Elizabeth Namaganda, the head of Marketing Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG -U) does not believe in living a basic life. That is why she strived hard to make sure
she gets what she wants. This is the mantra she believes any aspiring female entrepreneur ought to live by , writes Promise Twinamukye.

Growing up, Elizabeth Namaganda believed she would either become a journalist or a lawyer. However, she confesses that her grades said otherwise and one of her relatives enrolled her
for a bachelor’s degree in Office and Information Management at Makerere University Business School. “I hated that course, but I still went through with it,” Namaganda, head of Marketing Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG -U) says. “I
got a job as a sales representative with Uganda Telecom Limited distributor – Xtel, immediately after graduating. A couple of months in, the job became boring since I had to do
the same thing over and over again.”

Although the money at Xtel was sufficient, she quit when her cousin suggested she joins IPSOS and introduced her to the then Managing Director. At IPSOS, she earned Shs9,000
per day doing research on different projects. She joined Uganda Management Institute (UMI) for a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management and later enrolled for another in Monitoring and Evaluation to get expertise in different projects she
was working on. This would ease her work.

Namaganda recalls a time the company needed someone to coordinate the most respected CEO survey, no one seemed up for it. “I stepped up and took it, worked great at it and was elevated to the position of field coordinator,” she remembers.
Before leaving IPSOS in early 2012, she had risen to the position of assistant research executive where she worked on projects including testing the current NSSF logo, as well as pushing fast-moving consumer
goods (FMCG) among others.

Joining NMG-U
In late 2012, Namaganda’s journey led her to NMG-U. However, her father was uncomfortable with the job since he believes job security is paramount. On the other hand, Namaganda knew she
wanted to do this because she wanted to better herself. The year she joined Monitor Publications, she was pregnant and was almost due. She worked on a multitude of projects including revamping the Rainbow magazine,
Seeds of Gold, Dembe FM, Heart to Heart and Car Clinic among others.
“I had to make sure I made a mark before I went for my maternity leave, having joined two months earlier. We were working on UNEB results then, making sure they went into the paper on time. We did everything manually, with hard books of the results, we had to enter them in excel word by
word which was cumbersome. I worked so hard that I received employee of the month recognition,” she says. In 2016 after recognizing hard work and skill, she was elevated to position of brand
manager. Being a new field, she started doing different short courses to up her game.

She also enrolled for a Master of Business Administration at Marymount University California. In 2019, just as she was getting ready to attend her graduation in the United States,
her then supervisor mentioned that she was going to resign and had wanted to recommend Namaganda for the role. “I applied for the role, went for my graduation in May, and in June, I started working as the Head of Marketing for the entire
Nation Media Group- Uganda. I was consequently confirmed to the role in September that year,” she says. Although the job was challenging, she was ready to conquer and having a team of talented marketers helped her ease in faster
as they were ready to ‘die for cause.’

Challenges
“It gets lonely at the top,” Namaganda says. “Knowing that the decisions will all have to be made by you at the end of the day can be scary. Knowing what to do and when to do it eases the whole process eventually.”
She also says with the leadership teams in almost every organization being largely male dominated, one has to be second to none, by working hard and proving their worth. “You have to make a mark all the time. I
have won a Whale done award two time and that tells me I am working,” she says.
Females are naturally empathetic (you have to be a mother and a manager at the same time). And there are some emotional decisions one has to make without jeopardizing budgets and ethics.
“But constant communication with team members makes the whole process easier, so you have to communicate.”

Motivation
Growing up, Namaganda says her father and mother deliberately made time for them, shaping the way she sees life. “They made sure they had breakfast with us, lunch, and dinner every day and
yet they still had to go to work. On some of father’s trips, he would take me along if I was available. He made sure he was in our lives. That is one thing I will have to do for
my children,” she says. She takes her children to school and picks them up every day. “I make sure I get my leave when they are on holiday so we can spend time together. We celebrate every little things. We
never forget birthdays and every little triumphs,” she says.

Namaganda says she loves and enjoys working with her team. “We have made another family and I always look forward to coming to work”. I do not believe in living a basic life, she says, and I strive hard to make sure I get
what I want.

Advice
Quoting Ecclesiastes 11:2, Namaganda urges women to invest in seven ventures, for one cannot know what disaster may come and from where. “Always upgrade and be the best version of yourself. When you are a leader, make
sure you support those you work with so that they can also get the things you have achieved, or aspire to get them. Uplift each other, leaving no one behind,” she advises.
Also, she continues, social capital is important. “Not only in monetary form but also in building connections and helping you accomplish the things you are chasing.”
Above all, do not be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. “My mother reminds me of that every single time we speak. If I had not stood up to the coordinator opportunity, I would
not have risen to the ranks I got to. But one has to work hard, pray and read because reading gets you exposed to many things and it will make your life easier and you can easily relate with others

MESSAGE

Upgrade

“Always upgrade and be the best version of yourself. When you are a leader, make sure you support those you work with so that they can also get the things you have achieved, or aspire to get them. Uplift each other,
leaving no one behind,” she advises. Also, she continues, social capital is important. “Not only in monetary form but also in building connections and helping you accomplish the things you
are chasing.”