28 top executives from the business fraternity of Bangladesh were awarded in the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023. Bangladesh Brand Forum initiated the second edition of Bangladesh C-Suite Awards Presented by American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Powered by Summit Communications Limited, in association with BSRM and The Daily Star and in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i), Smart Bangladesh Network and Nammcon Consultancy Ltd. to recognise and celebrate the onus and accomplishments of Bangladeshi business leaders. The grand gala ceremony was held at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel on November 11, 2023.
This esteemed award honoured corporate executives in Bangladeshi business who exemplify integrity, insist upon excellence, earn the trust of others, and have built a competitive organisation. The gala night was attended by more than 350 business leaders, experts, and professionals.
This year, more than 100 nominations from 35 organisations were submitted in 22 distinguished categories. The categories featured all the different roles of C-suite management including diverse industries like the corporate and development sectors. A distinguished advisory board comprising the country’s top category experts rigorously judged the submissions from 35 organisations before selecting the ultimate winners in each category. Additionally, on behalf of Bangladesh Brand Forum the prestigious award was presented in three additional categories. Bangladesh Brand Forum also launched the second edition of its bi-monthly magazine ‘CEO Review’ on the occasion.
The jurors for the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 included names like Ashraf Bin Taj, Co-founder and Managing Director, International Distribution Company Bangladesh (Pvt) Ltd.; M. Zulfiquar Hussain, CEO & Lead Consultant, grow n excel; Syed Ferhat Anwar, President, Asia Marketing Federation (AMF); Nazmul Haider FCMA, Managing Partner, CEO & Co-Founder, Plutus Consulting and etc.
In the opening speech of the gala, The Founder and Managing Director of Bangladesh Brand Forum, Shariful Islam, said, “Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 will pursue the vision of developing the next transformative senior leaders for Bangladesh. The award is designed to serve two purposes. First, to recognise the C-level professionals who are performing exceedingly well. Second, share their story, insight, journey and approach to the next generation of leaders, who will feel inspired to emulate them and be even better.”
Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 was preceded by Bangladesh Brand Forum’s flagship initiative, 7th Leadership Summit, Presented by American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), Powered by Summit Communications Limited & Sheltech; in association with BSRM, Team Group and The Daily Star and in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i), Smart Bangladesh Network and Nammcon Consultancy Ltd. This year the theme for the summit was “Navigating the Next Frontier: Transforming Organizations for the Future.”
The day-long summit gathered leaders and experts from various industries from home and abroad who shared their experiences and knowledge through distinguished panel discussions, keynote and insight sessions. Having the vision at the core, the speakers branched out, discussing the challenges and complexities of leadership, sustainable business growth, corporate governance and organization culture with the aspiring audiences.
Opening the summit, The Founder and Managing Director of Bangladesh Brand Forum, Shariful Islam, said, “Our visions and journeys are shaped by our leaders. Therefore, it’s very important to address how we want to develop our leadership skills to meet the multifaceted challenges and opportunities of the future. I believe the valuable discussions taking place today will be our roadmap and stepping stone to transform our organisations for a better future.”
Two management committee leaders from Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) have been awarded the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023. Shamima Akhter, Director-Corporate Affairs, Partnerships and Communications, UBL, received an award in the ‘Chief Corporate Affairs Officer/CA Director of the Year’ category. MD. Ruhul Quddus Khan, Supply Chain Director, UBL, was awarded in the ‘Chief Supply Chain Officer/Supply Chain Director of the Year’ category.
The 7th Leadership Summit was comprised of 5 Panel Discussions, 3 Keynote Sessions and 1 Insight Session. The event began with the first keynote session by Dr. Tulsi Jayakumar, Professor, Economics and Executive Director, Centre for Family Business & Entrepreneurship, Bhavan’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. The only insight session was conducted by Ercüment Polat, Chief Executive Officer, United Aygaz LPG Ltd. Suhail Al Kharsah, Enterprise Agile Coach, Central Transformation Office, Pharma International, conducted the second keynote session on ‘Surviving to Thriving, how to create impactful culture that enriches innovation’. The last keynote session was conducted by Yasir Azman Chief Executive Officer, Grameenphone Ltd on ‘Sustainability: Charting the Path to a Resilient Future.’ The extensive and illustrated sessions were a self-learning experience for the leaders and the future generation in the rows.
The Five Panel Discussions featured around pertinent topics like ‘From Vision to Reality: The Role of Smart Leadership in Nation-Building’; ‘The Trifecta of Excellence: Integrity, Compassion, and Creativity in Leadership’; ‘MasterClass of Leadership: Insights from Industry Veterans’; ‘Fusing Foundational Values with the Unrelenting Force of Change’;‘Growing Amidst Disruption,’
The 7th edition of Leadership Summit and the 2nd edition of Bangladesh C-Suite Awards 2023 was an initiative of Bangladesh Brand forum; Knowledge partner– Marketing Society of Bangladesh (MSB); Academic Partner – Leadership Academy; Learning & Development Partner – Quazi Consultants; Technology Partner – Aamra Technologies Limited; PR Partner – Backpage PR.