CEO Summit Uganda orients the 13th Cohort of the CAP 2025 as they embark on the training program

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | CEO Summit Uganda, a think tank aimed at developing well rounded competitive leaders in different fields of industry oriented its latest members of the CEO Apprenticeship Program (CAP) 2025 cohort. The CEO Apprenticeship Program is designed to immerse executives in the Chief Executive Role through insightful sessions featuring Pan-African Leaders in the nation, region, and continent. This program provides a comprehensive understanding of the Chief Executive responsibilities by incorporating knowledge sessions with influential African Industry Leaders and global figures. The orientation at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel marked the start for the 2025 cohort training.

The CEO Apprenticeship Program that started in 2013 is one of the open programs under the CEO Summit Uganda belt. It is an annual initiative for executives in high management capacities who are taken through a 10-month training. The training is meant to skill the executives with experiences in immersive learning, expert mentorship among other skillsets.

This is intensified with 5 different modules in partnership with leading business schools in Nairobi, Kenya and Cape Town, South Africa.

Speaking at the orientation ceremony, Stephen Mukasa, the Managing Director, CEO Summit Uganda urged the new members to be open to learning and relearning during the training. He said, “There is going to be a lot of re-learning. Other than learning from the CEOs who come to us to facilitate, we are also going to learn from each and every one in this class, as it has happened in the previous classes.”

Edward Walugembe, the Managing Director, VIVO Energy Zambia and an alumnus of the program in his key note address on “The Making of a CEO: Leadership in a Disruptive World,” tipped the 13 th cohort on the skills needed to be an impactful CEO.

He said, “You must be ready to acquire skills and competence in something that’s not your normal domain. You need to have the courage to take over something in whatever state, because we usually prefer to take on tasks that are already running smoothly. This will be easy for you to show your difference in results.”

Rachel Rwakatungu, Credit Director at Absa Bank Uganda Ltd and one of the members of the 12th cohort, pointed out the lessons she had learnt during the 2024 program. She noted that she had initially not known that people could be taught how to become CEOs, as she had thought one simply had to be good at their job, rise through the organisation, and that would be enough. She explained that she later realised one actually had to sit and understand all aspects of being a CEO, which she considered a critical takeaway. She also shared that another important lesson was the need to invest in understanding people—their personalities and work styles—as this made work much easier.

CEO Summit Uganda continues to offer open leadership programs which transform the lives of leaders of institutions with interactive and up to date modules. Some of the programs include; the LEAN Forward Modular program, the Coach Training Executive Program, Caring for the Carers Executive Program, among others.