Uganda’s Leading Strategy and Industrial Policy Expert
Ian Ortega is a Ugandan thinker, strategist, and implementer at the forefront of shaping Uganda’s industrial and economic transformation. He stands at the intersection of the sciences and humanities, combining deep operational experience with strategic insight to deliver impactful solutions for government, business, and development partners.
Ortega’s career spans high-impact roles across multiple sectors. He served as Capital Projects Manager at Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), where he oversaw the completion of multi-million-dollar capacity expansion initiatives, including new packaging lines, a Ready-to-Drink manufacturing plant, and a decarbonization project transitioning from heavy furnace oil to biomass boilers. He is recognized as one of Uganda’s pioneering executors of sustainability-driven industrial projects.
A digital innovator, Ortega co-founded Uganda’s first digital social website, www.bigeye.ug, transforming it into one of the country’s most visited online platforms. He has also served as a digital media consultant for the Independent Magazine, the Economic Policy Research Centre, and various international organizations, bringing a data-driven and creative approach to communication, policy, and strategy.
Ortega’s thought leadership extends to governance and policy spheres. He is a fellow of the Youth4Policy Fellowship at Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and an advisory board member of the Africa Nxt Gen Economic Foundation. His expertise covers strategy formulation, industrial policy, program and project management, regional security, decision-making, financial management, and supply chain operations.
An engineer and scholar, Ortega holds a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering degree from Kyambogo University and an MBA from Strathmore University Business School. He has also been a visiting scholar at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines, further sharpening his global perspective on strategy and industrial transformation.
Driven by a singular purpose, to create models of Ugandan excellence and exceptionalism on the global stage, Ortega embodies the blend of visionary thinking and practical execution that defines Uganda’s leading strategy and industrial policy expert.