John Lech, BEng Management’81 (Mechanical Engineering)

A fascination with fluid mechanics and process controls led Francisco Kgoboko to study chemical engineering. While his father was urging him toward a career in medicine, Kgoboko envisioned bringing the study of fluid mechanics to the analysis of blood pressure and heart failures.

After earning his B.Eng at McMaster in 2003, Kgoboko returned to his native Botswana, where he has built a career as an engineering consultant, while working a 4,000 hectare cattle ranch and contributing to political and economic development in Botswana.

As founder and CEO of FMK Global Holdings, he offers consulting engineering services to food and beverage, industrial and medical gas plants. He launched the firm after spending a decade working in engineering, project management and executive management positions at a number of mining companies.

He also serves as vice president of the global startup committee of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion. The international organization aims to empower world economic development by easing access to financing for businesses through the creation of innovative financial instruments for innovators, startups and small businesses.

In all of his responsibilities, Kgoboko says his engineering knowledge provides a grounding foundation for success.

“Engineering teaches one to judge uncertainty but also the comfort derived from reliability of knowledge,” he says. “Engineering helped me understand the world better.”

Recently, he launched FMK Trust, a charitable organization supporting formal and informal learning in Botswana communities. The trust has been involved in organizing Bobirwa Code Week, as part of Africa Code Week, supporting a Bakery and Confectionery certificate course for young people and sponsoring students to attend STEM workshops.

 “My deepest wish is to see communities united and developed to meet 21st-century demands,” he says. “Youth are our future world, so I’m inspired to invest in young people.”