Josephine Okot
{{Short description|Ugandan businesswoman, entrepreneur and corporate executive}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Josephine Okot
| image_size =
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1970}}
| death_date =
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| alma_mater =Makerere University Business School
Harvard Business School
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Washington International University
| occupation = Businesswoman, Entrepreneur & Corporate Executive
| years_active = 2004 – present
| nationality = Ugandan
| citizenship = Uganda
| known_for =
| networth =
| title = Managing Director & CEO, Victoria Seeds Limited
|spouse =
|term =
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}}
Josephine Okot is a Ugandan businesswoman, entrepreneur and corporate executive, who is the founder, managing director and chief executive officer of Victoria Seeds Limited, an agribusiness enterprise based in Uganda that processes, packages and markets agricultural seeds to farmers in the countries of the African Great Lakes.{{cite web|url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/688334-1120990-ap66lmz/index.html |title=Today's Uganda Top Fifty Women Movers |
accessdate=5 November 2017 |date=8 March 2011 |author=Daily Monitor Staff |newspaper=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala}}
Background and education
Okot was born in Gulu District, in the Northern Region of Uganda.{{cite web| accessdate=5 November 2017 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/jun/17/uganda-seed-entrepreneur-josephine-okot |title=Uganda seed entrepreneur calls time on hand-held hoe as a tool for farmers |date=17 June 2013 | first=Mark |last=Tran | newspaper=The Guardian | location=London}} She attended Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and received postgraduate executive training from Harvard Business School and from Stanford Graduate School of Business, both in the U.S. Okot has considerable training and extensive experience in agribusiness.{{cite web| accessdate=5 November 2017 | url=http://reports.weforum.org/new-models-for-entrepreneurship/illustrative-executive-cases/victoria-seeds-ltd-executive-case-uganda/ | location=Geneva
|title="Victoria Seeds Limited": Executive Case: Uganda |author=WEF Reports | date=2016 |publisher=World Economic Forum (WEF)}} She is reported to have a Master of International Business, from Washington International University.
Career
Okot founded Victoria Seeds Limited in 2004, with the primary objective of providing quality seeds to smallholder farmers, first domestically and then regionally.{{cite web| date=26 August 2011 | url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/magazine/434746-1225874-w38ir2/index.html |title=Josephine Okot (Uganda) | accessdate=5 November 2017 |newspaper=The EastAfrican | location=Nairobi |author=The EastAfrican}}
Okot's company received a financial guarantee from a USAID-funded project, which allowed her to secure start-up funding.{{cite web|url=https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/ugandan-seed-company-focusing-on-more-than-just-profits/ |title=Ugandan seed company focusing on more than just profits|accessdate=5 November 2017 |first=Jaco |last=Maritz | date=22 March 2011 |publisher=Howwemadeitinafrica.com | location=Lagos}} Victoria Seeds Limited is affiliated with 900 rural farmers, the majority of whom are women. The company markets nearly 100 varieties of seeds, through over 400 affiliated agro-dealer outlets. As of August 2011, the company annual sales exceeded US$2.5 million with about 140 employees.
As of 2013, Victoria Seeds Limited maintained three seed-processing facilities (a) the original facility in Gulu, Northern Uganda established in 2004 (b) the second facility located in the city of Masindi, in the Western Region of Uganda, commissioned in 2011 and (c) the new company headquarters and newest facility located in Kampala Industrial and Business Park, in Namanve, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, commissioned in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.iita.org/board-member/okot-josephine/ |author=IITA | title=International Institute of Tropical Agriculture: Board of Trustees: Okot Josephine |accessdate=5 November 2017 | date=5 November 2017 | publisher=International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) | location=Ibadan}}
Awards
In recognition of her efforts, persistence, resilience ad mentorship, Okot has received national and international awards including the Yara Prize in 2007. In 2009, she received the Oslo Business for Peace Award for promoting ethical and socially responsible business practices.{{cite web
|url = http://businessforpeace.no/award/previous-hounorees/2009-honourees/
|title = Business for Peace Foundation: 2009 Honourees
|date = 2009
|publisher = Business for Peace Foundation (BFPF)
|location = Oslo
|author = BFPF
|accessdate = 5 November 2017
|archive-date = 7 November 2017
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015550/http://businessforpeace.no/award/previous-hounorees/2009-honourees/
|url-status = dead
}} In 2013 Victoria Seeds received the Uganda Responsible Investment Award for Best Seed Company 2013.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.victoriaseeds.com/ Website of Victoria Seeds Limited]
- [http://businessforpeace.no/award/previous-hounorees/2009-honourees/ 2009 Honorees at Business for Peace Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015550/http://businessforpeace.no/award/previous-hounorees/2009-honourees/ |date=7 November 2017 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okot, Josephine}}
Category:21st-century Ugandan businesswomen
Category:21st-century Ugandan businesspeople
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Ugandan women business executives
Category:Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni
Category:People from Gulu District
Category:People from Northern Region, Uganda