Namibia: Agribank Boss to Prioritise Stakeholder Engagement

THE Agricultural Bank of Namibia's newly appointed chief executive officer, Raphael Karuaihe, says he will be prioritising stakeholder engagements during his first 100 days in office.

Karuaihe mentioned this during his first staff address on Friday last week.

The CEO said he has prioritised stakeholder engagements during his first 100 days, as he wants to listen to farmers, clients, the shareholder, and other key stakeholders to understand their perspectives and expectations.

"I am cognisant of the harsh realities in our country, the extreme drought, floods and other calamities hurting farmers, who are our clients, and, therefore, necessitating urgent and timely customer service," he said.

Karuaihe added that this would assist him in developing the roadmap towards the fulfilment of Agribank's institutional mandate. He also noted that the improvement of operational efficiencies is another area of focus.

The Agribank boss added that this is inclusive of cost containment measures, and enhancement of customer service at the bank, ensuring that clients are served with excellence, since this has an impact on Agribank as a brand.

Karuaihe said he plans to build on the good business model that is already established at the bank. "I must say, I found a very well-run institution, and there is no need for crisis management. I will, however, strive to improve on what I found," he noted.

He also aims to promote research and development in the bank, to ensure that data on the bank's impact in the country is well analysed and dissected for efficient planning and execution purposes.

Addressing key person's risk and staff retention are also other areas that would occupy his time during the same period, to ensure business continuity.

According to Karuaihe, at the end of his 100 days in office, he will present a roadmap to the board, detailing his plan and vision for the bank during his tenure.

This article originally appeared on Namibian

Photo: Namibian