Dangote Cameroon Managing Director enthroned traditional ruler!.

The historic ceremony to coronate Bertrand Mbouck, as the King of Bomakondo, pulled out the biggest crowd and calibre of important personalities in the history of public gatherings in Ndom Subdivision.

Bertrand Mbouck, it should be recalled, is Chief Executive Officer, CEO and Managing Director, MD of Dangote Cameroon. He is equally the Dangote Cement Regional Director, Pan African Markets.

Bertrand Mbouck’s enthronement as the new traditional ruler of Bomakondo, has been qualified as being unique in the entire Littoral Region, especially given that his father and former traditional ruler of the area, Mbombog Mbouck Guillaume, decided, after consultations with the kingmakers, to hand over the throne to him, while still alive.

It is the second time this is happening in the history of traditional institutions in Cameroon; coming only after that of the Bafaw, in Meme Division of the South West Region, in August 2020.

The late elder, distinguished Statesman and former King of Kumba and Paramount ruler of the Bafaw, Senator Nfon V.E Mukete III, on that date took everyone by surprise when he abdicated the throne and handed powers to his son, Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko.

Enter coronation of Mbombog Mbouck Bertrand

Invitees who spoke to The Guardian Post on the sideline of the coronation of Mbombog Mbouck Bertrand, were unanimous that contrary to the feeling that it was going to be difficult to get a successor from among the many enlightened princes of Bomakondo, “the power of wisdom and destiny made it easier for Chief Mbombog Mbouck Guillaume to settle on the choice of Mbouck Bertrand”.

For the Sanaga Maritime administration, all is strongly indicative of the fact that the new Bomakondo traditional ruler, Bertrand Mbouck, will not only live up to expectation, but will follow in the footsteps of his father, who many are hailing for his indiscriminate generosity, peace-loving nature and hospitality.

Among the huge crowd that witnessed the enthronement were: The Governor of the Littoral Region-Diedonne Ivaha Samuel, Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, Chief Ekwalla Essaka (President of Ngondo), Queen Efe A. Clark-Omeru (Nigerian Consul General for Douala), General Momha Jean Calvin (Army Chief of State), COSUMAF Secretary General (Gabon), Isidore Biyiha (GUCE Director General), Auguste Mbappe Penda (CNCC Director General), Chief Mbock Balema (Chief of Canton), H.E Elias Pungong (Honorary Consul of Great Britain, resident in Douala), Hon Albert Dooh-Collins, Joseph Bell Antoine, Hon Peter William Mandio, Colonel Boum Bissoue, Christian Mataga (Littoral Regional Councillor), Geoffroy de Marcellus (LOXEA Director General), representative of the Sultan of Foumban and several traditional rulers.

HRM Chief Bertrand Mbouck in a nutshell

At barely 45 years, Bertrand Mbouck, is the Managing Director, MD of Dangote Cameroon SA. He has been at the helm of the company since Jul 2020. Mbouck at some time served as Chartered Investment Advisor at the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC Stock Exchange.

The Certified Chartered Accountant is a key pillar in financial markets.

Between May 2018 and July 2020, Mbouck was Regional Director of Pan-African Markets with Dangote Cement PLC in Lagos, Nigeria.

His influence in this position covered Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and other export countries.

From March 2015 to May 2018, Mbouck worked as General Manager and Managing Director of Wärtsilä Legal Entities in Central Africa in-charge of eight countries.

Before now, he had served as Business Controller, Services, Business Unit SUWA, Area Nigeria, Central & West Africa covering 29 countries with base in Senegal with the same company. This was between April 2012 and February 2015.

He was before now Area Business Controller for Wartsila company, a Finnish multinational company, from February 2008 to March 2012. From July 2006 to February 2008, Mbouck worked as Audit Manager & Head of Audit Department at C.A.C/ ERNST & YOUNG Cameroon. 

At the same company, he had worked as Senior Auditor between July 2001 and June 2006.

His quest for knowledge took him to the Harvard Business School in 2012.

He is a former student of the Catholic University of Central Africa where he earned a certificate in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration and Management. Mbouck is also an author.

He is a member of the British Association of Chartered Accountants, ACCA.

Corporate chiefs at height of careers taking up challenge of traditional rulers

While it was customary for traditional stools to be reserved only for the less educated, the enthronement of Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, in 2021, as the King of Kumba and the Paramount ruler of the Bafaw, and the recent coronation of Mbombog Mbouck Bertrand, as the traditional authority of Bomakondo, have changed the narrative.

Many say their acceptance to become the traditional rulers of their respective Chiefdoms, have simply come to confirm the growing belief that corporate chiefs at the height of their careers are taking up the challenge of becoming traditional rulers.

It should be recalled that while Bertrand Mbouck, is the Managing Director of Dangote Cameroon, Nfon Mukete IV Ekoko, is a top-notch business mogul with key positions in several financial institutions within and without Cameroon and with businesses that span beyond Cameroon.