fbpx
Subscribe
Menu

10 Reasons To Follow McKinsey Partner Acha Leke On Twitter

10 Reasons To Follow McKinsey Partner Acha Leke On Twitter

Written by Kevin Mwanza

Dec 21, 2018

Subscribe

Acha Leke, chairman of McKinsey’s Africa region, is probably the most connected person in Africa that’s a technocrat, not a politician.

Two decades working with one of the world’s best consulting firms across 20 African countries has seen the Cameroonian accomplish great heights in assignments that have shaped how business is done on the fastest growing continent.


Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 39: Tunde Ogunlana
Jamarlin talks to family wealth advisor Tunde Ogunlana, CEO of Axial Family Advisors, about estate planning and Snoop Dogg’s comment that he doesn’t need a will (“I don’t give a f— when I’m dead. What am I gonna give a f— about?”). They also discuss the growing college debt bubble, whether more free tuition will help solve the problem, and why MBAs are like the bachelor’s degrees of 30 years ago.

Leke has won numerous awards across Africa over the years and recently released a book he co-authored on “Africa’s Business Revolution: How to Succeed in the World’s Next Big Growth Market”.

Here are 10 reasons why you should follow McKinsey partner Leke on twitter:

Sources: McKinsey, OZY, Publishers Weekly, Twitter @achaleke

1. Front-row seat on doing business in Africa

Leke is tapped into Africa’s business world and has consulted for businesses and investors looking for opportunities across the continent’s diverse markets. It’s with this knowledge that he teamed up with two other consultants from McKinsey to convey the sheer adventure of navigating the continent’s markets in their latest book, released in November 2018. Where better to get a front-row seat on understanding how to do business in Africa than on his Twitter handle?

2. Presidents and billionaires

In his line of work over the years Leke has connected with top business and governance personalities in Africa, from Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Nigeria’s former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. And he’s not just name-dropping.

3. African startup knowledge

Before he joined McKinsey, Leke toyed with the idea of launching a startup but chose a consulting internship. His work has however seen him become an angel investor for a dozen of African startups.

Acha Leke
Acha Leke, McKinsey Partner. Photo: McKinsey | Image: Anita Sanikop

4. Engineers solve problems

Leke earned his bachelor of electrical engineering degree, with a minor in economics, summa cum laude from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was the first Black valedictorian in the school’s history. He later graduated from Stanford University with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. He did doctoral work on dynamic bandwidth optimization for multicarrier systems.

5. Humanitarian at heart

Leke’s first job for McKinsey was in Uganda where he came face-to-face with the devastating effect of HIV infections. At the time Uganda had one of the highest rates of infections. With a team of consultants, he came up with a scheme that slashed prices on antiretroviral drugs without diluting pharmaceutical companies’ core market or hurting Uganda’s health care system.

6. Self-confessed socialite

Leke once owned a club and is no stranger to the hip and fun that runs in the blood of Africa’s youth.

7. Fingers on public and social

Leke’s work transcends private-sector clients and global corporate scenes and jumps right into the public and social sectors where he has worked with governments and aid agencies to make their service to the people more efficient and impactful. One of his options when he leaves Mckinsey after a stellar performance would be to join the public sector.

8. He engages

According to his assistant, Leke is not the kind to turn down an opportunity to engage with literally anyone. He is generous with his time and will share some of it on Twitter with his followers.

https://twitter.com/achaleke/status/1054863481500037120

9. “I’m a technocrat, not a politician”

When asked by OZY if he would consider running for president of Cameroon, Leke’s response was “That’s not me. I’m a technocrat, not a politician.” As a technocrat, he believes he can engage with both the leaders and the people better.

10. Leadership at all levels

Leke partnered with Fred Swaniker to start the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg that has enrolled pupils from 46 African countries, most on full scholarships. They also launched the African Leadership University, with campuses in Mauritius and Rwanda, and the African Leadership Network, a Davos-esque gathering of influencers from across the continent.

 

 

✖