Personal reflections on African management: looking in, looking out and looking ahead

Purpose - The author was invited to give the 2011 Inaugural Conference address of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM). The purpose of this paper is to summarize the remarks of the author's keynote address, so as to make them more widely available to varied audiences and to stimulate research and discussion about the future of African management. Design/methodology/approach - It is a personal story of an African pioneer in African management education, research and practice. The author also shares personal thoughts for building business schools in Africa. Findings - AFAM and its members have a role to play to advance Africa's management, leadership and overall development. Originality/value - The idea is not for others to replicate the author's journey but to learn from it as they forge their own.