How to Lead When Everything Is Changing | Kansai Plascon Uganda’s Santosh Gumte

How do you lead when ownership, brands, technology and customer expectations are changing—and your people are looking to you for certainty? Santosh Gumte, Managing Director of Kansai Plascon Uganda Limited, joins CEO East Africa Magazine’s Muhereza Kyamutetera for a conversation about leadership through change, protecting trust and building teams that can deliver under pressure. From his beginnings in accountancy and computer science to commercial leadership and the managing director’s office, Gumte shares the experiences and values that have shaped his approach: honesty, integrity, discipline and responsibility. He reflects on the acquisition and transition to Plascon, explaining how the company worked to retain employees, reassure dealers and customers, and rebuild market confidence. His experience offers practical lessons for leaders navigating mergers, acquisitions, rebranding and organisational uncertainty. At the centre of the conversation is a question that reaches beyond the paint industry: how do you help people embrace change while preserving the relationships and values that hold a business together? In this episode, we explore: 📎 Why trust and clear communication matter during a business transition. 📎 How to tell stakeholders difficult truths while offering a way forward. 📎 Why Gumte prioritises character when building teams. 📎 How to encourage employees to report mistakes early and help solve them. 📎 Giving people freedom to act while maintaining accountability. 📎 Taking responsibility when things go wrong and sharing credit when teams succeed. 📎 The importance of finance, technology and AI knowledge for today’s leaders. 📎 Staying focused on customers, innovation and execution as expectations rise. 📎 Protecting family time and personal composure under leadership pressure. 📎 Developing future leaders and building a legacy through mentorship. 📎 Why young professionals should prioritise knowledge and experience over titles and status. Gumte also discusses Uganda’s paint and coatings market, changing customer preferences and the company’s ambitions for greater regional production capacity. Whether you are a CEO, founder, manager or an aspiring leader, this conversation offers lessons on earning confidence, supporting people and sustaining performance through change. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:32 From accountancy and IT to East Africa 06:13 The journey into commercial leadership 07:45 Leading through acquisition and brand change 11:10 Integrity, discipline and character 19:30 Making the business case for marketing 21:49 Leading under pressure and telling hard truths 26:09 Family and work-life balance 30:21 Responsibility, empowerment and building teams 37:17 Career growth and responding to setbacks 40:03 Creating a culture where mistakes are reported 42:40 Innovation and rising customer expectations 44:49 Opportunities in Uganda’s coatings industry 47:09 Understanding paint quality and value 51:03 Clarity, trust and developing future leaders 55:54 Quick-fire leadership lessons 1:00:44 Legacy, mentorship and advice to young professionals Subscribe to CEO East Africa Magazine for more conversations with the people shaping business, leadership and impact across Uganda and East Africa. What should a leader keep consistent when everything else is changing? Share your thoughts in the comments, and pass this conversation on to someone leading a team through change. CEO East Africa Magazine | Business. Leadership. Impact. #SantoshGumte #PlasconUganda #Leadership #ChangeManagement #CEOEastAfrica