Visiting Scholars

Former Botswana Air executive Beatrice Selotlegeng is an executive in residence at Ohio University where she teaches management courses in the College of Business and works with the African Studies Program on programming and business outreach.

Selotlegeng’s career in the airline industry spans a period of 37 years. She began her career at East African Airways Corporation in Nairobi, Kenya and joined Air Botswana in 1973. Her key responsibilities at Air Botswana have included contract negotiations as well as ground handling of international carriers operating in Botswana. Her professional and personal focus has been in the development of human capital and creation of a customer-service oriented culture. During her only break from her career in the airline industry, Selotlegeng served as Head of the Marketing and Service Quality Department at Standard Chartered Bank from 1997-2000. In 2001 she returned to Air Botswana in the capacity of Deputy General Manager. In this capacity she provided strategic direction to the entire organization and led a team of executive personnel in achieving the mandate set by the shareholders. She played a critical role in the privatization of the national airline. In June 2005 Selotlegeng was appointed Acting Chief Executive and provided Air Botswana with much needed strategic direction which culminated in the expansion and renewal of the airline’s fleet.

In December, 2005 Selotlegeng retired from the airline as Acting Chief Executive/Airline Advisor to take up her residency at Ohio University. Selotlegeng earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University and has participated in professional development courses and training in Switzerland, Washington, D.C., Lesotho and Zimbabwe. She is a charter member and a past president of Tirelo Rotary Club and is a recipient of the prestigious Saphire Paul Harris Fellow Award.

In addition to her work with the College of Business, Selotlegeng works closely with Ohio University’s African Studies Program to bring guest speakers to Ohio University to address themes such as international diplomacy. She is also providing African business outreach throughout the region, the state and the country by making presentations to create awareness of the economic and business climate in Africa.