Stanbic Business Incubator gets new boss
![Stanbic Business Incubator gets new boss](../admin/images/085546180720241.jpg)
Ms Poran is a seasoned lawyer and experienced banking executive.
Stanbic Holdings Uganda Ltd has announced the appointment of Catherine Poran as the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic Business Incubator.
Poran replaces Tony Otoa who joined the State-owned Uganda National Oil Company as Corporate Affairs Manager in April, after six years in the driving seat.
The Stanbic Business Incubator is part of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL) and a sister company to Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited and SBG Securities Limited, which are all subsidiaries of the Standard Bank Group of South Africa.
- A Ugandan national, Poran has been the Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Mozambique.
The company said in a press release that Poran is a seasoned banker boasting of a 20-year career in the Standard Bank Group, including 15 years with Stanbic Bank Uganda.
Francis Karuhanga, the Chief Executive of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL), said he was “thrilled” to have Catherine at the helm of Stanbic Business Incubator, which she has served as a Board Member since its incorporation and has been a part of the value creation and journey mapping.
- “Her appointment as CEO is a natural progression, and we are confident that she will leverage her skills, knowledge, and expertise to actualize the company’s vision,” he added.
Poran welcomed her new role saying she was “honoured to have the opportunity to lead Stanbic Business Incubator and contribute to the growth of Ugandan businesses.”
She added: “I look forward to working with our stakeholders and partners to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development in line with our purpose of driving Uganda’s growth. My vision is to further establish Stanbic Business Incubator as a leading hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in Uganda, and I am committed to working tirelessly to achieve this goal.”
A versatile and seasoned lawyer and banking executive, Poran is credited for being a partnership-driven professional backed by decades of experience in volatile and complex environments.
She holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University, UK, a Master of Laws from Buckingham University, and a Bachelor of Laws from Buckingham University.
- Over the last six years, the Stanbic Business Incubator has played a vital role in fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth in Uganda, offering both tangible resources and intangible support to help startups thrive.
- Poran joins the company at an important time barely two months after they flagged off two innovative programs aimed at supporting businesses to access finance and fostering economic growth within Uganda’s dynamic SME sector.
The Stanbic Accelerator Program (SAP) and the Supplier Development Program (SDP) aim at equipping SMEs with the essential skills, knowledge, and resources needed to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.
The company is leveraging on partnerships with MTN Uganda, the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), GIZ, Petroleum Authority of Uganda, among others to impact more than 3,000 businesses every year.
The Supplier Development Program is particularly exciting as it is in alignment with Uganda’s fledgling oil and gas sector and is expected to demystify opportunities and empower SMES to participate actively in the nascent industries.