Kah Walla is a Cameroonian Entrepreneur internationally recognized for her expertise in leadership and strategy. She is the founder and CEO of STRATEGIES!, a 20-year old consulting firm offering services in leadership, strategy and organizational development to multi-national firms and development organizations on 5 continents. STRATEGIES! makes over 90% of its turnover outside Cameroon.
Kah was recognized in 2008 by the World Bank as one of 7 women entrepreneurs working to improve the business environment in Africa. In 2011, Newsweek & The Daily Beast cited her as one of 150 women who shake the world and New African named her one the 100 most important Africans.
STRATEGIES! is renowned for producing leaders that have gone on to become entrepreneurs, CEOs of multinational companies and managers at international development organizations. These “ex-stratèges” are an important part of the legacy of STRATEGIES! under the leadership of Kah Walla. She prides herself in “creating environments that enable leadership to emerge and grow.”
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Strategy and Organizational Development for African Institutions
- Over 10 years’ experience working with regional and continental institutions such the African Union, NEPAD, ICGLR and ECOWAS to develop strategic plans, organizational mission, visions and values then help to build organizational systems to deliver on objectives;
- Training in leadership and teambuilding for management teams at African regional and continental institutions.
Strategy and Organizational Development for Local Governments
- Over 15 years’ experience in decentralization. Using a participatory approach to build strategies at local level for economic, social, environmental and infrastructure development;
- Training of over 500 municipal staff and elected officials in Cameroon from over four political parties (SDF, UPC, UDC, CPDM,). Introduction of the first strategies on Participatory Municipal Planning and Local Economic Development in Cameroon.
Facilitation of International Conferences on Key Development Issues in Africa
- Agriculture and Rural Development in Africa – for 5 years in partnership with NEPAD and the German Development Cooperation with participants from over 35 countries;
- Food Safety and Security – Land management to ensure food security in African and Asian countries;
- African Perspective of Development Aid – Annual conference for German diplomats in Berlin over a 3-year period;
- Regional and Continental Development – Working with the African Union, The Pan African parliament, NEPAD, ECOWAS, SADC, EAC, International Conference on the Great Lakes, etc. on issues of democracy and governance, peace and security, gender equity, economic development, infrastructure etc.
Economic Development
Over 15 years’ experience in Economic Development at the international, national, regional and local level.
- Improving the Business Environment in Africa – in partnership with the World Bank, ILO, and over ten development partners;
- Making Finance Work for Africa – with more than 35 countries to reflect on African financial systems, banking services for citizens and access to loans for African entrepreneurs;
- Local Economic Development – program with 5 municipalities on identifying clusters of economic development, public-private partnerships, creation of local employment and improvement of the business environment at local level.
Gender Equity
- Development of gender mainstreaming policies at regional, national and sub-national levels for various branches of government, NGOs and private sector companies;
- Research, analysis and policy development on developing an ecosystem favorable to women entrepreneurs;
- Training for women entrepreneurs – training of over 100 women entrepreneurs from over 10 African countries on business planning and human resource management. Lead trainer for this program over a 3-year period in partnership with Vital Voices Global Partnership;
- Training and coaching for women’s entrepreneurship associations – program enabled women’s entrepreneurship associations from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda to build advocacy strategy over a 4-year period to improve the enabling environment for women entrepreneurs;
- Training, coaching and mentoring for women leaders in all areas notably, entrepreneurship and politics.
Employment and Entrepreneurship
- Over 15 years’ experience in promoting entrepreneurship and employment, particularly for youth and women;
- Organized a Job Fair in 2004 with the participation of over 1500 young people, and about 15 enterprises. Recruitment of over 100 people in permanent jobs and part-time;
- in 2004 with the participation of over 1500 young people, and about 15 enterprises. Recruitment of over 100 people in permanent jobs and part-time – Training of more than 200 entrepreneurs in 5 municipalities in Cameroon with the YES program (Young Entrepreneurship Support) and WEP (Women’s Entrepreneurship Program).