How Meg, an American business women operates in Uganda

Not only is Meg Hilbert Jaquay the Vice President of AmCham Uganda, she is a jack of all trades starting with her role as the managing director of Jakana Foods Ltd. This is an all-natural food processing and packaging solutions company based in Kawempe, Uganda. “First of all I am a foodie, so anything that has to do with food, I am all for it.” She says. As an efficiency expert Meg’s goal is to internationalize the flavors that Ugandan farmers have to offer. One can only imagine the accuracy of prediction Meg’s former boss had in the 1990’s non-the-less about how great she would be as an entrepreneur. “Well, he was right and I have never been happier for all of the opportunities this country affords me.” She says.

Ms. Jaquay has over 30 years of business leadership experience in multinational environments having lived and held executive positions on different continents. Meg has been operating in Uganda for more than five years at this point, but she is not stopping any time soon. “My mission is to use my 35 years of project management experience to grow businesses, and if they can be organically managed businesses, all the better.” She comments. Meg gets excited about coming to work every-day because she truly believes that she is making a difference in other people's lives. During the last 40 weeks since lockdown, Meg personally helped to keep over 25 businesses alive through a home delivery service. 

Throughout her career as a Senior Professional Project Manager in various capacities, Meg quickly realized her unique talents and expertize as a process engineer. What makes her unique is that she is an efficiency expert who can easily figure out how to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. “In 10th grade geometry class, I was the only student in the history of the school who ever figured out a geometry problem in one fewer steps than everyone else.  I also hate to fail, so I need to find solutions to problems because I don't want to let anyone down.” She said.

As a self-professed extroverted introvert if that makes sense, it begs the question of how Meg is also the Chairperson of the AGOA Exporters Association of Uganda and also the Chairperson of the Southside Farmers Market Association.

“When I am passionate about something, I will get in there and get the job done. Others respect that drive in me and want to learn from it or emulate it. It humbles me for sure.” She comments. 

Meg Hilbert Jauay holds a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University and a Master’s in Business Administration from San Jose State University and currently resides in Kampala, Uganda. Get in-touch with Meg at;

Linkedin: Meg Hilbert

Facebook: Meg Hilbert Jaquay