MPL taps three top women to its board

The Nation Media Group, the parent company of Monitor Publications Ltd (MPL), has appointed three women as non-executive directors on the MPL board, increasing the number of the board members to nine.
The new appointees are Ms Susan Nsibirwa, an outstanding communications and marketing professional; Mrs Harriet Nabakooza Musoke, a leading human capital expert; and Dr Emilly Comfort Maractho, a distinguished academic and researcher. 

Up until these appointments that took effect on April 1, MPL board was all-male, and Prof Samuel Sejjaaka, the board chairman, said the changes mark a start of the organisation’s gender-equality journey.
The vast knowledge and experience of the appointees, he noted, will infuse fresh ideas, energy and drive to clarify a better future direction for MPL.  
“All of them possess vast experience in media and human resources and they are also the first female appointees. Previously, we have had only men on the board; so, this will correct that [imbalance] and help in gender balance,” he said.

The MPL board as well serves Africa Broadcasting Uganda Ltd (ABUL), better known by the flagship NTV-U.
The board is responsible for making policies, providing oversight and giving general direction for the good governance and profitable management of the businesses under MPL, which include the Daily Monitor newspaper, KFM and Dembe FM radio stations and Nation Courier Service.   

Responding to the appointments, Dr Maractho, who is substantively the director for Africa Policy Centre at Uganda Christian University, said: “I feel humbled and honoured to be part of the team at MPL … this offers me a great platform to make a small contribution to journalism and media development in this country.”
She pledged to work together with the “great team” at MPL and committed to build the businesses and brands of the company that have endured for decades.
MPL will in July mark its 30th anniversary on a journey of trials and triumphs, mainly through its no-holds-barred responsible and influential journalism.
Mrs Musoke, also named as a non-executive member, said she would first need to undergo induction and understand the culture of the company.

“Culture can have your strategy for breakfast. I also need to understand the synergies between the different business units so [that] we can make money,” she said, adding, “As a board, we will engage management to ensure that we have a productive workforce.”  
She promised to look into the challenges that staff face, which affect their career growth, the relationship between management and the junior staff as well as staff engagement. 

Ms Nsibirwa, who doubles as the chair of the board of the Africa Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), yesterday said she was privileged to be tapped to serve on the MPL board.
The appointment, she said, was for her a homecoming since she cut her journalistic teeth working as a freelance writer when the then Monitor newspaper, later renamed the Daily Monitor, was founded.
“I look forward to using my wealth of experience from media, commercial management and marketing to take the company to the next level,” she said.

ABOUT THE  APPOINTEES
Ms Susan Nsibirwa
A holder of Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, Ms Nsibirwa is an outstanding communications professional and the managing partner of Urge Uganda Limited, a communications agency. She has over 20 years of experience of successfully leading corporate marketing and communications teams. 

Mrs Harriet Nabakooza Musoke
Mrs Musoke, who sits on different boards, holds a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Bentley University in the United States, and she is a leading human capital expert with more than two decades’ experience in Human Resources Strategic management, particularly in the banking sector. Her professional excellence was notable during her tenure at dfcu and Standard Chartered banks.

 Dr Emilly Comfort Maractho
A distinguished academic and researcher, Maractho holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Cultural and Media Studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa and is a past post-doctoral fellow at the NLA University College in Norway. She is a senior lecturer of Journalism and Media Studies, and director, African Policy Centre, at Uganda Christian University (UCU).