Agribank’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Dr Raphael Karuaihe, will use his first 100 days in office to listen to farmers and other stakeholders.
Karuaihe said this at his first staff address a week ago where he made known his plan for the first 100 days at the helm of the agricultural bank.
Before detailing his plan, Karuaihe noted that “I am cognisant of the harsh realities in our country, the extreme drought, flood and other calamities hurting farmers, who are our clients, and therefore necessitating urgent and timely customer service.”
For this reason, Karuaihe has prioritised stakeholder engagements to be key 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.
“This will assist me in developing the roadmap towards the fulfillment of the institutional mandate,” he said.
Improvement of operational efficiencies is another area of focus, during the period. 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 further singled out the plan of building on a good business model that is already established at the Bank, as another action item during his first 100 days in office. On this area, he stated that, “I must say, I found a very well-run institution, and there is no need for a crisis management, I will however strive to improve on what I found.”
The CEO 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,” he stated.
Addressing key person’s risk and staff retention are also other areas to occupy his time during the period, with the eye of ensuring business continuity.
Lastly, according to Karuaihe, at the end of his 100 days period in office, he will present a road map to the Board of the Bank. This will detail his plan and vision for the Bank, during his tenure as CEO.
In the photo: Agribank’s CEO Dr Raphael Karuaihe.
