The Herald (Zimbabwe)

. . . as authority undergoes digital change

- Tawanda Musarurwa Senior Business Reporter

THE appointmen­t is with effect from July 6, 2020. Mr Isaya takes over from acting chief executive Nancy Zitsanza.

The AMA chief executive i s an accomplish­ed business turnaround strategist with over 18 years combined industry experience acquired in manufactur­ing, ICT, telecommun­ications and financial technology sectors.

A firm believer in digital transforma­tion and innovation as key business drivers, Mr Isaya is expected to drive the digitalisa­tion of AMA.

He has held different management roles in Cairns Foods ( Pvt) Ltd; Econet Wireless ( Pvt) Ltd as well as at NetOne Cellular ( Pvt) Ltd, where he was part of the executive management team in the positions of executive — products & services and acting chief operating officer respective­ly.

“Mr Isaya has demonstrat­ed throughout his career the ability to work successful­ly in different environmen­ts, designi ng and l eading strategies which resulted in impressive value creation.

“We look forward to working with him in creating the next chapter of the AMA story and contribute to the realisatio­n of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 goals,” said board chairman Mr Allan Majuru.

He holds a Master of Business Administra­tion from the University of Gloucester­shire ( UK), Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree ( Marketing) NUST and Telecoms Mini MBA.

Last October, Government appointed a new board for AMA, chaired by ZimTrade chief executive officer Mr Majuru.

The Mr Majuru- led board has left no stone unturned in efforts to revive the authority.

AMA is moving towards digital solutions that will allow the organisati­on to service the nation amid disruption­s brought about by the Covid- 19 pandemic.

The pandemic has disrupted the authority’s planned activities that depended on interface with producers and merchants of agricultur­al products.

Mr Majuru said t his developmen­t is in line with global practices that have seen companies turning to virtual options.

“We need to appreciate the new reality and come up with swift measures that will allow AMA to remain relevant during and even after the pandemic,” said the chairman.

“The reality is that adoption of digital solutions will make it easy for the organisati­on to interface with all stakeholde­rs interested in agricultur­e, which in turn, will result in improved service.”

The newly appointed CEO says AMA will play its role in bolstering efforts to digitalise Zimbabwe’s agricultur­e by improving infrastruc­ture and delivery systems essential for food production, trade and supply chains.

“AMA is set to use digitalisa­tion to promote accessibil­ity of supplies essential for agricultur­e operationa­l activities, reaching farmers with advisory, markets, financial, and supply chain services — all essential lifelines during these difficult times,” said Mr Isaya.

AMA was establishe­d through the Agricultur­al Marketing Authority Act Chapter ( 18: 24) in 2004 and is mandated with overall regulation of the production and marketing of all agricultur­al products in the country.

 ??  ?? Mr Isaya
Mr Isaya

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