Dear AFAM Members,

It is with deep humility and a strong sense of responsibility that I write to you as the new President of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM). I am truly grateful for the confidence you have placed in me to serve you in the next two years.

I wish to thank each of you for your continued commitment to AFAM and to the advancement of management scholarship rooted in African contexts. AFAM stands today as a testament to vision, perseverance, and collective effort. The Academy has continued to grow into a globally respected scholarly community that champions rigorous, relevant, and impactful research on Africa and from Africa.

Our biennial conferences, the Africa Journal of Management (AJOM), doctoral and early-career development initiatives, and our expanding global partnerships are clear markers of this success.

I wish to acknowledge and sincerely thank past presidents, executive committee members, AJOM editors and editorial board, conference chairs, and the many volunteers whose leadership and service have built this strong legacy.

My role is not to reinvent AFAM, but to build deliberately, strategically, ambitiously, and collectively on this foundation. Over the next two years, our focus will be on consolidation, inclusion, and global impact.

Our priorities will be anchored in five mutually reinforcing areas:

1) Strengthening scholarly excellence and impact by elevating the quality, visibility, and influence of Africa-focused management research.

2) Building the capacity of the next generation of scholars through expanded doctoral and early-career workshops and mentorship programmes.

3) Developing a more inclusive and engaged membership across African regions while strengthening regional leadership efforts.

4) Building strong global partnerships with sister academies, universities, and policy and practice stakeholders committed to advancing African scholarship and sustainable development.

5) Strengthening AFAM’s governance, financial sustainability, and operational processes.

We are living in uncertain times, marked by both significant challenges and extraordinary opportunities for management scholarship in and about Africa. I am committed to collaboration and shared leadership as we navigate these complexities together.

AFAM’s future will be shaped not by one individual, but by the collective energy, ideas, and service of its members.

Thank you once again for your dedication to AFAM. I look forward to working with you as we honour our legacy and boldly shape the next chapter of the Academy. I wish you a healthy, productive, and successful 2026.

Sincerely,

Prof. Judy Muthuri
President
Africa Academy of Management (AFAM)