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"Smaller World/ Bigger Solutions"

by Marah Bukai

As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance business cooperation between the United States and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and to assist emerging entrepreneurs and business leaders in expanding and developing their businesses using strategies that are more effective and socially responsible, the Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises du Maroc (AFEM) held their first Corporate Ambassadors conference under the banner of Sustainability of Your Business: Keys to Success in Casablanca, Morocco on the 9th and 10th of June 2008.

Over 125 Moroccan participants attended the the conference to meet and learn from the experiences of the three U.S. Corporate Ambassadors leading the conference. The three prominent business figures, Judith Wilson (Vice President, Bernstein Global Wealth Management), Kathleen Diamond (Founder & CEO, Language Learning Enterprises, Inc.), and Sandra Taylor (President & CEO, Sustainable Business International, LLC), spent two days with the attendees discussing important strategies and transferring knowledge learned during their long successful careers with the conference attendees through a plenary panel session, numerous workshops, and business to business meetings. They were joined by prominent Moroccan speakers: Abdelkerim Guergachi (Director of Pole Support of the CDG Groupe), Abdelmalek Kettani (President of the CSR Commission, CGEM), Saloua Belkeziz (DG GFI Maroc), Latifa Echihabi (DG National Agency for SME Promotion), Hicham Laenser (Technopark Incubator Director), Mustapha El Baz (DG Cabinet Focs), and Houriya Cherif Haouat (Development Director, BMH COACH).

The conference was launched with opening remarks and a plenary panel session focused on entrepreneurship and sustainable growth for women owned small businesses in Morocco. The attendees had the opportunity to hear about the Corporate Ambassadors’ personal experiences and the collective accomplishment of businesswomen in the United States focusing on the important role businesswomen play both socially and economically. Corporate Ambassador Judith Willson spoke vividly about that topic, saying: ”As women business-owners and women leaders, we not only have the ability but the responsibility to lead change within our communities, regions and nations to support a global commitment to positive social transformations within our world.” Corporate Ambassador Sandra Taylors spoke about the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as becoming increasingly instrumental in defining the role of business in society. She stressed that “consumer awareness of the origin of the products they purchase has expanded in recent years, encompassing issues ranging from child labor in rug manufacturing to the connections between conflicts and diamonds. She stated that “Companies must lead from the heart, displaying moral leadership while engaging their brands and reputations in the process.” The panel session set the objective of the conference and inspired the attendees by outlining the positive and important role entrepreneurs play in their communities.

The first workshop of the conference targeted issues related to human resources from a business owner or a CEO perspective. In the workshop, titled: “10 Things a CEO Needs to Know about Human Resources,” problems facing small business owners in the HR domain were addressed. Attendees engaged in a very productive discussion over the issues of equality and respect in the workplace, competition over human resources by large companies, and other common problems. At the end of the workshop attendees were able to work together with the panelists to create recommendations and solutions to what they identified as problems and challenges facing them as small to medium business owners who are also playing the role of human resource managers. Attendees were able to learn many good lessons from the extensive experience of the Corporate Ambassadors and the local panelists, and they will be able to use that knowledge to create their own solutions.

The second workshop, “The Business Case for CSR: Integrating Community Commitments in Your Business Strategy,” addressed the vital issue of corporate social responsibility. During this workshop attendees and panelists did not only address the role businesses play in their communities, but also the role that CSR plays in enhancing the public image of the company and its products. Though social responsibility is not a new concept in Morocco, the term itself, the organized implementation, and the benefits of CSR is still widely unknown. Attendees were very interested in learning how they can implement socially responsible strategies not only in their companies but in all of Morocco’s businesses suggesting a certification program that recognizes socially responsible businesses. Panelists also explained that CSR is both internal and external, and companies should adopt fair practices in dealing with suppliers, employees, and customers. Attendees were especially excited about this workshop due to the emerging local and global importance of CSR and because they had the opportunity to learn about the topic from the experienced and knowledgeable panelists.

A third workshop titled “Using IT to Grow Your Business,” started the second day of the conference. The workshop began with the panelist’s own success stories in using IT to expand and better their companies. The role of IT was extensively discussed as a way to enhance productivity, advertise and expand the client base, better manage the business, lower cost, and create a better product. Because IT is still considered a developing sector in Morocco, attendees were very interested in learning as much as they can about this topic from the Corporate Ambassadors and local panelists. Many questions were posed in regard to cost, benefit, deployment, and the type of IT required for every type of business. This workshop did not only provide knowledge and information to the attendees, but it also resulted in a partnership between the American Chamber of Commerce and Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises du Maroc (AFEM) to create a program that will help Moroccan businesses –especially small and women owned companies- with their e-Commerce needs.

The fourth workshop, “Strategic Growing and Giving: A Natural Order,” explained what drives growth in small and medium businesses and explained how growth should be implemented as part of a company’s own strategic plan. Attendees, especially those who own small businesses, were very interested in learning from true success stories on how proper strategic planning can help expand a small company to become a large enterprise.

The fifth and final workshop titled “Tools of Effective Advocacy and Regulatory Reform” targeted the importance of lobbying and advocacy to help with private business needs and the overall growth of the business sector. Attendees were able to learn effective skills in advocacy, lobbying, and organization that will help them resolve current and future issues and obstacles.

On the second day attendees also had the opportunity to meet and network in a business to business meetings session, giving a chance to many prospective partnership and business relationships to develop. Some of the attendees were also able to have one-on-one meetings with the panelists to discuss issues and ideas in regard to their own company.

The conference gave Moroccan small and medium business owners a rare opportunity to convene and meet very successful business women from the United States who shared their experiences and knowledge and provided inspiration to the attendees as well as helped them in finding solutions to their most stressing and common issues. Raja, a businesswoman who attended the conference said:” I have learned a lot through this deeply informative two-day conference, in particular on the tools and ways that could help me in developing my business globally.”

The Corporate Ambassadors Program was developed as a comprehensive training tool for the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen's Network (MENA BWN), an ongoing program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and Vital Voices Global Partnership. The first event was held in Amman, Jordan on March 9 & 10, 2008. The Program aims to nurture women's empowerment and leadership by leveraging the collective energy and experience of businesswomen's organizations throughout the MENA region together with the expertise of top American businesswomen.

During 2008 and 2009, the Corporate Ambassadors Program will continue to bring delegations of American CEOs and senior executives to meet with businesswomen in the Middle East and North Africa to discuss pressing business topics and address issues central to the success of businesswomen in the region. Developed to support the advancement of the MENA Businesswomen's Network, investment in women's leadership will create new agents for positive social, political, and economic change.