Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) concluded the 14th edition of its flagship business competition ‘BizMaestros,’ at a grand finale in Dhaka.
Five finalist teams were evaluated by a panel consisting of H. E. Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, M. A. Jabbar, Managing Director, DBL Group, Sonia Bashir Kabir, Founder, SBK Tech Ventures, Zaved Akhtar, Chairman and Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh Ltd., and KSM Minhaj, CEO and Managing Director, Unilever Consumer Care Ltd.
The theme of BizMaestros this year was ‘Innovating for People and Planet,’ which challenged participants to create a business case for selected Unilever brands while keeping sustainability at heart. As a platform for skilling youth for employability and entrepreneurship, BizMaestros provides the participants hands-on training, mentorship and exposure into the ways of work of leading FMCG brands throughout various rounds of the competition. Additionally, the members of the Top 5 teams will get fast-tracked into internship and management trainee programme opportunities with Unilever Bangladesh.
Her Excellency Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said, “I was delighted to join the jury for this year’s BizMaestros competition. The UK is committed to supporting initiatives to empower Bangladeshi youth and support economic growth, and to safeguard our planet. It is only by working together in partnership – across governments, civil society and the private sector – that we can tackle climate change. And it is important that we hear the views of young people as it is their future we are fighting for. At BizMaestros we saw great ideas and financial acumen from the business leaders of the future. I wish the winners the very best of luck as they work towards the Global Round in London next year.”
Zaved Akhtar, Chairman & Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, said, “People are at the heart of our business, and being the leader in sustainable business, we have committed to upskilling the youth to attain better business and a better world. As the landscape of work changes, we are equipping our youth to adapt, grow, and ultimately thrive in pursuing a new career or a different way of working. BizMaestros has been our flagship youth development platform, empowering generations of business leaders who innovate and drive impact in Bangladesh across societies for nearly one and a half decades. Our entire organisation waits for each year’s BizMaestros as it allows us to get introduced to a large number of passion-driven youth of Bangladesh who come from across the country. Through the BizMaestros journey, bright minds sharpen their understanding of business and how it creates a larger impact on people and the planet. This year, BizMaestros finalists did an awe-inspiring job and presented their business cases with rigour and a vision of Bangladesh. I am confident that the winning team will again take over our global stage in London in 2024 and make Bangladesh proud.”
Sonia Bashir Kabir, Founder, SBK Tech Ventures, “It was an honor to listen to the pitches of BizMaestros finalists. They had great solutions, a team of passionate individuals, and the drive to make their ideas a reality. They knew what problem they were solving. Companies that begin with a great idea succeed only when they execute according to plan. Vision without execution is, after all, a hallucination.”
- A. Jabbar, Managing Director, DBL Group, said, “BizMaestros is a well-known global program running successfully for almost a decade and a half by Unilever Bangladesh. This is a unique platform to solve business problems by engaging undergrad students, creating opportunities to reveal their hidden talents before they enter the real professional world.”
