General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization. He is also an honorary Ambassador for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and has previously been a member of the Commission on Human Security.

Dr Mo Ibrahim, Founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
He is an expert in mobile communications and founder of one of Africa's most successful companies, Celtel International. In 2006 he launched the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to support good governance and great leadership in Africa. In 2007, Mo stepped down as Chairman of Celtel International to concentrate on this initiative. Sudanese by birth, Mo has received a number of awards that recognise his work as an academic, businessman and philanthropist.

Linah Kelebogile Mohohlo, Governer, Central Bank of Botswana
Linah is currently Governor of the Bank of Botswana and has been since 1999 following a 23-year career with the Bank. She has also worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and, in her capacity as Governor of the IMF for Botswana, she has been a member of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC). Linah also serves on the Boards of major corporations in Botswana and abroad.

Angus Davison, MD Haygrove
Haygrove is a 20 year old UK based principally horticultural business, growing high value crops, developing and selling growing systems and is a winner of a 2008 World Business and Development Award for the ‘Gambia is Good' fair trade produce marketing company. In 2002 Angus was awarded an MBE for his services to Agriculture and has been instrumental in reviving the Soft Fruit industry in the UK.

Thorleif Enger, Chairman, Spring Energy
Spring Energy is an independent Norwegian upstream oil and gas company. Thorleif also serves on the supervisory board of E.ON Ruhrgas, and is currently a Board member of several other companies including Marine Harvest. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Yara International, and President of the International Fertilizer Industry Association.

Peer Reviewers:
• Elizabeth White (Senior Strategy Officer, World Bank)
• Chris West (Director, Shell Foundation)
• Zahid Torres-Rahman (Director, Business Action for Africa)
• Richard Gilbert (Communication Adviser, Business Action for Africa)
• Jane Nelson (Director of CSR Initiative, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Business School)
• Tomas Salas (General Manager, Growing Sustainable Business Programme, UNDP)
• Casper Sonnessen (Policy Advisor, Private Sector Division, UNDP)
• Sean de Cleene (Vice President, Yara International)
• Wayne Visser (Senior Associate, Cambridge Programme for Industry)
• Adam Leach (Chief Executive Officer, International Business Leaders Forum)
• Caroline Ashley (Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute)

CU Research Team:
• Helen Wadham
• Clive Caffall
 

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Last updated April 2010

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