IGD Leadership Council co-chairs Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell hosted the council’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on December 14. Participants expressed strong support for IGD’s sharpened strategic plan for reducing global poverty by catalyzing profitable investment with a social impact in Africa.
Members of the Leadership Council were joined by three African Frontier 100 CEOs who shared stories about their personal efforts to build manufacturing capacity, invest in local companies and connect smallholder farmers to regional and global markets.
General Powell and Secretary Albright at IGD's Leadership Council Meeting
William Green, Chairman & Former CEO of Accenture, led a discussion that established the connection between IGD’s work and the concept of shared value – corporate policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. This concept has been widely embraced by major U.S. companies and is being practiced daily in the work of the Frontier 100 CEOs. This year, IGD plans to present many more opportunities for U.S. and African business leaders to learn from one another about experiences improving the lives of the poor through sustained economic growth and increased private investment.
