LEAD, which focuses on the nurturing of effective boards and all directors, aspires to promote mechanisms to promote better appreciation and recognition of NED’s.

Indeed, it is the role of NEDs to establish a board performance culture that both provides challenge and assures action of the respective organisation. The importance of engaged and strong NEDs can not be any less critical in the current operating environment – where many businesses are increasingly facing disruptions and challenges. Thus, enhancing a more balanced appreciation and recognition of all board members, LEAD would be contributing to incentives for nurturing NEDs and better board directors in the region.

Categories and Criteria of Nomination
The nominees are to be drawn from the four categories outlined below

A. Listed Companies

To be eligible for this category companies must be;
– Listed companies on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE).
– The individual nominee can be a Chairman or Non-Executive Directors but the nominee must have been in their role for at least a year.

B. Private, Public and Not For Profit Sectors

To be eligible for each of the respective components of the category (private, public and Not for Profit) must demonstrate;
– How the nominee has made significant contribution to the organisation’s strategy.
– How the nominee has impacted on the financial success of the company.
– How the nominee maintains high ethical standards and shows good corporate governance.

C. Lifetime Achievement Award

To be eligible for this category companies must demonstrate that the Nominee;
– Is a well-respected leader who has contributed to the improvement of corporate governance.
– Has a character/style which is special in some way; courageous, visionary, exemplary, respected, refreshingly outspoken, disarming, humble.
– Has had a major influence with achievements in the Private, Public and Not for Profit sectors.
– Has a track record of creating value for shareholders and/or transforming companies.
– Has enhanced reputation of Independent Non-Executive Directors and Boards.

– Has served as an independent Non-Executive Director/Chair on 35 corporate boards.
– Has served as an independent Non-Executive Director/Chair on 35 corporate boards.
– Is distinctive in achievement and impact in terms of diversity, inclusion and supporting the next generation of leaders.

D. NED to Watch

To be eligible for this category the nominee;
– Must be a Non-Executive Director not a Chairman.
– Not have served for a period of not more than 5 years

In addition the nominee should demonstrate how:
– How the nominee has made significant contribution to the organisation’s strategy
– How the nominee has impacted on the financial success of the company
– How the nominee maintains high ethical standards and shows good corporate governance
– Any challenges the nominee has helped overcome since being on the board

The Nuts and Bolts of the Selection Process

The best of the nominated entrants will be shortlisted and published in relevant media.

Stage 1
A short form nomination is made on-line. Chief executives, board Chairs and Company Secretaries of identified can nominate a Non-Executive Director for any of the categories except Lifetime Achievement which is chosen by the judging panel.

Stage 2
At this stage a board member of the organisation (normally CEO) is contacted to provide further information on the Non-Executive Director that has been nominated.
They are asked to answer a questionnaire (the long form), which analyses the Non-Executive Director’s skills.

Stage 3

Assurance that all of the long and short forms are eligible to be nominated, have been nominated for the correct category and sufficient information has been provided.
We then narrow the list of nominees per category, this is done by LEAD knowledge partners.

Stage 4
The judges then meet to discuss the nominations at length and a shortlist of three per category is selected, the winner is included in the shortlist that is presented on the award ceremony.