From dreams of being a nun to PR expert
Sep 29, 2012
Goretti Masadde is the president of the Public Relations Association of Uganda and the head Corporate Communication and Product Development, Orient Bank Limited.
Goretti Masadde is the president of the Public Relations Association of Uganda and the head Corporate Communication and Product Development, Orient Bank Limited. She told Harriet Birungi how she moved from nun to brewer to marketer.
What did you dream of becoming while growing up?
I started out thinking I would be a nun, like any catholic girl. But along the way, I liked fashion and design, acting and music. But then, I joined secondary school and discovered sciences; these I loved more. They became my best subjects after English. I believed I was destined for medicine, taking after my grandfather who was a medical doctor turned agriculturalist.
However, before I joined university, Science and Technology was introduced, so I opted to do it instead of medicine. After graduating with a degree in Science and Technology, I got employed by Uganda Breweries. I was the first practicing female brewer in the whole of East Africa.
How did it feel being the first woman brewer?
It was a job and I liked it. I used to wear gumboots and overcoats for office wear. After seven years in brewing, someone advised me to do marketing. They wanted someone to market Bell Lager. I was hesitant at first, for I was a scientist and I could not see myself doing marketing. Also, I was a closed up person, yet I believed marketing needed an outgoing person. But then, I thought why not! I would be marketing something I know, so I should be the best person to do it.
Breweries has very good training programmes. I got good training in being the ambassador of the brand. I am passionate about brands and I like making people appreciate them.
Having done a good job marketing Bell, I left breweries and went to work with Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. By then, I had a young family, so I wanted something that would appeal to them. Ever since then, all the jobs I have held have been in marketing and public relations.
How did you join PRAU?
After working with UWEC for some time, I got a job with a bank. It was while at a Bank of Uganda meeting that the then PRAU president, Juma Yusuf Walusimbi, fronted my name for the organisation's secretary general position.
I was elected and served a two-year term. When I thought I was done, Walusimbi recommended that I stand for presidency and the members elected me. I am the first female PRAU president since it was started in 1976. And it has been a good journey.
Do people appreciate the role of public relations?
People do not see the value until there is a problem. That is when they understand the problems you have been averting. PR is involving — emotionally, mentally, physically.
You have to do a lot for your boss and colleagues to buy into your proposal. You need to have good media relations.
What was your childhood like?
It was a happy one, because we were loved. We did not have much, but mother gave us love and Dad took us through school. We grew up on a government farm, since Dad was a veterinary doctor at Namulonge research station.
Our parents were disciplinarians. No wonder I thought I would be a nun. But that does not mean we were not naughty! One thing that stands out the most was when I stole sugar. There was a portrait of Pope John Paul VI in the dining room. Everywhere you turned, the eyes of the pope would follow you. So I would hide under the table so that the Pope does not see me as I licked sugar.
When was your turning point?
My turning point was when I moved into the marketing field. That was seven years after I had worked in the brewery section. Going into marketing and communication brought out the best in me. I still approach communication scientifically, so I have the best of both worlds.
How do you create a balance in your home?
I am a mother of three. I try to give my family as much love and care as I can despite the limited time. We have breakfast together and I take them to school although they are picked up by someone else. They know that during the weekends, I have PRAU and bank meetings. However, when I am there, I give 100%, so they know they have me. My husband and I give love each other unconditionally, share responsibilities and trust each other.
How did you meet your husband?
We met at a wedding. I was at campus by then and he was ushering guests. We did not say much. A month later, he came to campus and we went out. He was a good person, outgoing, joyful; yet I was rigid. He embodied the life I wanted for the future, having grown up in a restrictive environment. Several months later, a friend of his came up to me and said: “We are all married, except Masadde. Are you serious about him or not?” not long after that we got married.
Who is your role model?
I have had several and they include Steve Jobs, US president Baraka Obama and Richard Branson. Basically, people who come from nowhere, but get somewhere because of their belief. Those who follow their dreams and see them through.