Young, talented and focused; Clare Akamanzi knows and shares the secrets to a successful business. She is one that derives great pleasure in mentoring young business people; helping them act more inventively and productively. To her, whatever business is worth doing is worth doing well.
Akamanzi’s emergence in the business world has brought about a remarkable change not just in Rwanda but also in the continent. Akamanzi is a woman of class and style who not only understands her calling but has also drawn a sure career path for herself.
She is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a government institution that has the duty of fast-tracking economic growth and development in Rwanda. Prior to this, she was Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Business Operations and Services at RDB, in charge of investment promotion, export promotion, enterprise development and business facilitation through investment climate reform, company registration and environmental clearances.
She previously served as the Deputy Director General at the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA) from 2006-2008. She was also Rwanda’s commercial diplomat in London and a trade negotiator in Geneva for the Government of Rwanda at the World Trade Organization.
In her role as the Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Akamanzi is relentlessly at the forefront, seeking opportunities and making policies that enhance economic growth in Rwanda.
It is interesting that forbes magazine named her as one of Africa’s youngest power women in 2013. Akamanzi is an international trade and investment lawyer. She attained her law degree in Uganda, and a Master’s in International Trade and Investment Policy in South Africa and the Netherlands.
Her work style has enabled to build high strategies such as the ease of doing business and a team of professionals to attract heavy Foreign Direct Investments in Rwanda.
The power woman continues her pursuit in devotion and resilience, giving solutions to age long problems. One of the remarkable achievements of her leadership in Rwanda is in the area of registering businesses. She declares openly in one of her conferences;
“Today, registering a business takes a minimum of 6 working hours from 24 hours last year. If you are connected to internet and have all the requirements before we leave this room, you can walk home with a fully incorporated company in Rwanda.”
As an all-time business mogul, Akamanzi encourages businessmen in Rwanda to act more inventively; to seek ways to modify the age long system of business and to traverse other business routes less trodden such as; investing in tea plantations and factories, coffee washing and roasting as premium harvest grows, horticulture, grain production and processing, horticulture, silk production, packaging plants among others.
She also calls their attention to areas like; energy, tourism (construction of five-star hotels, high end themed restaurants in Kigali, theme parks and cultural villages among others), ICT, real estate and construction, financial services, retail industry, transport and logistics, mining, education and health.
Clare Akamanzi has got it all; vision, determination and resilience. Now who is still wondering why she is so successful?
