Business BotswanaCEO Machailo-Ellis
Business Botswana says its CEO, Maria Machailo-Ellis will be leaving the organisation to take up a position at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the Bureau of Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP).
The body which represents employers noted it was proud to have a Motswana appointed to such an important organ of the United Nations.
“Business Botswana recognises Ms Machailo-Ellis’s career move as a positive one as she will continue to drive the cause of the private sector in Botswana and in the region. This move could not have come at an opportune time when the SADC region has just revised/finalised both its Regional Integration and Industrialisation strategies. The role of the regional private sector is critical in the roll out of these two strategies and with her being at the helm of initiatives that will support the capacity of business, it is indeed good timing.”
The Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) in Geneva (Switzerland) is an integral member of the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Teams (DWT) that provides ILO technical support and guidance to a particular region.
Through its programme of technical cooperation ACT/EMP seeks to strengthen business representative organisations such as Business Botswana so that they are more representative and increase their value to their members and potential members. This work also enhances social dialogue in the countries concerned.
Botswana is a member of the ILO represented by the three constituent members of Employers (Business Botswana), Labour (Botswana Federation of Trade Unions) and the Government. Machailo-Ellis will be in charge of the Employers Activities in 10 (ten) countries in Southern Africa amongst them Botswana, South Africa and Rwanda. She will be residing in South Africa.
Machailo-Ellis joined Business Botswana (then BOCCIM) in January 2007 as its Executive Director and has seen the organisation through major milestones such as organisational restructuring, the Private Sector Development Strategy and the Private Sector Development Program (PSDP) as well as many major policy regulatory reforms to improve Botswana’s business environment. She will resume her duties with the ILO at the beginning of January 2016.
Business Botswana said it was already in the process of identifying and recruiting her successor and all our stakeholders will be informed accordingly.
