Dr Alim Abubakre is a name that is synonymous with leadership, strategy, management, and entrepreneurship. He founded These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK (formerly These Young Minds), a leadership development and management consultancy firm that has helped many organisations achieve their goals by improving their leadership and management practices. Dr Abubakre’s impressive experience, knowledge, and expertise have made him a sought-after mentor, coach, and consultant.
Early life and education
Abubakre, a British citizen, has worked in Nigeria at the World Bank-funded Poverty Reduction Agency, one of the emerging countries’ most significant public-private partnership infrastructural projects.
Dr Abubakre holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Leicester. During his study, he was appointed the President/Course Representative, which entailed attending regular meetings with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bob Burgess. Due to his vision, he conceived and collaborated with other MBA students to organise the first student organised confab on the financial crises in 2008 in the UK. Due to the success of this confab, which resulted in coverage in BBC, Independent and Times Higher Education and his work with engaging stakeholders on behalf of his colleagues, he was awarded the Course representative of the year from among 400-course representatives at Leicester.
He was the first African in the history of the University to receive this honour. He also holds a Doctorate in Strategy from the University of Southampton, and his thesis was on Evaluating stakeholder theory in a developing country context. He has been invited to present his research findings at the Academy of Management in the USA and the British Academy of Management confab. The findings of his doctoral studies informed the confab and led to the conception of the oil and gas confab titled leaders in oil and gas in Africa. This confab partnered with Oxford University, Financial Times, London Stock Exchange, the Law Society and the Royal African Society. This confab was held on the 22nd of October at the Kensington Royal Garden Hotel, London.
Dr Abubakre’s education and early career experiences provided him with a strong foundation in business and management, which he would later draw upon in his work with These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK. His education and early career experiences also instilled in him a passion for entrepreneurship and a desire to positively impact society.
Career journey post-MBA
After completing his MBA, Dr Abubakre began his career in the corporate world, working as Director of Strategy at a multinational firm based in Cambridge and serving as Non-Executive Director of Cambridge to Africa. He has also served on the advisory board of the London School of Economics Africa Society and still sits on the London Business School Africa club.
Throughout his career, Dr Abubakre observed a common problem in many organisations – a lack of effective leadership and management. He noticed that many organisations struggled to develop and implement effective strategies, lacked the necessary skills to manage their resources efficiently, and failed to inspire their teams to achieve their goals.
In response to this problem, Dr Abubakre founded These Young Minds, a leadership development and management consultancy firm. ‘Young’ is related to innovation, challenging assumptions, having a growth mindset culture and continuous renewal. Through this company, he aimed to help organisations develop effective leaders and managers by providing executive development, coaching, and consulting services.
These Young Minds first client was Microsoft, UK. During the first few years of the company’s operation, it partnered with renowned institutions such as Oxford, INSEAD, Manchester and Henley Business School to co-deliver executive development programmes. However, when These Young Minds decided to optimise her impact by expanding into delivering programmes in Africa and the partner institutions were not keen on this, These Young Minds chose to explore their expansion into Africa, deploying her impactful methodology on her own.
Since its inception, These Young Minds has become a leading player in the industry, working with top executives and organisations across the globe. The company has helped many organisations to achieve their goals by improving their leadership and management practices.
In 2015, These Young Minds rebranded as These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, following its quest to expand its services to Africa, where some of her clients misconstrued the meaning of Young in the company name. Alim Abubakre has worked as an academic at Nottingham Business School, Coventry and Sheffield Business School. He teaches Strategy, Leadership and addresses issues around global challenges for MBA and MSC students. In addition, he has served as a judge on the University of Leicester Postgraduate Festival of Education, as an external doctoral examiner to UNICAF and supervises postgraduate students, including doctoral candidates.
Major contributions to industry, leadership
Abubakre’s contributions to the industry have been significant. He is a highly respected thought leader and has written extensively on leadership, strategy, and management. He is also a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, where he shares his knowledge and insights with other professionals in the industry. In addition, he has delivered keynotes at the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and Henley Business School. The title of his keynote at Cambridge was Entrepreneurship in the Green Economy, Sustainability amidst Austerity, Resource scarce and a limited growth world at London School of Economics and Bridging the gap between Sustainability and the Board at Cambridge University.
One of Dr Abubakre’s most notable contributions to the industry is his work in developing the “intra-stakeholder conflict and historical hangover” informed by his doctoral research. These concepts provide a holistic approach to leadership and management and emphasise the importance of exploring a normative approach while engaging stakeholders.
These concepts have been used in designing executive development solutions that have been widely adopted by organisations worldwide and have helped many leaders and managers develop the skills and competencies needed to succeed in their roles.
Another notable contribution by Abubakre is his work in promoting entrepreneurship in emerging countries. He has been involved in various initiatives to support and develop entrepreneurship in the country. He has worked closely with the government, private sector, and civil society organisations to promote entrepreneurship to unlock the wealth of nations and drive economic growth and development.
Abubakre has been chosen as one of the top 100 Virgin Media emerging entrepreneurs in the UK. Due to his contribution to nation-building, he was selected to accompany London’s Lord Mayor on his entourage to Nigeria in 2015. Due to his contribution to executive education, he has engaged with two UK Prime Ministers and has been invited to St James’s palace by the UK royal family. He is a Fellow (FIOEE) of the UK’s Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs, A senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Chartered Member of Business Educators in the UK.
Lifestyle
Abubakre, the founder of These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, is a private individual who keeps his personal life largely out of the public eye.
In his free time, Dr Abubakre enjoys mentoring the youths and encourages them to channel their energy to positive initiatives that will impact society positively. He is also an avid traveller and enjoys exploring different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures.
Dr Abubakre is known to be a silent philanthropist and has been involved in various charitable causes over the years. He is particularly interested in initiatives promoting education, youth development, and good governance. He has supported multiple organisations working in these areas. In general, while Dr Abubakre keeps his personal life largely private, it is clear that his family, personal interests, and philanthropic work are important aspects of his life outside of his work with These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK.
Challenges faced as a leader
Like any successful entrepreneur, Abubakre has faced his fair share of challenges. However, establishing These Young Minds in a highly competitive industry was one of his biggest challenges.
As a new player in the market, Dr Abubakre had to work hard to build his company’s reputation and establish a solid customer base. However, he faced intense competition from well-established players in the industry and had to find ways to differentiate his company from the competition.
To overcome these challenges, Abubakre focused on building strong relationships with his clients, providing high-quality services, and delivering value for money. He also invested heavily in marketing and branding to ensure that These Young Minds was visible and recognisable in the industry.
Another challenge that Dr Abubakre faced was managing the growth of his company. As These Young Minds grew rapidly, Dr Abubakre had to find ways to scale the business without compromising on the quality of services offered.
To address this challenge, Dr Abubakre focused on building a strong team of professionals and invested heavily in training and development programs to ensure that his team are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality services. He also implemented systems and processes to streamline operations and ensure efficiency, which helped to manage the company’s growth.
Lessons learnt
Abubakre has learned many valuable lessons through his journey as an entrepreneur. One of the most important lessons he has learned is the importance of perseverance and hard work. He believes that success does not come easy and that one must be willing to work hard and persevere in facing challenges and setbacks. Another lesson that Abubakre has learned is the importance of having a strong vision and purpose. He believes a clear vision and purpose are essential for any successful entrepreneur and provide a roadmap for achieving one’s goals.
Abubakre has also learned the importance of taking calculated risks. He believes that taking risks is an essential part of entrepreneurship, but weighing the risks carefully and making informed decisions is crucial.
Finally, Dr Abubakre has learned the importance of giving back to society. He believes successful entrepreneurs are responsible for using their success to positively impact society and support initiatives promoting social responsibility and community development.
Legacy as a leader
The legacy of Abubakre, founder of These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, is one of innovation, impact, and excellence in executive education. Dr Abubakre has established a reputation as a thought leader and expert in leadership, strategy and management and has significantly contributed to developing executives and business leaders worldwide.
Through his work with These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, Dr Abubakre has developed and delivered cutting-edge executive education programs that have helped over 4000 individuals and hundreds of organisations achieve their goals and reach new levels of success. He has developed a unique approach to executive education that focuses on practical, real-world solutions and has brought together a team of world-renowned faculty willing to relearn and unlearn by deploying TEXEM’s methodology for the success of the clients. Those dynamic and resourceful faculty are committed to delivering high-quality TEXEM programmes that meet the needs of their clients.
Dr Abubakre’s legacy extends beyond his work with These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, as he has also been a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, youth development, and education. He has supported various charitable causes over the years and has been involved in initiatives that promote education and youth development in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
In a nutshell, Dr Abubakre’s legacy is one of excellence, innovation, and impact in executive education. He has significantly contributed to developing leaders and executives worldwide, and his work will continue to inspire and influence the next generation of business leaders for years to come.
In conclusion, Abubakre is a true visionary and leader in the business world, with a passion for developing influential leaders and managers. Through his company, These Executive Minds TEXEM, UK, he has helped many organisations to achieve their goals by improving their leadership and management practices. His contributions to the industry are significant, and his work promoting excellence in leadership in Nigeria has the potential to impact the country’s economic development positively.
Abubakre’s success can be attributed to his extensive knowledge, experience, and expertise in strategy, leadership and management. He understands organisations’ challenges today and has developed effective strategies to help them overcome them.
