Shared Services Practitioners to meet in Kenya this June
As more and more African companies start to embrace the concept of shared services, heads of Finance, Human Resources, ICT and more gather in Nairobi to learn best practices for implementation.
The region’s leading practitioners from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and beyond will share their experiences in the set-up, transformation and continuous improvement of their company’s shared services models; discussing best-practice strategies, lessons learned and the latest trends in automation technology
As the global economy continues to force African companies to focus on perfecting their core business processes; improving customer satisfaction whilst simultaneously reducing operating costs, the performance and efficiency of integral support functions is called into question. Through the adoption of a shared services model, key functions such as Human Resources, Finance, IT and Procurement can be restructured, digitalized and downscaled to reduce administrative costs, improve access to services, and share specialist skills across offices in order to avoid an unnecessary duplication of functions and processes.
“In speaking with a multitude of Shared Services practitioners from across the region it is clear that, although there are a number of companies who are already well on their way to operational excellence, as a whole Africa’s path to adoption is at a embryonic stage,” said Emma-Jayne King – Portfolio Director for SSON in the Middle East & Africa. “Whilst the core benefits of shared services are reasonably well known, the knowledge in how to successfully design and implement a roadmap for transformation, in the majority of cases, is missing.”
Furthermore, a successful business transformation does not only affect business strategy – there is also the human aspect to consider, particularly in today’s digital environment where automation technologies are replacing the need for human interaction. “Motivating and retaining strong talent has long been a dilemma for support function managers, especially in regions such as Africa where multiple languages are not only required but expected. And in a culture, such as shared services, where customer experience and operational excellence is paramount, there’s a definitive need to up-skill and retain more experienced and multi-lingual representatives, to transform them from low-skilled back-office support to highly skilled, client-focused business partners.”
With all of this in mind, Shared Services & Outsourcing Africa will bring together the most influential regional shared services and support function practitioners to discuss the challenges and trends faced in shared services adoption, as well as propose actionable solutions for the successful planning and delivery of a shared services transformation.
Shared Services & Outsourcing Africa will be held at the Villa Rosa Kempinski from 28-30 June, part of East Africa Technology Week.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Allan Kilavuka, Global Operations Local Leader, Sub-Sahara Africa, General Electric Company, Kenya
- Alex Mbaka, Head of Channels Operations, Barclays Bank, Kenya
- Catherine Khabure, Head of HR Shared Services, Diageo, Kenya
- Ehsan Shammasi, Head of HR Shared Services, Al Tayer Group, UAE
- Gary Thompson, Consultant Advisor – Shared Services Program, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, UAE
- Huned Ujjainwala, General Manger, Global Operations META, General Electric Company, UAE
- Ismail Rahman, Manager Employer Relationships – Management Accounting, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, South Africa
- Jacqueline M. Otwori, Director, Business Process Re-engineering & Service Delivery Standards, Huduma Kenya Secretariat
- JD Smith, Finance Manager – Shared Services, GlaxoSmithKline, South Africa
- Miriam Mendy Njie, Head of Shared Services & Finance Control, Standard Chartered Bank, South Africa
- Oltesh Thobias, Regional Chief Procurement Officer, African Development Bank, Kenya
- Pauline Schu, Professional Insights Manager, ACCA
- Wekulo Nasokho, Senior Human Resources Business Partner, British American Tobacco, Kenya
- Risper Mukoto, Managing Director, Centum Business Solutions, Kenya
- Solomon Echerebor, Manager - Shared Services, Universal Energy Resources Limited, Nigeria
- Sue White, Group Head of Human Capital Shared Services, Standard Bank, South Africa
Find the full programme, speaker list and registration form