The American Business Council has paid tribute to the late Dick Kramer, the first president of the Council, whose death occurred on April 18, at 87.
Dipo Faulkner, the president and chairman of the Council, said the late Kramer practically mobilised key United States (US) companies to set up the American Business Council with the support of the US Embassy in Nigeria.
According to Faulkner, the history of the Council would never be complete without the late Dick Kramer.
He said that Dick Kramer was the chairman of African Capital Alliance (ACA), an investment management firm that pioneered the management of private equity investments in high potential sectors of the West African economy, which has to date, raised over $1.2 billion in managed funds.
According to him, Kramer will be remembered for his intense love for Nigeria, his mentoring of great leaders that have held ministerial posts in Nigeria, and his optimism that one day Nigeria would get back on track economically.
Kramer came to Nigeria in 1978 to launch Arthur Andersen & Co. as managing partner after similar roles in Benelux and Latin America. The two successor firms – KPMG Professional Services and Accenture – are today’s leading Nigerian firms in accounting, tax, and management consultancy.
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Kramer trained in accountancy at Kansas University (1956) and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School before joining Arthur Andersen in 1958.
During his career, he worked in all areas of the firm’s practice and in the US, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, and India, as well as Africa.
Following retirement in 1994, Kramer remained in Nigeria to consult, invest and continue community service activities. He helped found the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, the Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria, the Lagos Business School, and the American Business Council, where he was the pioneer president.
He supported the American Women Club in the drafting of their first constitution and headed the technical team as a member of Vision 2010 Committee and served as a trustee for the Ikoyi Club in 1938.
He remained active in several other chambers, associations, professional activities and non-profit organisations. He was conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), the Zik Prize in Leadership, and the Institute of Directors award for entrepreneurship.
He was married to Wanda, a teacher, and they celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary before they left Nigeria.
