Forging a new path for African leadership

Vekondja Kuzee, the CIO of Namibia's largest financial services institution, thrives on the human connection. ‘I just love meeting people, actually,’ he says. It’s one of the reasons that he’s loving his Global MBA journey at Henley Business School. As the sole Namibian in his cohort, and part of the first-ever intake of African students on the degree, Kuzee says he has enjoyed finding himself in a vibrant ‘melting pot’ of minds from across the globe – Europe, Asia, and South Africa – that is broadening his perspective in a truly profound way.

‘The deep connection that you forge with people from different parts of the globe, I think, is one of the key differences of what you get on the Global MBA versus a traditional MBA,’ he says. ‘And it provides a richer tapestry of perspectives and insights.’

Towards the next career horizon

Kuzee decided to embark on an MBA when he was promoted into the CIO role at FNB last year, seeing it as a vital step towards his next career horizon that would position him to lead higher-level strategic discussions. He settled on Henley because it felt fresh and uniquely appealing. An international business school with triple accreditation and a strong African focus, Henley resonated with his ambition for a different kind of educational experience. And when he found out there was a chance to join the inaugural African cohort of the Global MBA programme, there was no holding him back.

‘I jumped at the opportunity once I understood the global aspect of it,’ he says. With three global study trips to different parts of the world and two modules spent on Henley’s gracious Greenlands campus in the UK, to say nothing of the excitement of meeting up with cohorts drawn from the Nordic countries and the UK, this was going to be an MBA like no other.

‘I'm also one of those people who don't like to walk down well-worn paths,’ he adds.

An uncannily relevant and practical MBA

So far, he says, the degree has delivered all that it promised – and more. What has surprised him has been just how uncannily relevant each module of the two-year programme (now halfway through) has proved. It’s like the programme was tailor-made as a practical laboratory for real-world application to suit his own work needs.

For instance, the very first Managing Operations module coincided with a major project to replace his organisation's entire printing fleet. ‘I used the content that I learned in the module to successfully complete that piece of work,’ he says, adding that this led to an impressive 30-40% reduction in their printing infrastructure.

Similarly, the Managing Financial Resources module dovetailed with his company's budgeting cycles, providing him with a ‘very nice perspective to have insightful business conversations’ and contribute dynamically to cost optimisation exercises in the company.

Beyond the boardroom: A legacy of upliftment

Kuzee's life outside of work and the MBA is as packed as his professional one – he's a devoted girl dad, a husband to a wife in the foreign service, a communal farmer, and holds leadership roles in a host of national sports and professional organisations including the Namibian CIO Forum, which he helped establish a year ago. How does he manage it all and still find time to sleep? His secret is simple: ‘Discipline, coupled with enjoyment – that’s the secret to managing it all,’ he says. He finds joy in every pursuit, from currently co-chairing the Cybersecurity committee at his regulator to hitting the tennis court and is ‘just very efficient with my time.’

But his ultimate ambition extends far beyond all these roles and responsibilities. ‘I'm a lot about legacy,’ he explains. ‘It’s the stuff that you leave for others to recognise you in future, whether you're around or not, that really matters.’

This commitment to legacy is deeply rooted in his home country and driven by a profound desire to uplift others. Namibia, a young democracy, grapples with significant socio-economic inequality, jostling with South Africa for the most unequal country in the world. ‘This reality really begs the question, what are the things that we can do to change that?’ Kuzee asks.

Kuzee is fully aware of the complexities facing African nations, including issues of corruption, poor governance, and a lack of planning and execution, particularly in young democracies like Namibia. He stresses the need for hard decisions and ethical leaders who can grapple with these decisions. The recent discovery of oil in Namibia, for instance, presents a critical leadership test, reminding him that ‘these are all leadership challenges that need to be solved. We need to do what we can to do our bit.’

A people-powered future Africa

Ultimately, it’s all about people, and building up people, he says, echoing Henely’s mission of we build the people, who build the businesses, that build Africa. ‘People make tech work. People make companies work, people make societies function! And people can be supercharged by the right connections.’

He sees the Global MBA as a key step towards leveraging ‘CEO-level connections and conversations’ that can make an impact in his own country and continent. And soon, he'll be bringing this vision to life.

As if he doesn’t have enough to do, Kuzee is organising an extra-curricular trip to Namibia for his international classmates ahead of the Reputation and Responsibility module set to take place in Cape Town in November, where they will spend a few days taking in some of Namibia’s beauty and hospitality, before hitting the books once again.

‘It's an opportunity to bridge continents, share insights, and truly ‘cross-pollinate the rest of the world with African ways of being and thinking,’ says Kuzee. ‘And it would not have been possible without the Henley Global MBA.’