Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) has appointed Meshack Tshekedi to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), deputizing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Letsebe Sejoe, with effect from March 9th 2015.
Tshekedi recently quit his job at the newly established Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) where he served as General Manager – Corporate Policy, Strategy & Business Planning. In his new role as COO of Botswana’s national investment and trade promotion agency, Tshekedi will lead and direct delivery of services to clients. He will further be tasked with ensuring that business facilitation, investment and export promotion strategies are fully optimised to achieve exceptional value add for Botswana’s economic growth and diversification targets. He will assist and work closely with the CEO in the development of BITC strategies, policies and goals that drive organisational and financial performance.
“Of great importance within his role is building and maintaining a positive and impressive image of our country through the national brand portfolio that falls within BITC’s mandate,” said Sejoe.
The BITC CEO expressed confidence in his new deputy, saying he bring with him a wealth of experience to BITC as he has held senior leadership positions in various industries including Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), mining, oil and gas, health services and consultancy. Tshekedi’s career commenced in 1997 when he started working as a Research Assistant, a position he held in several companies including University of Missouri, Department of Water Affairs and the University of Botswana (UB). He previously worked for Debswana Diamond Company as Junior Process Engineer in 2002 and was later engaged by Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL), a subsidiary of SABMiller as Strategic Planning Manager and Cash & Carry Manager.
Tshekedi joined the consultancy field in 2004 as a Consultant for X-pert Botswana where he provided project management services to clients including Debswana Diamond Company and Geoflux and later rejoined the SABMiller group where he held various positions including National Supply Chain Manager and Group Supply Chain Director. In 2010 he joined MRI Botswana as General Manager and in 2013 he was once again employed by SAB Miller Zambia as Group Supply Chain Director. Meanwhile, Brand Botswana will flight its marketing and advertising campaign on British Broadcasting Company (BBC World). This campaign will be part of Brand Botswana’s efforts to create awareness of Botswana’s qualities to the rest of the world and position the country as a destination of choice to live, work and invest in.
The campaign focuses on four key sectors being trade and investment, tourism, culture and mining. Furthermore Botswana competes for a share of the world’s visitors and investment, such that there is a need to ensure that the country has presence in influential and wide reaching platforms.
“The campaign follows the launch of the Doing Business in Botswana program that currently airs on CNBC Africa. The show focuses on promoting investment opportunities in Botswana. For years, Botswana’s story has been told in the context of success of our diamond industry and our revered governance,” said BITC.
