SME CEO MasterClass

This course is designed to give participants a critical overview of the key functions of a typical business from the bird’s eye view perspective of a good CEO.  It will focus on setting a direction and vision for a business and appreciating key concepts and learning new frameworks that could help make the right decisions around Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Finance and galvanizing the teams to work together and achieve more. 

It will demonstrate a real-life view of doing business in Nigeria from the perspective of a small business aspiring to operate with the structures that enable growth and sustainability like a large business as experienced through the career of the facilitator.

At the beginning of the program, participants will create a model company and line of business and after each topic, participants will undertake quick exercises to help assimilate the learnings using their chosen model companies.

At the end of the course, participants are expected to:

• Have increased clarity on how to develop clear strategies to grow their businesses

• Know how to use several frameworks and management tools to create value through day to day operations

• Know how to set up the commercial (Marketing & Sales) arms of their business for scale

• Have a better understanding of the key financial statements (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statements) and how to engage with accountants and financiers

• Understand what is required of them as leaders of an organization

LEAD FACILITATOR'S PROFILE

Chimdi Azuike is a Strategy & Operations Executive. The foundation of his career was built in the advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where, as a Management Consultant, he participated in and led several consulting engagements for top tier private sector clients in FMCG, Energy and Financial Services industries as well as Ministries and Development Agencies in the Public Sector. 

In 2011, Chimdi joined the Honeywell Group, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous conglomerates, where he led various functions in Business Intelligence & Research, Investor Relations, Strategy Development and Performance Management leading up to his appointment as Strategy Lead to the CEO Foods and later on as pioneer Head of Corporate Strategy at Honeywell Flour Mills Plc (HFMP) where he continued to work closely with both the CEO Foods (Corporate HQ) and the Managing Director of the business to drive strategy execution and performance management.

Chimdi’s last role at HFMP was Head of Logistics & Customer Service where he oversaw the order fulfilment functions including Transport and Warehousing and was responsible for the delivery of products from the company’s 3 manufacturing sites to customers across the country.

Chimdi is currently the Head of Performance & Planning at Coca-Cola Nigeria and is responsible for Strategy, Business Planning and Performance Management.

Chimdi’s skillset includes Market Research, Strategy Development, Business Development, Project Management, Performance Management, Financial Modelling, Value Engineering, New Product Development and Supply Chain Management.

Chimdi studied Electrical Electronics Engineering as his first degree and has an MBA from the Lagos Business School. His natural interests are in Entrepreneurship and General Management while his hobbies are reading, listening to music and travelling. On the family side, he has one beautiful wife and two adorable kids.