CEO’S Most Respected Company Survey kicks off

30 September, 2008 – PricewaterhouseCoopers today launched the CEO’s Most Respected Company Survey, the ninth edition of its East African Most Respected Company programme. The theme for the survey this year is Growth in a Changing Market.

The most respected companies are nominated in a survey of leading East African CEOs, who also determine the values and attributes that are important to them when defining respect. This PricewaterhouseCoopers survey remains the only award in the region where winners are nominated by their peers.

Charles Muchene, Survey Director and Country Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers Kenya said, “The Most Respected Company survey and awards has always been about working with East African CEOs to recognise and elevate those businesses that are operating at a distinctive level. While this underlying aim remains undiminished, we continue to innovate and adapt the programme to cement its position as the leading business awards in the region.

“This year we have made several changes to reflect the expansion of the East African community, the unique niche this survey occupies in the minds of CEOs and the increased connectivity of global business.” For the first time, Rwanda has been included in the survey of CEOs and there will be an award given for the CEO’s Most Respected Company – Rwanda.

With the introduction of the Rwandan award and the continued diversification of leading businesses in East Africa, the survey team has removed the industry-specific awards from this year’s programme. CEOs will only be asked to vote for the companies they most respect in East Africa and in each of the four countries. There will be a total of seven CEO’s Most Respected Awards in 2008; awarded to the top three companies across East Africa and the leading company in each country.

Secondly, to reflect the survey respondents and the distinctive peer-to-peer nature of the awards, a new logo has been designed and registered. Future winners will be required to use this logo in any communications. The logo specifies the key role CEOs play in the programme and the iconic ‘vessel’ that has become synonymous with business excellence across Africa.

Also in line with the theme of this year’s awards, the survey will also seek to understand how CEOs are dealing with risks and opportunities in the current period of global economic uncertainty, while simultaneously building their companies so that they endure and succeed over the longer term.

Finally, this year, the findings will also form part of a global study of CEOs conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and launched at the World Economic forum in Davos in January 2009. The survey will also be examining the issues raised about East Africa in more detail and these will be covered in a dedicated report for the region.

Charles Muchene said, “This survey has helped build up a unique picture of what drives respect in the minds of our business leaders. It has also become recognised by CEOs as an opportunity to understand what their peers are thinking and doing, as well as to share vital elements for success in the rapidly changing business environment. We are excited about linking it to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ global survey, to enable this kind of analysis and insight at a truly international level.”

The findings for this year’s survey will be announced on 28 November 2008 in Kampala, where the top CEOs in the region will be invited to share, collaborate and celebrate with those they have nominated as being the most respected.

The survey is run independently by a research house, Steadman Synovate and the Nation Media Group is the media partner.