By providing qualified, experienced, hands-on, professional management to companies and public enterprises in Africa, AMSCO is helping to build profitable and sustainable businesses in Africa.

ReConnect Africa speaks to the management services company that is actively looking to recruit African professionals.

RCA: What is AMSCO and what are the organisation's objectives in Africa?

AMSCO BV, the operational arm of the African Training Management Services (ATMS) Project, is a specially constituted vehicle that is wholly equity funded. AMSCO's role is to second interim management skills and experience, for a period of three to five years, to needy African enterprises with a view to producing local successor managers through on-the-job and other training.

The AMSCO managers have, over the last twenty years, helped to improve the competiveness, profitability and sustainability of the companies they have been seconded to. In 2008 alone, AMSCO has created over 13,000 jobs in the private sector. The ATMS project is a regional project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the executing agency and African Development Bank (AfDB) is regional coordinating agency.

RCA: What kind of companies does AMSCO assist?

It assists African SMEs and commercially operated public enterprises that can afford its services.

By AMSCO's definition, a small company is one that has up to $3 million in turnover and assets while a medium one is up to $15 million.

Companies generating above that figure are considered large companies. They too form part of AMSCO's portfolio.

RCA: What have been some of the challenges AMSCO faces in developing management skills within African companies?

Early termination due to various reasons, mostly culture shock, is a major challenge. AMSCO is looking for professionals who can fit in to modern African businesses and make a long lasting impact on the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of a company.

RCA: What kinds of career opportunities are available to African professionals working for AMSCO?

They are available in a wide range of sectors. AMSCO has Managers operating in over twenty five countries in twenty sectors of the African economy.

AMSCO tends to recruit for senior management positions.

RCA: What particular benefits do AMSCO managers in Africa enjoy?

AMSCO, as a regional project of the UNDP, passes on certain privileges to their Managers. These include tax free remuneration and related perks such as the importation of duty free vehicles.

RCA: What type of experience and management skills does AMSCO look for?

An AMSCO Manager must be mature, well travelled and possess diversity skills. A wealth of experience that can be passed on to local successors is as important as the ability to transform the fortunes of the company they are recruited to.

RCA: Are there particular countries or industry sectors that offer management opportunities for professionals in Africa?

AMSCO operates in sub-Saharan Africa and, currently, in twenty economic sectors. As a result, the range of opportunities is wide and varied.

RCA: Can you share one or two of AMSCO's notable recent successes in adding value to a business in Africa?

AMSCO has achieved remarkable success in the vast majority of companies where it has been involved. Details of these can be found in our annual report on our website www.amsco.org.

For details of current vacancies with AMSCO, click here