In the vibrant city of Kampala, where ambition and opportunity intersect, Catherine Poran has emerged as a transformative leader at the helm of the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL). A visionary strategist and dedicated mentor, Catherine has earned her place among Africa’s most respected business leaders, with a particular focus on driving progress in women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment across the continent.
Catherine’s journey began with a strong pursuit of knowledge and a deep-seated belief in the power of enterprise. With a background in business and finance, she cultivated expertise in corporate strategy, banking, and investment. Her early career within the Standard Bank Group provided her with a valuable understanding of pan-African business dynamics.
Before taking the reins at SBIL, Catherine distinguished herself within Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL), the parent company of Stanbic Bank Uganda and its subsidiaries. As a vital part of the leadership team, she contributed to the group’s mission of driving Uganda’s growth through innovative financial solutions and strategic investments.
Her tenure at SUHL showcased her ability to connect corporate strategy with grassroots economic development, a skill that would later define her approach at SBIL. She understood that true impact went beyond traditional banking, it lay in nurturing the next generation of business leaders, with a specific focus on addressing the systemic challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
As the Chief Executive of Stanbic Business Incubator Limited, Catherine became a driving force behind Ghana’s entrepreneurial transformation, with a focus on empowering women. SBILwas established to support startups and SMEs through access to funding, mentorship, and business development resources.
Under her leadership, the incubator catalyzed the growth of over 2,000 businesses, with a significant emphasis on women-led ventures. Catherine implemented key programs that offered seed funding and investor connections tailored to women entrepreneurs, business development training and mentorship programs designed to address the specific needs of women in business, market access facilitation, creating opportunities for women to expand their businesses and technology and innovation support, enabling women to leverage new tools for growth.
Her dedicated work has positioned SBIL as a leading force among Africa’s most impactful business incubators, particularly for women.
Catherine’s influence extends across the African continent, reflecting the Standard Bank Group’s pan-African vision of fostering sustainable growth.
In 2024, her contributions were celebrated internationally when MTN Uganda honored her achievements at their International Women’s Day event. The award recognized her pivotal role in championing women’s economic empowerment on a large scale, bridging the gender gap in business leadership across sectors and fostering cross-border collaborations, creating networks of women entrepreneurs across Africa.
Beyond her executive role, Catherine has become a prominent voice in critical areas such as financial inclusion, Women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart businesses.
Her expertise is regularly shared at African business forums and conferences focused on women’s leadership, policy discussions aimed at promoting gender equality in business and international development initiatives that support women’s economic advancement.
Catherine Poran embodies the spirit of African business excellence and serves as a powerful advocate for women’s economic empowerment. Her journey from corporate leadership to building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a focus on women, demonstrates the transformative power of visionary leadership.
Through SBIL and her contributions to the Standard Bank Group, she has facilitated the creation of numerous jobs, with a focus on opportunities for women, mentored a new generation of African entrepreneurs, with a special emphasis on women in business, influenced the development of policies that support SME growth and gender equality and inspired women across the continent to pursue leadership in business, breaking down barriers and creating new pathways.
Looking ahead, Catherine remains dedicated to her overarching goal: building an Africa where every entrepreneur, especially women, has the resources and support they need to thrive.