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Speakers
His Excellency
Faustin Archange Touadera
President of the Central African Republic
His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi
Minister of State for Foreign Trade
Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention
Chairman of the Emirates Drug Establishment
H.E Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, a position he has held since July 2020. His primary responsibility is to oversee the development of non-oil foreign trade, the expansion of global trade partnerships and the increase of UAE exports.
His Excellency is currently presiding over the nation’s efforts to secure Comprehensive Economic Partnerships Agreements with strategic allies around the world, a key part of the UAE’s efforts to boost exports by at least 50 percent by 2030. In May 2022, the first of these CEPAs, and the first ever bilateral deal signed by the UAE, was concluded with long-standing trade and investment partner India.
His Excellency also leads the efforts to enhance the UAE’s investment climate and strengthen its position as a prime destination for business and investments at both regional and global levels. This includes his portfolio as Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, in which he ensures the best global talents have the pathways, incentives and opportunities to contribute to the UAE’s long-term economic objectives.
In October 2023, His Excellency was appointed as Chairman of Board of The Emirates Drug Establishment, a newly established federal agency responsible for regulating the UAE’s pharmaceutical and medical industries, promoting research and development in this sector, and ensuring the quality, safety, and availability of medical products in the UAE.
Dr Thani also serves as Vice Chairman of the Industry Development Council and Chairman of the Council’s Executive Committee, as well as Deputy Chairman of Etihad Credit Insurance’s Board of Directors. His Excellency is also a member of the Supreme Committee for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Prior to his appointment as the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, H.E. held the position of Minister of Climate Change and Environment and supervised the implementation of the country’s strategies on climate action, agricultural development, animal husbandry and fisheries, in addition to combating desertification and preserving biodiversity. He led efforts to enhance the sustainability of natural systems, food diversity and the transition to a green economy.
His Excellency led the UAE’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change, and protect the country's natural ecosystem by developing and implementing a set of effective policies and initiatives to achieve sustainable development at both regional and international levels. This was achieved by forging and strengthening partnerships with government and private sector entities, ensuring food security and biosafety in the country as well as increasing the quality of national agricultural production.
H.E. has also served as the Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and was appointed as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as extraordinary Ambassador.
Minister Al Zeyoudi started his career as an oil engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO), and then moved to Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), where he worked on the development of renewable and clean energy technologies and solutions. He also played a key role in the success of the UAE’s 2009 campaign to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi.
In 2020, H.E. was chosen by the Davos World Economic Forum to become a member of the Young Global Leadership Council, recognizing his outstanding international efforts in the field of environment and climate. In 2015, Dr. Al Zeyoudi received the first award for Excellence from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in recognition of his pioneering efforts in the field of renewable energy.
H.E Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, an MBA in Project Management from the British University in Dubai, and a PhD in Strategy, Program and Project Management from Skema Business School in France.
Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention
Chairman of the Emirates Drug Establishment
H.E Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi is UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, a position he has held since July 2020. His primary responsibility is to oversee the development of non-oil foreign trade, the expansion of global trade partnerships and the increase of UAE exports.
His Excellency is currently presiding over the nation’s efforts to secure Comprehensive Economic Partnerships Agreements with strategic allies around the world, a key part of the UAE’s efforts to boost exports by at least 50 percent by 2030. In May 2022, the first of these CEPAs, and the first ever bilateral deal signed by the UAE, was concluded with long-standing trade and investment partner India.
His Excellency also leads the efforts to enhance the UAE’s investment climate and strengthen its position as a prime destination for business and investments at both regional and global levels. This includes his portfolio as Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, in which he ensures the best global talents have the pathways, incentives and opportunities to contribute to the UAE’s long-term economic objectives.
In October 2023, His Excellency was appointed as Chairman of Board of The Emirates Drug Establishment, a newly established federal agency responsible for regulating the UAE’s pharmaceutical and medical industries, promoting research and development in this sector, and ensuring the quality, safety, and availability of medical products in the UAE.
Dr Thani also serves as Vice Chairman of the Industry Development Council and Chairman of the Council’s Executive Committee, as well as Deputy Chairman of Etihad Credit Insurance’s Board of Directors. His Excellency is also a member of the Supreme Committee for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Prior to his appointment as the Minister of State for Foreign Trade, H.E. held the position of Minister of Climate Change and Environment and supervised the implementation of the country’s strategies on climate action, agricultural development, animal husbandry and fisheries, in addition to combating desertification and preserving biodiversity. He led efforts to enhance the sustainability of natural systems, food diversity and the transition to a green economy.
His Excellency led the UAE’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change, and protect the country's natural ecosystem by developing and implementing a set of effective policies and initiatives to achieve sustainable development at both regional and international levels. This was achieved by forging and strengthening partnerships with government and private sector entities, ensuring food security and biosafety in the country as well as increasing the quality of national agricultural production.
H.E. has also served as the Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and was appointed as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as extraordinary Ambassador.
Minister Al Zeyoudi started his career as an oil engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO), and then moved to Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), where he worked on the development of renewable and clean energy technologies and solutions. He also played a key role in the success of the UAE’s 2009 campaign to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi.
In 2020, H.E. was chosen by the Davos World Economic Forum to become a member of the Young Global Leadership Council, recognizing his outstanding international efforts in the field of environment and climate. In 2015, Dr. Al Zeyoudi received the first award for Excellence from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in recognition of his pioneering efforts in the field of renewable energy.
H.E Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, an MBA in Project Management from the British University in Dubai, and a PhD in Strategy, Program and Project Management from Skema Business School in France.
Her Excellency Mrs. Samira Ramadan Bawumia
Second Lady Of The Republic Of Ghana
H.E Mrs. Samira Ramadan Bawumia is the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, a philanthropist, humanitarian, climate, and gender advocate. She is the founder of the not-for-profit organisation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP). Through SEHP, she has initiated critical and timely interventions in areas of health, education, and women empowerment.
H.E Mrs Bawumia is a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, a public-private partnership hosted by the United Nations Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment. Her Excellency is also the Global Champion of the Health and Energy Platform for Action of the World Health Organization (WHO), Chair of the Africa Women and Children Conference and a member of the Women in Leadership Network, a network Chaired by H.E Mary Robinson focused on advancing women’s leadership globally.
Her Excellency is a recipient of the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Seven for 7 Award; an award which celebrates global leadership on Sustainable Development Goal 7 – “Ensuring Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All”. Mrs. Bawumia was named a ‘2018 African Woman of Excellence’ by the African Union Commission in partnership with the Diaspora African Forum. At the invitation of the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, World Health Organisation, and other international organisations, she has represented Ghana and the African continent at several international conferences on climate change and action, including the First Global Conference on Air Pollution, COP 25 in Madrid, Spain, COP 26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom and COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
To help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Ghana, Her Excellency initiated the “Safe Delivery Project”, which has distributed over 7000 birth kits to expectant mothers in the East Gonja, North-East Gonja and Saboba Districts. She is an advocate for the “Combined Maternal and Child Health Record Book Project” - a Ghana Health Service initiative, an advocate for the “Ghanaians against Child Abuse’ (GACA) Campaign, a Government of Ghana, and UNICEF project. She is also supporting the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on “Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development,”. The Second Lady is also spearheading a Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH).
In education, Her Excellency through SEHP has distributed over three hundred thousand (300,000) books to over two hundred thousand (200,000) pupils in seventy-two (72) basic schools across Ghana, as part of her “Get Ghana Reading Campaign.” She is also the Patron of the Samira Bawumia Literature Prize, a launchpad for aspiring Ghanaian writers to share their art with the world. Mrs. Bawumia is the Chief Trustee of the SEHP Educational Trust Fund, an Educational Trust set up to provide scholarships to brilliant but needy students in tertiary institutions.
Her Excellency through SEHP has instituted the Shea Empowerment Initiative, a women economic empowerment project, that has trained one thousand two hundred (1,200) women on quality sheanut picking, shea kernel production and preservation. She also strives to empower women economically through the SEHP Skills and Entrepreneurial Development Initiative (SEDI), an initiative that has trained about 3,300 women in various vocations and skills.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law and Sociology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the University of London.
H.E Mrs. Samira Ramadan Bawumia is the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, a philanthropist, humanitarian, climate, and gender advocate. She is the founder of the not-for-profit organisation, the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP). Through SEHP, she has initiated critical and timely interventions in areas of health, education, and women empowerment.
H.E Mrs Bawumia is a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, a public-private partnership hosted by the United Nations Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment. Her Excellency is also the Global Champion of the Health and Energy Platform for Action of the World Health Organization (WHO), Chair of the Africa Women and Children Conference and a member of the Women in Leadership Network, a network Chaired by H.E Mary Robinson focused on advancing women’s leadership globally.
Her Excellency is a recipient of the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Seven for 7 Award; an award which celebrates global leadership on Sustainable Development Goal 7 – “Ensuring Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All”. Mrs. Bawumia was named a ‘2018 African Woman of Excellence’ by the African Union Commission in partnership with the Diaspora African Forum. At the invitation of the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, World Health Organisation, and other international organisations, she has represented Ghana and the African continent at several international conferences on climate change and action, including the First Global Conference on Air Pollution, COP 25 in Madrid, Spain, COP 26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom and COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
To help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Ghana, Her Excellency initiated the “Safe Delivery Project”, which has distributed over 7000 birth kits to expectant mothers in the East Gonja, North-East Gonja and Saboba Districts. She is an advocate for the “Combined Maternal and Child Health Record Book Project” - a Ghana Health Service initiative, an advocate for the “Ghanaians against Child Abuse’ (GACA) Campaign, a Government of Ghana, and UNICEF project. She is also supporting the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on “Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development,”. The Second Lady is also spearheading a Coalition of People against Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH).
In education, Her Excellency through SEHP has distributed over three hundred thousand (300,000) books to over two hundred thousand (200,000) pupils in seventy-two (72) basic schools across Ghana, as part of her “Get Ghana Reading Campaign.” She is also the Patron of the Samira Bawumia Literature Prize, a launchpad for aspiring Ghanaian writers to share their art with the world. Mrs. Bawumia is the Chief Trustee of the SEHP Educational Trust Fund, an Educational Trust set up to provide scholarships to brilliant but needy students in tertiary institutions.
Her Excellency through SEHP has instituted the Shea Empowerment Initiative, a women economic empowerment project, that has trained one thousand two hundred (1,200) women on quality sheanut picking, shea kernel production and preservation. She also strives to empower women economically through the SEHP Skills and Entrepreneurial Development Initiative (SEDI), an initiative that has trained about 3,300 women in various vocations and skills.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law and Sociology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the University of London.
His Excellency Prof. Benedict Oramah
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Professor Benedict Oramah is President and Chairman of the board of Directors of African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank). He was appointed in 2015 after serving with distinction in other leadership positions at the bank since 1994. Over his 29 year-long career, Afreximbank, a leading pan-African development finance institution, has made impressive strides. The Bank has grown its assets from about US$5 billion at the end of September 2015, when President Oramah assumed office, to US$31.1 billion by December 2022. The Bank has also diversified its sources of income while achieving impressive global credit ratings and performance metrics.
Prof. Oramah holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is a recipient of many awards and honors including the Nigerian national honor of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and the 2023 AABLA “Business Leader of the Year” award in partnership with CNBC.
In addition to serving as chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank and its subsidiaries, he is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB), and the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund. He is also a member of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) Advisory Council, the Practitioners Advisory Board of the Institute for Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at Offenburg University, Germany, and the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the Institute of International Finance (IIF-EMAC).
Professor Benedict Oramah is President and Chairman of the board of Directors of African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank). He was appointed in 2015 after serving with distinction in other leadership positions at the bank since 1994. Over his 29 year-long career, Afreximbank, a leading pan-African development finance institution, has made impressive strides. The Bank has grown its assets from about US$5 billion at the end of September 2015, when President Oramah assumed office, to US$31.1 billion by December 2022. The Bank has also diversified its sources of income while achieving impressive global credit ratings and performance metrics.
Prof. Oramah holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is a recipient of many awards and honors including the Nigerian national honor of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and the 2023 AABLA “Business Leader of the Year” award in partnership with CNBC.
In addition to serving as chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank and its subsidiaries, he is the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB), and the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund. He is also a member of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) Advisory Council, the Practitioners Advisory Board of the Institute for Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at Offenburg University, Germany, and the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the Institute of International Finance (IIF-EMAC).
His Excellency Ibrahim Matola
Minster of Energy, Malawi
Honourable Ibrahim Matola is the current Minister of Energy in Malawi having been appointed in February 2022 by the State President H.E Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
He is one of the few Malawian politicians who has served the same ministerial job under different regimes, and he is lauded for his work ethic and his passion for energy-related issues.
After performing effectively in the same role during the 2012–2014 administration of then President H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, his appointment did not come as a surprise to many.
In 2012, he also served as Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management, demonstrating his versatility across various fields within government.
He is also the current Secretary General and one of the longest serving members of the People's Party (PP), having been elected to that position at different conventions since 2015.
Honourable Matola served as a Member of Parliament for Mangochi North Constituency for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014. During this time, he also held various leadership positions such as deputy whip in the National Assembly and leader of UDF between 2004 and 2009. Between 2014 -2019, he also served as Terappin Board of Directors in South Africa on Energy.
In addition, he represented Malawi at both the African Caribbean Pacific European Union joint parliamentary assembly (ACP-EU JPA) and Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly (CPA) during his tenure.
In recognition of his leadership potential, he was selected by both British Foreign Secretary Chevening Scholarship in 2008 and US State Department International Visitors Leadership Program in 2009 respectively.
Honourable Ibrahim Matola is the current Minister of Energy in Malawi having been appointed in February 2022 by the State President H.E Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
He is one of the few Malawian politicians who has served the same ministerial job under different regimes, and he is lauded for his work ethic and his passion for energy-related issues.
After performing effectively in the same role during the 2012–2014 administration of then President H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda, his appointment did not come as a surprise to many.
In 2012, he also served as Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management, demonstrating his versatility across various fields within government.
He is also the current Secretary General and one of the longest serving members of the People's Party (PP), having been elected to that position at different conventions since 2015.
Honourable Matola served as a Member of Parliament for Mangochi North Constituency for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014. During this time, he also held various leadership positions such as deputy whip in the National Assembly and leader of UDF between 2004 and 2009. Between 2014 -2019, he also served as Terappin Board of Directors in South Africa on Energy.
In addition, he represented Malawi at both the African Caribbean Pacific European Union joint parliamentary assembly (ACP-EU JPA) and Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly (CPA) during his tenure.
In recognition of his leadership potential, he was selected by both British Foreign Secretary Chevening Scholarship in 2008 and US State Department International Visitors Leadership Program in 2009 respectively.
Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina
President
African Development Bank Group
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina (1960) is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
Formerly the Nigerian Agriculture Minister, Dr. Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group on May 28, 2015. He was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term on August 27, 2020. Dr. Adesina graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics (First Class Honors) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, in 1981. Dr. Adesina holds a master’s degree (1985) and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (1988) from Purdue University, United States of America, where he won the Outstanding Ph.D. thesis award for that year. Dr. Adesina won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Fellowship in 1988, which launched him into his international career.
A bold reformer, as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria from 2011 to 2015 Dr. Adesina turned the agriculture sector of Nigeria around within four years. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer sector by developing and implementing an innovative electronic wallet system, which directly provides farmers with subsidized farm inputs at scale using their mobile phones. Within the first four years of its launch, this electronic wallet system reached 15 million farmers, dramatically transforming their lives.
With Dr. Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 when on October 31, 2019, shareholders from then 80 member countries raised the general capital from $93 billion to a historic $208 billion. The African Development Bank Group responded boldly and swiftly to various crises facing the continent. On April 3, 2020, the premier development finance institution launched a landmark $3 billion Covid-19 Social Bond followed by a Crisis Response Facility of $10 billion. On May 20, 2022, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved $1.5 billion facility to help African countries avert a looming food crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dr. Adesina has been recognized with numerous awards. On October 19, 2017, the President was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”. On February 29, 2020, he was named African of the Year 2019 by one million readers of the African Leadership Magazine. On December 14, 2020, the Academy of Public Health, the flagship body of the West African Institute of Public Health, announced Dr. Adesina as one of the winners of its 2020 Distinguished Fellowship Award for his successful efforts in helping Africa to curb the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
On February 2, 2022, the President was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the Federal University of Technology in Nigeria in recognition of his global leadership in agriculture, food security, development finance, and good governance. On May 8, 2022, Dr. Adesina was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, acknowledging his career achievements in agriculture, and the innovative High 5 development priorities for Africa, which he conceived shortly after his election as President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015. On May 14, 2022, the President received an Honorary Doctorate from Addis Ababa University for his significant role in development activities in Ethiopia and Africa at large.
African Development Bank Group
Often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief”, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina (1960) is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
Formerly the Nigerian Agriculture Minister, Dr. Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group on May 28, 2015. He was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term on August 27, 2020. Dr. Adesina graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics (First Class Honors) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, in 1981. Dr. Adesina holds a master’s degree (1985) and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (1988) from Purdue University, United States of America, where he won the Outstanding Ph.D. thesis award for that year. Dr. Adesina won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Fellowship in 1988, which launched him into his international career.
A bold reformer, as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria from 2011 to 2015 Dr. Adesina turned the agriculture sector of Nigeria around within four years. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer sector by developing and implementing an innovative electronic wallet system, which directly provides farmers with subsidized farm inputs at scale using their mobile phones. Within the first four years of its launch, this electronic wallet system reached 15 million farmers, dramatically transforming their lives.
With Dr. Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 when on October 31, 2019, shareholders from then 80 member countries raised the general capital from $93 billion to a historic $208 billion. The African Development Bank Group responded boldly and swiftly to various crises facing the continent. On April 3, 2020, the premier development finance institution launched a landmark $3 billion Covid-19 Social Bond followed by a Crisis Response Facility of $10 billion. On May 20, 2022, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group approved $1.5 billion facility to help African countries avert a looming food crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dr. Adesina has been recognized with numerous awards. On October 19, 2017, the President was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”. On February 29, 2020, he was named African of the Year 2019 by one million readers of the African Leadership Magazine. On December 14, 2020, the Academy of Public Health, the flagship body of the West African Institute of Public Health, announced Dr. Adesina as one of the winners of its 2020 Distinguished Fellowship Award for his successful efforts in helping Africa to curb the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
On February 2, 2022, the President was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the Federal University of Technology in Nigeria in recognition of his global leadership in agriculture, food security, development finance, and good governance. On May 8, 2022, Dr. Adesina was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate by Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, acknowledging his career achievements in agriculture, and the innovative High 5 development priorities for Africa, which he conceived shortly after his election as President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015. On May 14, 2022, the President received an Honorary Doctorate from Addis Ababa University for his significant role in development activities in Ethiopia and Africa at large.
Her Excellency Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
Africa Union Development Agency-New Partnerships for Africa’s Development (AUDA- NEPAD)
Her Excellency Mrs. Bekele-Thomas is the first woman to lead the African Union’s Development Agency. She was appointed and endorsed as the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD by the African Union Heads of State and Government during the Thirty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in February 2022. Prior to this appointment, Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas served as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations (UN) in the Republic of South Africa. In 2016 she served as the Senior Director of the Office of the former UN Secretary-General, H.E. Ban Ki-Moon. Mrs. Bekele-Thomas has also worked as the UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Benin and Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Kenya.
Her interest includes advancing human development, anchored on the principles of economic, social and political rights for all. She has excelled as a Private Sector Policy Adviser focusing on promoting trade and investment in African countries through private/public sector partnerships in the United States. Mrs Bekele-Thomas holds a master’s degree in Economic Development, Monetary Economics and Econometrics from New York University (NYU). She is the author of several papers and monographs, and she is fully bilingual in French and English.
Africa Union Development Agency-New Partnerships for Africa’s Development (AUDA- NEPAD)
Her Excellency Mrs. Bekele-Thomas is the first woman to lead the African Union’s Development Agency. She was appointed and endorsed as the Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD by the African Union Heads of State and Government during the Thirty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in February 2022. Prior to this appointment, Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas served as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations (UN) in the Republic of South Africa. In 2016 she served as the Senior Director of the Office of the former UN Secretary-General, H.E. Ban Ki-Moon. Mrs. Bekele-Thomas has also worked as the UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Benin and Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Kenya.
Her interest includes advancing human development, anchored on the principles of economic, social and political rights for all. She has excelled as a Private Sector Policy Adviser focusing on promoting trade and investment in African countries through private/public sector partnerships in the United States. Mrs Bekele-Thomas holds a master’s degree in Economic Development, Monetary Economics and Econometrics from New York University (NYU). She is the author of several papers and monographs, and she is fully bilingual in French and English.
His Excellency Wamkele Mene
Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.
Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
Prior to joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa, H.E. Wamkele Mene worked for Wall Street based law firms in the London and Hong Kong offices.
H.E. Wamkele Mene has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).
H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements.
Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.
From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services.
Prior to joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa, H.E. Wamkele Mene worked for Wall Street based law firms in the London and Hong Kong offices.
H.E. Wamkele Mene has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).
Dr. James Mwangi
Group Managing Director and CEO
Equity Group Holdings Plc
Executive Chairman
Equity Group Foundation
Dr. James Mwangi is one of Africa’s most renowned thought leaders, a disruptive entrepreneur and philanthropist. As a champion of social economic transformation, James believes that individuals and societies have the potential to solve their socioeconomic challenges if they are given the opportunity and access to resources.
Raised by a hard-working widowed mother, Grace, among 7 siblings, James witnessed at an early age the daily struggles in his family and community to eke a livelihood. This inspired him to better his circumstances and be the first in his village to attend university. He became determined to strive for inclusion providing access to opportunities and empowering those around him to transform their lives. With this purpose in mind, James left a lucrative job in a leading bank, in 1991, to join Equity Building Society, a technically insolvent financial institution, ranked position 66 out of 66, that had been threatened with closure by the regulator. He was driven by the vision of Equity to advocate for formal financial access to the 96% Kenyan population excluded and condemned as un-bankable.
The belief systems that were inculcated in James by his mother from a tender age, of discipline, hard work, giving back to society, as well as humility has continued to influence and shape the culture and brand of Equity. His leadership approach personified the value system and corporate philosophies of the Group. His mentorship and coaching have influenced stakeholders to identify with and own the purpose, vision, and mission of the brand. The institution has differentiated itself through a unique emotional connection with its customers, a team spirit among staff founded on the ‘power of one,’ passion and joy of work. The Equity brand is known for boldness, fearlessness, and the relentless pursuit of its vision of empowering people to transform their lives and livelihoods.
As a champion of financial inclusion, James is credited with democratizing financial access, by removing entry barriers in Kenya and the region. As a disruptive and turnaround leader, he pioneered a savings led microfinance revolution giving the largely excluded majority of un- banked households, businesses, enterprises, and communities in the country the opportunity for broader economic participation. As a serial entrepreneur, he has overseen the establishment of geographical and business line subsidiaries in banking, investment, insurance, telecom, fintech and health. He has led Equity to become a publicly listed and integrated banking and financial services group upholding global corporate governance standards. Under his leadership, Equity has made investments in technology and innovation accelerating growth across Africa building a client base of over 16 million in 6 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda) with a representative office in Ethiopia, and a total asset base of over USD 13 billion. Equity Group has one of the most extensive physical and digital distribution networks in the region with millions leveraging electronic, cards, mobile, and internet self service capabilities. The Group is renowned for stakeholder value maximization hinged on a culture of innovation, self-disruption, and renewal. It is the largest financial company by market capitalization in Eastern and Central Africa. James has earned the trust of many of the world’s top socially responsible investors, foundations, development financial institutions, development agencies and strategic alliance partners who subscribe to Equity. Group’s inclusive social impact investment, and shared prosperity business model.
Driven by the commitment to scale up shared prosperity and social impact interventions that transform lives and livelihoods, James initiated the establishment of Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the social engine of Equity Group, in 2008. EGF implements innovative programs that leverage on the infrastructure of the bank achieving a higher social return on investment.
While serving as the Executive Chairman, he has shaped notable EGF programs and mobilized the support of like-minded partners to commit USD 583 million for social impact. Under the Education and Leadership Development pillar, EGF has offered 47,009 secondary school scholarships to academically gifted but socioeconomically challenged children. James serves as a lead mentor and coach to the youth and is committed to their transition to tertiary education, where they join the Equity Leadership Program of 17,820 scholars who have joined university, with 761 having joined leading global learning institutions. Furthering the work of financial inclusion, EGF has provided a 13-week financial literacy training to 2.5 million youth and women and offered a 3-year entrepreneurship and business development training to over 391,000 entrepreneurs. EGF has impacted the transformation of 2.4 million farmers with 195,000 of these being small and medium sized farmers developing into agribusinesses. With a vision of granting affordable, accessible, and quality health care, EGF’s Health pillar adopted a health franchise model to be run by the Equity Leadership scholars who pursued medicine at university level.
Currently, 85 Equity Afia clinics are operational and have recorded over 1.2 million cumulative patient visits. The Energy, Environment and Climate Change pillar has championed the planting of over 21 million trees and distribution of 365,000 clean energy products. The commitment to equality and dignity for the most vulnerable populations has seen the Group partner with development agencies and governments to run a social safety net program for 4.5 million beneficiaries, with a cumulative disbursement of USD 915 million in cash transfers, through the Social Protection pillar.
Based on his vast experience in both social impact and entrepreneurship, James has had an opportunity to provide thought leadership on several global platforms. He has served on boards and in advisory roles at the Global Advisory Council for VISA Inc., the Global Advisory Council for Mastercard, the Clinton Global Initiative, the G8 New Alliance for Food Security And Nutrition, President Barack Obama’s Initiative for Global Development, the G20 Advisory Board of Agriculture and Initiative for Global Development, and The Global Agenda Council on New Economic Thinking of the World Economic Forum. He has been instrumental in shaping global development policies by serving on the UN Advisory Groups on Inclusive Finance, as well as on Global Sustainability. He also served as an external advisor on a high-level panel on inclusive finance to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Additionally, he is on the Economic Advisory Board to the President of IFC (International Finance Corporation), the Advisory Network to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the Nairobi Advisory Board of Columbia Global Centres, Yale University President’s Council on International Activities, the Inaugural Board of African Leadership Academy and has been Chair of the Steering Committee of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center, East Africa and Robert Smith’s Vista Partners. He is a member of UNDP’s (United Nations Development Program) African Influencers for Development (AI4Dev), private sector AfroChampions initiative; a board member of Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) and the current founding Co-Chair of the UN Global Compacts’ `Africa Business Leaders Council’. Recently Dr. Mwangi was named as the Inaugural Chancellor of Kenya’s Open University by His Excellency, President William Ruto; and to the Princes Trust International Advisory Board, an international NGO founded by HM King Charles of the United Kingdom.
James served on the technical team that formulated Kenya’s Vision 2030, the long-term development strategy blueprint, from 2003 to 2007, and became the Founding Chair of Kenya’s Vision 2030 Delivery Board from 2007 to 2019; a period of rapid growth that saw Kenya’s GDP rise tenfold from USD 10 billion to USD 100 billion. The bold initiative is on track to achieve its aim of transforming Kenya into a newly industrialized, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment. He was a key member of the Presidential National Task Force on the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and Chair of its Health Committee, and now serves the appointed role as Chairman to the Procurement, Logistics and Operations Subcommittee for Kenya’s Drought Response Board under President William Ruto.
James is a certified international retail banker. He holds 5 honorary doctorate degrees and is the current Chancellor of Meru University College of Science and Technology in Kenya. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Harvard, IESE-Strathmore, and Lagos Business School, where Equity Group has been the focus of over 40 case studies in leading global institutions with the latest one being published by Harvard in January 2023.
Equity Group, with James as its Managing Director and CEO, have developed and are implementing the `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’ and are its chief champions and global advocates with worldwide partners, governments, and international institutions. James is a sought-after keynote speaker for the African private sector at events such as the East African Community Presidents meetings, the Commonwealth Group of Nations meetings, and the recent historic US-Africa Leaders summit held by President Joe Biden.
He is married to Jane, and they are blessed with three children. A lifelong philanthropist, time and again, James has put both his family resources and professional assets in service for the betterment of humanity. Some of his family’s notable contributions include USD 1 million to address the plight of Kenyans affected by the current drought in the country, USD 4 million in donations to support the COVID-19 Response in Kenya, Rwanda, and DRC, USD 1 million to set up a business incubation center at Meru University of Science and Technology, USD 500,000 to his local village school, Nyagatugu Secondary School, and USD 300,000 each to both the African Leadership Academy, South Africa and Church House in Uganda, besides other numerous development projects and humanitarian initiatives.
Equity Group Holdings Plc
Executive Chairman
Equity Group Foundation
Dr. James Mwangi is one of Africa’s most renowned thought leaders, a disruptive entrepreneur and philanthropist. As a champion of social economic transformation, James believes that individuals and societies have the potential to solve their socioeconomic challenges if they are given the opportunity and access to resources.
Raised by a hard-working widowed mother, Grace, among 7 siblings, James witnessed at an early age the daily struggles in his family and community to eke a livelihood. This inspired him to better his circumstances and be the first in his village to attend university. He became determined to strive for inclusion providing access to opportunities and empowering those around him to transform their lives. With this purpose in mind, James left a lucrative job in a leading bank, in 1991, to join Equity Building Society, a technically insolvent financial institution, ranked position 66 out of 66, that had been threatened with closure by the regulator. He was driven by the vision of Equity to advocate for formal financial access to the 96% Kenyan population excluded and condemned as un-bankable.
The belief systems that were inculcated in James by his mother from a tender age, of discipline, hard work, giving back to society, as well as humility has continued to influence and shape the culture and brand of Equity. His leadership approach personified the value system and corporate philosophies of the Group. His mentorship and coaching have influenced stakeholders to identify with and own the purpose, vision, and mission of the brand. The institution has differentiated itself through a unique emotional connection with its customers, a team spirit among staff founded on the ‘power of one,’ passion and joy of work. The Equity brand is known for boldness, fearlessness, and the relentless pursuit of its vision of empowering people to transform their lives and livelihoods.
As a champion of financial inclusion, James is credited with democratizing financial access, by removing entry barriers in Kenya and the region. As a disruptive and turnaround leader, he pioneered a savings led microfinance revolution giving the largely excluded majority of un- banked households, businesses, enterprises, and communities in the country the opportunity for broader economic participation. As a serial entrepreneur, he has overseen the establishment of geographical and business line subsidiaries in banking, investment, insurance, telecom, fintech and health. He has led Equity to become a publicly listed and integrated banking and financial services group upholding global corporate governance standards. Under his leadership, Equity has made investments in technology and innovation accelerating growth across Africa building a client base of over 16 million in 6 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda) with a representative office in Ethiopia, and a total asset base of over USD 13 billion. Equity Group has one of the most extensive physical and digital distribution networks in the region with millions leveraging electronic, cards, mobile, and internet self service capabilities. The Group is renowned for stakeholder value maximization hinged on a culture of innovation, self-disruption, and renewal. It is the largest financial company by market capitalization in Eastern and Central Africa. James has earned the trust of many of the world’s top socially responsible investors, foundations, development financial institutions, development agencies and strategic alliance partners who subscribe to Equity. Group’s inclusive social impact investment, and shared prosperity business model.
Driven by the commitment to scale up shared prosperity and social impact interventions that transform lives and livelihoods, James initiated the establishment of Equity Group Foundation (EGF), the social engine of Equity Group, in 2008. EGF implements innovative programs that leverage on the infrastructure of the bank achieving a higher social return on investment.
While serving as the Executive Chairman, he has shaped notable EGF programs and mobilized the support of like-minded partners to commit USD 583 million for social impact. Under the Education and Leadership Development pillar, EGF has offered 47,009 secondary school scholarships to academically gifted but socioeconomically challenged children. James serves as a lead mentor and coach to the youth and is committed to their transition to tertiary education, where they join the Equity Leadership Program of 17,820 scholars who have joined university, with 761 having joined leading global learning institutions. Furthering the work of financial inclusion, EGF has provided a 13-week financial literacy training to 2.5 million youth and women and offered a 3-year entrepreneurship and business development training to over 391,000 entrepreneurs. EGF has impacted the transformation of 2.4 million farmers with 195,000 of these being small and medium sized farmers developing into agribusinesses. With a vision of granting affordable, accessible, and quality health care, EGF’s Health pillar adopted a health franchise model to be run by the Equity Leadership scholars who pursued medicine at university level.
Currently, 85 Equity Afia clinics are operational and have recorded over 1.2 million cumulative patient visits. The Energy, Environment and Climate Change pillar has championed the planting of over 21 million trees and distribution of 365,000 clean energy products. The commitment to equality and dignity for the most vulnerable populations has seen the Group partner with development agencies and governments to run a social safety net program for 4.5 million beneficiaries, with a cumulative disbursement of USD 915 million in cash transfers, through the Social Protection pillar.
Based on his vast experience in both social impact and entrepreneurship, James has had an opportunity to provide thought leadership on several global platforms. He has served on boards and in advisory roles at the Global Advisory Council for VISA Inc., the Global Advisory Council for Mastercard, the Clinton Global Initiative, the G8 New Alliance for Food Security And Nutrition, President Barack Obama’s Initiative for Global Development, the G20 Advisory Board of Agriculture and Initiative for Global Development, and The Global Agenda Council on New Economic Thinking of the World Economic Forum. He has been instrumental in shaping global development policies by serving on the UN Advisory Groups on Inclusive Finance, as well as on Global Sustainability. He also served as an external advisor on a high-level panel on inclusive finance to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Additionally, he is on the Economic Advisory Board to the President of IFC (International Finance Corporation), the Advisory Network to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the Nairobi Advisory Board of Columbia Global Centres, Yale University President’s Council on International Activities, the Inaugural Board of African Leadership Academy and has been Chair of the Steering Committee of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center, East Africa and Robert Smith’s Vista Partners. He is a member of UNDP’s (United Nations Development Program) African Influencers for Development (AI4Dev), private sector AfroChampions initiative; a board member of Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa (SDGC/A) and the current founding Co-Chair of the UN Global Compacts’ `Africa Business Leaders Council’. Recently Dr. Mwangi was named as the Inaugural Chancellor of Kenya’s Open University by His Excellency, President William Ruto; and to the Princes Trust International Advisory Board, an international NGO founded by HM King Charles of the United Kingdom.
James served on the technical team that formulated Kenya’s Vision 2030, the long-term development strategy blueprint, from 2003 to 2007, and became the Founding Chair of Kenya’s Vision 2030 Delivery Board from 2007 to 2019; a period of rapid growth that saw Kenya’s GDP rise tenfold from USD 10 billion to USD 100 billion. The bold initiative is on track to achieve its aim of transforming Kenya into a newly industrialized, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment. He was a key member of the Presidential National Task Force on the Kenya COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund and Chair of its Health Committee, and now serves the appointed role as Chairman to the Procurement, Logistics and Operations Subcommittee for Kenya’s Drought Response Board under President William Ruto.
James is a certified international retail banker. He holds 5 honorary doctorate degrees and is the current Chancellor of Meru University College of Science and Technology in Kenya. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Harvard, IESE-Strathmore, and Lagos Business School, where Equity Group has been the focus of over 40 case studies in leading global institutions with the latest one being published by Harvard in January 2023.
Equity Group, with James as its Managing Director and CEO, have developed and are implementing the `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’ and are its chief champions and global advocates with worldwide partners, governments, and international institutions. James is a sought-after keynote speaker for the African private sector at events such as the East African Community Presidents meetings, the Commonwealth Group of Nations meetings, and the recent historic US-Africa Leaders summit held by President Joe Biden.
He is married to Jane, and they are blessed with three children. A lifelong philanthropist, time and again, James has put both his family resources and professional assets in service for the betterment of humanity. Some of his family’s notable contributions include USD 1 million to address the plight of Kenyans affected by the current drought in the country, USD 4 million in donations to support the COVID-19 Response in Kenya, Rwanda, and DRC, USD 1 million to set up a business incubation center at Meru University of Science and Technology, USD 500,000 to his local village school, Nyagatugu Secondary School, and USD 300,000 each to both the African Leadership Academy, South Africa and Church House in Uganda, besides other numerous development projects and humanitarian initiatives.
Mr. Solomon Quaynor
Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization
African Development Bank (AfDB)
He joined AfDB in May 2020. He has over 25 years’ experience in development finance and investment banking.
From 2018-2020 after Mr. Quaynor left IFC to join the private sector, he provided specialized advisory services in emerging markets as: Senior Advisor to Rothschild Global Advisory for Africa (excluding SA); Senior Advisor to IFU (Danish DFI) for sub-Saharan Africa; Investment Committee member and Senior Advisor to a $350 million African PE Fund; Senior Advisor to an African infrastructure fund; and, served on the boards of InfraCredit Nigeria and Verdant Ventures.
Mr. Quaynor previously worked at IFC in various capacities for several years and there he became an emerging markets specialist investor with experience developing business and investing across financial institutions including banks & NBFIs, Telecoms Media & Technology, Infrastructure including Energy, Manufacturing, Agribusiness & Services. He has experience supporting senior executives and board leadership of corporates in strategy development, key government/regulatory engagement and private sector partnership development, and often served as trusted advisor to the C-Suite with companies across multiple sectors in Africa.
Before IFC, Mr. Quaynor worked in the US in investment banking on Wall Street, providing corporate finance advisory services to large and medium corporates. He worked for Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns, respectively, in New York City as an Associate and Vice President in the generalist and media & communications groups. Before business school, Mr. Quaynor was a college professor at the Atlanta University Center in Math and Engineering.
Mr. Quaynor is a graduate of the J L Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He also holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a BS in Applied Physics from Atlanta University Center.
African Development Bank (AfDB)
He joined AfDB in May 2020. He has over 25 years’ experience in development finance and investment banking.
From 2018-2020 after Mr. Quaynor left IFC to join the private sector, he provided specialized advisory services in emerging markets as: Senior Advisor to Rothschild Global Advisory for Africa (excluding SA); Senior Advisor to IFU (Danish DFI) for sub-Saharan Africa; Investment Committee member and Senior Advisor to a $350 million African PE Fund; Senior Advisor to an African infrastructure fund; and, served on the boards of InfraCredit Nigeria and Verdant Ventures.
Mr. Quaynor previously worked at IFC in various capacities for several years and there he became an emerging markets specialist investor with experience developing business and investing across financial institutions including banks & NBFIs, Telecoms Media & Technology, Infrastructure including Energy, Manufacturing, Agribusiness & Services. He has experience supporting senior executives and board leadership of corporates in strategy development, key government/regulatory engagement and private sector partnership development, and often served as trusted advisor to the C-Suite with companies across multiple sectors in Africa.
Before IFC, Mr. Quaynor worked in the US in investment banking on Wall Street, providing corporate finance advisory services to large and medium corporates. He worked for Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns, respectively, in New York City as an Associate and Vice President in the generalist and media & communications groups. Before business school, Mr. Quaynor was a college professor at the Atlanta University Center in Math and Engineering.
Mr. Quaynor is a graduate of the J L Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He also holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a BS in Applied Physics from Atlanta University Center.
Mr. Shaka M. Kariuki
Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer
Kuramo Capital Management, LLC
Mr. Kariuki serves as Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Kuramo Capital Management, LLC (KCM or Kuramo Capital), an Independent Investment Management firm driving catalytic private institutional capital to fast-growing African businesses to generate attractive returns and positively impact local communities.
Kuramo Capital has offices in New York City, Lagos, and Nairobi. KCM is the General Partner of the $500 million Kuramo Africa Opportunity Funds (KAOF) with commitments from leading US endowments, foundations, and pension plans including the largest pension fund in Africa.
As the pioneering fund-of-funds for sub-Saharan Africa, Kuramo Capital has had a tremendous impact in leading catalytic capital into the sub-Saharan Africa private equity ecosystem. Since its inception in 2011, Kuramo Capital has served as an anchor investor in 15 first-time indigenous private equity funds and has played a significant role in raising over $3 billion toward investing in sub-Saharan African companies.
Since entry into Kenya in 2013, Kuramo has invested over Kshs 20 billion across different sectors which include Financial Services, Manufacturing, Power, and Transport Infrastructure, FMCG, and Real Estate sectors. This has directly led to the creation of over 12,000 jobs while improving financial performance and governance in the various companies. Kuramo is the first private equity firm in Kenya that has raised funds from US endowments and foundations, and not DFIs, and has backed Kenyan companies such as TransCentury, GenAfrica, East Africa Cables, Sterling Capital and Platcorp. Kuramo recently launched the Moremi Platform that is looking to invest a further Kshs 22 billion across Kenya in supporting women-led enterprises over the next 10 years. This is the first venture focusing on women-led businesses by any private equity fund in Africa.
In his role as the Chairman of the Investment Committee of Kuramo Capital, Mr. Kariuki leads Kuramo Capital’s investment activities across Africa. Additionally, Mr. Kariuki’ leads Kuramo Capital’s Board Governance strategy across all portfolio companies given his extensive Board experience.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves as Chairman of TransCentury Limited, Vice Chairman of GenAfrica, Vice Chairman of Platcorp Holdings, and Vice Chairman of Sterling Capital Limited all in Kenya. Mr. Kariuki also serves as Executive Chairman of NAS Foods in Ethiopia, and he is on the Board of Leon Business Solutions in Zimbabwe, Sepfluor in South Africa, and Maku Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC)), the largest Agribusiness company in DRC.
Mr. Kariuki was appointed by H.E William Samoei Ruto as the Chairman of Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) on the 10th of February 2023 for a period of three years.
Previously, Mr. Kariuki served in several leadership roles for over 10 years at the $9 billion Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA), in Private Equity, Fixed Income Portfolio, and Domestic and Emerging Markets across asset classes. Mr. Kariuki also headed the investment efforts of DMBA Affiliates in Developed and Emerging Markets (UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Samoa), including Africa.
Prior to DMBA, Mr. Kariuki was a Senior Member of the Global Finance team at Agilent Technologies where he managed finance teams in Asia, Europe, Japan, and the USA. Prior to Agilent, Mr. Kariuki was an Associate in the Investment Banking Division of First Security van Kasper. Mr. Kariuki also worked at Choice Hotels International in the mergers and acquisitions department.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves on various Advisory Boards of companies in Africa and Europe. He is a Board Member of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in the USA and a founding Board Member of the Kuramo Foundation for Sustainable Development, which serves to increase the economic empowerment of female entrepreneurs in Africa. He is the former Chairman of Deseret First Credit Union in the USA. The first black person to chair a large financial institution in the Western United States.
Mr. Kariuki received a master’s in government from Harvard University and holds a B.S. in Economics, and MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the CFA Institute.
Kuramo Capital Management, LLC
Mr. Kariuki serves as Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Kuramo Capital Management, LLC (KCM or Kuramo Capital), an Independent Investment Management firm driving catalytic private institutional capital to fast-growing African businesses to generate attractive returns and positively impact local communities.
Kuramo Capital has offices in New York City, Lagos, and Nairobi. KCM is the General Partner of the $500 million Kuramo Africa Opportunity Funds (KAOF) with commitments from leading US endowments, foundations, and pension plans including the largest pension fund in Africa.
As the pioneering fund-of-funds for sub-Saharan Africa, Kuramo Capital has had a tremendous impact in leading catalytic capital into the sub-Saharan Africa private equity ecosystem. Since its inception in 2011, Kuramo Capital has served as an anchor investor in 15 first-time indigenous private equity funds and has played a significant role in raising over $3 billion toward investing in sub-Saharan African companies.
Since entry into Kenya in 2013, Kuramo has invested over Kshs 20 billion across different sectors which include Financial Services, Manufacturing, Power, and Transport Infrastructure, FMCG, and Real Estate sectors. This has directly led to the creation of over 12,000 jobs while improving financial performance and governance in the various companies. Kuramo is the first private equity firm in Kenya that has raised funds from US endowments and foundations, and not DFIs, and has backed Kenyan companies such as TransCentury, GenAfrica, East Africa Cables, Sterling Capital and Platcorp. Kuramo recently launched the Moremi Platform that is looking to invest a further Kshs 22 billion across Kenya in supporting women-led enterprises over the next 10 years. This is the first venture focusing on women-led businesses by any private equity fund in Africa.
In his role as the Chairman of the Investment Committee of Kuramo Capital, Mr. Kariuki leads Kuramo Capital’s investment activities across Africa. Additionally, Mr. Kariuki’ leads Kuramo Capital’s Board Governance strategy across all portfolio companies given his extensive Board experience.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves as Chairman of TransCentury Limited, Vice Chairman of GenAfrica, Vice Chairman of Platcorp Holdings, and Vice Chairman of Sterling Capital Limited all in Kenya. Mr. Kariuki also serves as Executive Chairman of NAS Foods in Ethiopia, and he is on the Board of Leon Business Solutions in Zimbabwe, Sepfluor in South Africa, and Maku Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC)), the largest Agribusiness company in DRC.
Mr. Kariuki was appointed by H.E William Samoei Ruto as the Chairman of Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) on the 10th of February 2023 for a period of three years.
Previously, Mr. Kariuki served in several leadership roles for over 10 years at the $9 billion Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA), in Private Equity, Fixed Income Portfolio, and Domestic and Emerging Markets across asset classes. Mr. Kariuki also headed the investment efforts of DMBA Affiliates in Developed and Emerging Markets (UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Samoa), including Africa.
Prior to DMBA, Mr. Kariuki was a Senior Member of the Global Finance team at Agilent Technologies where he managed finance teams in Asia, Europe, Japan, and the USA. Prior to Agilent, Mr. Kariuki was an Associate in the Investment Banking Division of First Security van Kasper. Mr. Kariuki also worked at Choice Hotels International in the mergers and acquisitions department.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves on various Advisory Boards of companies in Africa and Europe. He is a Board Member of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in the USA and a founding Board Member of the Kuramo Foundation for Sustainable Development, which serves to increase the economic empowerment of female entrepreneurs in Africa. He is the former Chairman of Deseret First Credit Union in the USA. The first black person to chair a large financial institution in the Western United States.
Mr. Kariuki received a master’s in government from Harvard University and holds a B.S. in Economics, and MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the CFA Institute.
Ms. Oluranti Doherty
Director,Export Development
African Export Import Bank
Ms. Oluranti Doherty is Director, Export Development at the African Export Import Bank (the “Bank”). In her current role, she oversees the Bank’s products, initiatives and programmes that support the development of export related projects in light and heavy manufacturing, agro-processing, extractives, hospitality and healthcare sectors. She also oversees the Bank’s product and initiative which supports the development of Industrial Parks (“IPs”) and Special Economic Zones (“SEZs”) across Africa.
Ms. Doherty has over 20 years’ work experience that cuts across Financial Advisory, Project Finance, Project Development, Credit Analysis and Structuring. She has varied experience providing advisory services on fund raising (debt and equity), sale documents development (business plans and information memorandums), business valuations, mergers and acquisition to several multi-national companies, private and public-sector clients across sectors such as financial services, energy, healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing. More recently, in her current role, Ms. Doherty has also provided advisory services to national governments and export development agencies on formulating industrial policies, designing and implementation of national export diversification and industrialization programmes.
She has a good knowledge of project and infrastructure financing having spent over 12 years originating, structuring and funding transactions across African countries in collaboration with local and regional financial institutions, international banks as well as regional and international Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)/Multilateral Finance Institutions (MFIs).
Ms. Doherty is an alumnus of the IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Leicester, United Kingdom; and Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
African Export Import Bank
Ms. Oluranti Doherty is Director, Export Development at the African Export Import Bank (the “Bank”). In her current role, she oversees the Bank’s products, initiatives and programmes that support the development of export related projects in light and heavy manufacturing, agro-processing, extractives, hospitality and healthcare sectors. She also oversees the Bank’s product and initiative which supports the development of Industrial Parks (“IPs”) and Special Economic Zones (“SEZs”) across Africa.
Ms. Doherty has over 20 years’ work experience that cuts across Financial Advisory, Project Finance, Project Development, Credit Analysis and Structuring. She has varied experience providing advisory services on fund raising (debt and equity), sale documents development (business plans and information memorandums), business valuations, mergers and acquisition to several multi-national companies, private and public-sector clients across sectors such as financial services, energy, healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing. More recently, in her current role, Ms. Doherty has also provided advisory services to national governments and export development agencies on formulating industrial policies, designing and implementation of national export diversification and industrialization programmes.
She has a good knowledge of project and infrastructure financing having spent over 12 years originating, structuring and funding transactions across African countries in collaboration with local and regional financial institutions, international banks as well as regional and international Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)/Multilateral Finance Institutions (MFIs).
Ms. Doherty is an alumnus of the IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Leicester, United Kingdom; and Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Dr. Alexander Ezenagu
Founder & Chief Consultant
Sapient Consulting Group Limited
Director of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy & Development Centre and Senior Research Fellow at Strathmore University, Kenya.
He is the Founder & Chief Consultant of Sapient Consulting Group Limited, a full-service professional firm focused on investment and trade promotion and facilitation into Africa. With offices in six countries, Sapient Consulting Group provides end-to-end professional services to investors, governments, institutions and others with economic interests in Africa.
Dr. Alexander Ezenagu obtained his doctorate degree from McGill University, Canada, in International Tax Law. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he obtained a Master of Law degree (LL.M) in Commercial Law. Dr. Ezenagu has published in reputable academic journals and other globally recognized platforms. He has been quoted in Financial Times, Paradise Papers, Tax Notes International, International Tax Review, Quartz and other media outlets.
Sapient Consulting Group Limited
Director of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Policy & Development Centre and Senior Research Fellow at Strathmore University, Kenya.
He is the Founder & Chief Consultant of Sapient Consulting Group Limited, a full-service professional firm focused on investment and trade promotion and facilitation into Africa. With offices in six countries, Sapient Consulting Group provides end-to-end professional services to investors, governments, institutions and others with economic interests in Africa.
Dr. Alexander Ezenagu obtained his doctorate degree from McGill University, Canada, in International Tax Law. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he obtained a Master of Law degree (LL.M) in Commercial Law. Dr. Ezenagu has published in reputable academic journals and other globally recognized platforms. He has been quoted in Financial Times, Paradise Papers, Tax Notes International, International Tax Review, Quartz and other media outlets.
Mr. Walid Hareb Al Falahi
Chief Executive Officer
UAE Trade Center
UAE Trade Center
Mr. Amadou Diallo
Chief Executive Officer Middle East & Africa
DHL Global Forwarding
Since June 2017 Amadou Diallo is CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa based in Dubai.
He is the founder of Saloodo. He was previously CEO DHL Freight, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Africa & South Asia Pacific and prior to this CFO of Deutsche Post DHL Logistics Division as well as Managing Director for the integration of Exel and DHL.
Mr. Diallo has over 30 years of experience in the tourism, banking, express and logistics industries.
He is Senegalese and fluent in several languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Fulani and Wolof.
Mr. Diallo holds an MBA in International Business and volunteers as Chairman of Gesundes Afrika, member of the Board of Directors of Welthungerhilfe, Global Business School Network and Africa Tech Festival amongst others.
DHL Global Forwarding
Since June 2017 Amadou Diallo is CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa based in Dubai.
He is the founder of Saloodo. He was previously CEO DHL Freight, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Africa & South Asia Pacific and prior to this CFO of Deutsche Post DHL Logistics Division as well as Managing Director for the integration of Exel and DHL.
Mr. Diallo has over 30 years of experience in the tourism, banking, express and logistics industries.
He is Senegalese and fluent in several languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Fulani and Wolof.
Mr. Diallo holds an MBA in International Business and volunteers as Chairman of Gesundes Afrika, member of the Board of Directors of Welthungerhilfe, Global Business School Network and Africa Tech Festival amongst others.
Mr. Admassu Tadesse
President Emeritus & Managing Director
Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
Mr. Tadesse holds the position of President Emeritus and Managing Director at TDB Group. Prior to this role, he served as the CEO of TDB for a decade, following an extensive tenure as the Executive Vice President at the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
A graduate of the London School of Economics (LSE), Wits Business School, and Western University, Mr. Tadesse initiated his career in the 1990s in New York City, where he held various economist and management consulting roles with international development funds, including at the United Nations.
Presently, Mr. Tadesse actively participates in the governance structures and boards of numerous industry bodies globally and across Africa. Additionally, he holds positions on the boards of TDB Group subsidiaries and special purpose funds. His contributions to the industry have been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, such as African Banker of the Year, African Business Leader of the Year, and African Development Banker of the Year.
Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group)
Mr. Tadesse holds the position of President Emeritus and Managing Director at TDB Group. Prior to this role, he served as the CEO of TDB for a decade, following an extensive tenure as the Executive Vice President at the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
A graduate of the London School of Economics (LSE), Wits Business School, and Western University, Mr. Tadesse initiated his career in the 1990s in New York City, where he held various economist and management consulting roles with international development funds, including at the United Nations.
Presently, Mr. Tadesse actively participates in the governance structures and boards of numerous industry bodies globally and across Africa. Additionally, he holds positions on the boards of TDB Group subsidiaries and special purpose funds. His contributions to the industry have been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, such as African Banker of the Year, African Business Leader of the Year, and African Development Banker of the Year.
Mr. Saleh Lootah
Chairman
UAE Food and Beverage Manufacturer’s Group
Saleh is the chairman of the UAE Manufactures business group. It is an industry Association working under the Dubai Chamber. Work has been done in the last 5 years to raise the manufacturing excellence in food in the UAE and address various challenge in the food sector. The industry body has pioneered efforts like Zero food waste in the manufacturing sector through introduction of food loss and wastage protocol and the initiation of the Food Data Platform. With comprehensive experience across the board in various capacities within diverse companies ranging from start-ups to leading companies into transformation & into international boundaries, Saleh Lootah, an innovative and result driven leader is a UAE national and currently holds the following positions:
• MD of Al Islami Foods • Founding Director of Souq Extra
• Chairman of AlFarooj Restaurant • Board Member of Aman Insurance &
• Chairman of Food & Beverage Manufacturing group under Dubai Chamber
Graduating with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from USA in addition to attending the General Management Program & Agribusiness from Harvard Business School, Mr. Saleh Lootah has also been a part of the Leadership program from IMD University. His passion and drive for excellence has led him to receive various awards at both the international & regional arena. Major role was his contribution in applying the EFQM Model of Excellence at Al Islami Foods which led the company to receive the Dubai Quality Award in 2003, the first ever food company then to win such an award. As an avid contributor to the Food & Beverage industry, Mr. Saleh Lootah has attended the Agribusiness Seminar at Harvard Business School - USA and India in 2004 and 2009 respectively sharing ideas and experiences with various international business leaders. He is a favorite among the media with his opinion columns appearing regularly in the highly circulated Arabic and English news mediums. The stories on the F&B industry in particular, by far, always have Mr. Lootah’s experienced comments as he has a holistic perspective to offer to the reader. He believes & promotes the right model of halal through all walks of business life, like doing business with values and doing it with pride thereby contributing well to society globally. He endeavors to change the perception of Islam by doing the right thing in business thus bringing a change in our society.
UAE Food and Beverage Manufacturer’s Group
Saleh is the chairman of the UAE Manufactures business group. It is an industry Association working under the Dubai Chamber. Work has been done in the last 5 years to raise the manufacturing excellence in food in the UAE and address various challenge in the food sector. The industry body has pioneered efforts like Zero food waste in the manufacturing sector through introduction of food loss and wastage protocol and the initiation of the Food Data Platform. With comprehensive experience across the board in various capacities within diverse companies ranging from start-ups to leading companies into transformation & into international boundaries, Saleh Lootah, an innovative and result driven leader is a UAE national and currently holds the following positions:
• MD of Al Islami Foods • Founding Director of Souq Extra
• Chairman of AlFarooj Restaurant • Board Member of Aman Insurance &
• Chairman of Food & Beverage Manufacturing group under Dubai Chamber
Graduating with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from USA in addition to attending the General Management Program & Agribusiness from Harvard Business School, Mr. Saleh Lootah has also been a part of the Leadership program from IMD University. His passion and drive for excellence has led him to receive various awards at both the international & regional arena. Major role was his contribution in applying the EFQM Model of Excellence at Al Islami Foods which led the company to receive the Dubai Quality Award in 2003, the first ever food company then to win such an award. As an avid contributor to the Food & Beverage industry, Mr. Saleh Lootah has attended the Agribusiness Seminar at Harvard Business School - USA and India in 2004 and 2009 respectively sharing ideas and experiences with various international business leaders. He is a favorite among the media with his opinion columns appearing regularly in the highly circulated Arabic and English news mediums. The stories on the F&B industry in particular, by far, always have Mr. Lootah’s experienced comments as he has a holistic perspective to offer to the reader. He believes & promotes the right model of halal through all walks of business life, like doing business with values and doing it with pride thereby contributing well to society globally. He endeavors to change the perception of Islam by doing the right thing in business thus bringing a change in our society.
Mr. Yofi Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
Reginald Yofi Grant draws from over three decades of a successful career and experience in investment banking and finance as he heads the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, under the Office of the President of Ghana.
He is unquestionably recognized in the fields of Financial Markets and Investment and has co-founded a number of companies including Grant Dupuis Investment Limited, and Praxis Fortune Caliber.
Yofi is an accomplished leader — an attribute that transcends beyond his country’s borders, where he is a key financial policy adviser. On the continent, he’s credited with having successfully led a number of advisory mandates involving both equity and debt transactions, including the development and implementation of AAF SME Fund LLC, one of the largest agriculture funds in Sub-Saharan Africa.
As a council member of the Continental Business Network of the African Union, and a member of the board of trustees of the OACP Endowment and Trust Fund he remains passionately committed to shaping the continent’s financial and economic transformation.
Yofi is on the Steering Board of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) representing sub-Saharan Africa and continues to serve on a number of private and public sector boards and committees. They include the Public Private Partnership Approvals Board, Ghana Export Promotion Authority Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Advisory Board, Ghana International Financial Services Advisory Committee and the India Africa Trade Council Board among others.
He is a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
Reginald Yofi Grant draws from over three decades of a successful career and experience in investment banking and finance as he heads the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, under the Office of the President of Ghana.
He is unquestionably recognized in the fields of Financial Markets and Investment and has co-founded a number of companies including Grant Dupuis Investment Limited, and Praxis Fortune Caliber.
Yofi is an accomplished leader — an attribute that transcends beyond his country’s borders, where he is a key financial policy adviser. On the continent, he’s credited with having successfully led a number of advisory mandates involving both equity and debt transactions, including the development and implementation of AAF SME Fund LLC, one of the largest agriculture funds in Sub-Saharan Africa.
As a council member of the Continental Business Network of the African Union, and a member of the board of trustees of the OACP Endowment and Trust Fund he remains passionately committed to shaping the continent’s financial and economic transformation.
Yofi is on the Steering Board of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) representing sub-Saharan Africa and continues to serve on a number of private and public sector boards and committees. They include the Public Private Partnership Approvals Board, Ghana Export Promotion Authority Board, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Advisory Board, Ghana International Financial Services Advisory Committee and the India Africa Trade Council Board among others.
He is a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Eltigani Elmansouri
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Al Rawabi Dairy
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Eltigani Elmansouri is the esteemed Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Al Rawabi Dairy, where he has provided visionary leadership since 1989. Under his guidance, the company is projected to achieve a turnover of one billion Dirhams in 2023.
Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Dr. Elmansouri has been a trailblazer, introducing numerous pioneering industry practices. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with a multitude of national and international awards.
*Accolades and Recognitions:*
- Named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Entrepreneur Magazine, 2017.
- Ranked among the "Top 100 CEOs in the Arab World", 2018.
- Honored as "Manager of the Year" by the European Business Assembly, Oxford, UK.
- Recognized among "The World's Greatest Leaders in Asia & GCC" by PWC.
*Company Achievements under His Leadership:*
- Al Rawabi Dairy
(https://youtu.be/kWVubOSem6k)
accolades include:
- Super Brand Award.
- Best Environmental Practices Award.
- Recognized as one of the "40 Strongest Brands in the Arab World" by Forbes Magazine, 2015.
Appeared in cover page of International magazines CEO, Forbes and Entrepreneur
Prof. Dr. Elmansouri's expertise and insights have been sought by numerous national, regional, and international media platforms, including appearances on CNN TV, Sky News, and National Geographic TV Chanel
*Certifications and Training:*
- Certified facilitator in "The Four Disciplines of Execution" and "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."
- Trained in "Project Management" and "Leadership Greatness" by the globally renowned Franklincovey International Leadership Company.
- Participated in multiple workshops at both Wharton Business School and Harvard University.
*Educational Achievements:*
- Graduate of the "Advanced Management Program", Wharton Business School, 2015.
- Graduate of the "Senior Executive Leadership Program Harvard
- Graduate of Entrepreneurship accelerator program , Wharton business school
- Website page
- www.eltiganiagribussiness.com
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Eltigani Elmansouri is the esteemed Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Al Rawabi Dairy, where he has provided visionary leadership since 1989. Under his guidance, the company is projected to achieve a turnover of one billion Dirhams in 2023.
Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Dr. Elmansouri has been a trailblazer, introducing numerous pioneering industry practices. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with a multitude of national and international awards.
*Accolades and Recognitions:*
- Named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Entrepreneur Magazine, 2017.
- Ranked among the "Top 100 CEOs in the Arab World", 2018.
- Honored as "Manager of the Year" by the European Business Assembly, Oxford, UK.
- Recognized among "The World's Greatest Leaders in Asia & GCC" by PWC.
*Company Achievements under His Leadership:*
- Al Rawabi Dairy
(https://youtu.be/kWVubOSem6k)
accolades include:
- Super Brand Award.
- Best Environmental Practices Award.
- Recognized as one of the "40 Strongest Brands in the Arab World" by Forbes Magazine, 2015.
Appeared in cover page of International magazines CEO, Forbes and Entrepreneur
Prof. Dr. Elmansouri's expertise and insights have been sought by numerous national, regional, and international media platforms, including appearances on CNN TV, Sky News, and National Geographic TV Chanel
*Certifications and Training:*
- Certified facilitator in "The Four Disciplines of Execution" and "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."
- Trained in "Project Management" and "Leadership Greatness" by the globally renowned Franklincovey International Leadership Company.
- Participated in multiple workshops at both Wharton Business School and Harvard University.
*Educational Achievements:*
- Graduate of the "Advanced Management Program", Wharton Business School, 2015.
- Graduate of the "Senior Executive Leadership Program Harvard
- Graduate of Entrepreneurship accelerator program , Wharton business school
- Website page
- www.eltiganiagribussiness.com
Mr. Kevin Okyere
Chief Executive Officer
Springfield Group
Kevin Okyere is the Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Group, a successful energy conglomerate in Ghana, West Africa that he established and has managed for over 10 years.
An entrepreneur, Kevin uses his razor-sharp skills in business strategy, finance and negotiations to envision and execute high-end commercial and developmental projects. He is widely recognized by his peers, and local and international media as a pioneer in Africa’s energy sector.
In 2008, Kevin established Springfield Energy, one of the leading energy actors in Ghana who over a period of five (5) years, has supplied 12.5% of Ghana’s petroleum products requirement. The Company has also supplied hydrocarbons into other countries along the Gulf of Guinea such as Mali.
The company is the first Ghanaian Independent Firm to lift crude oil from the TEN field (Ghana). Kevin established Springfield Ashburton Limited in Nigeria, the only indigenous Ghanaian company to be involved in energy related trade out of Nigeria.
Kevin is the driving force behind Springfield Exploration & Production Ltd, the first-wholly-owned independent Ghanaian firm to own and operate a deep offshore oil block in Ghana. In fact, Springfield E&P is the only African company to own and operate a deep offshore asset.
Previously, Kevin operated a telecommunications company in Ghana after leaving a thriving career in the Accounting and Finance sector in the USA. He sits on the board of numerous companies including Aker Solutions Ghana Limited, a joint venture between Fairfax Oilfield Services Limited, a Springfield Group Company, and Aker Solutions of Norway, a leading global provider of oil field services. He also holds a highly influential position as a board member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Ghana Section).
Kevin is a passionate leader and public speaker. He has engaged with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and students at Harvard Business School and the University of Ghana Business School on the topics of energy, governance, and entrepreneurship in Africa. He is an esteemed philanthropist, establishing alongside the Springfield Foundation, the Kevin Okyere Foundation, an entity that delivers impactful initiatives in health and education.
Springfield Group
Kevin Okyere is the Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Group, a successful energy conglomerate in Ghana, West Africa that he established and has managed for over 10 years.
An entrepreneur, Kevin uses his razor-sharp skills in business strategy, finance and negotiations to envision and execute high-end commercial and developmental projects. He is widely recognized by his peers, and local and international media as a pioneer in Africa’s energy sector.
In 2008, Kevin established Springfield Energy, one of the leading energy actors in Ghana who over a period of five (5) years, has supplied 12.5% of Ghana’s petroleum products requirement. The Company has also supplied hydrocarbons into other countries along the Gulf of Guinea such as Mali.
The company is the first Ghanaian Independent Firm to lift crude oil from the TEN field (Ghana). Kevin established Springfield Ashburton Limited in Nigeria, the only indigenous Ghanaian company to be involved in energy related trade out of Nigeria.
Kevin is the driving force behind Springfield Exploration & Production Ltd, the first-wholly-owned independent Ghanaian firm to own and operate a deep offshore oil block in Ghana. In fact, Springfield E&P is the only African company to own and operate a deep offshore asset.
Previously, Kevin operated a telecommunications company in Ghana after leaving a thriving career in the Accounting and Finance sector in the USA. He sits on the board of numerous companies including Aker Solutions Ghana Limited, a joint venture between Fairfax Oilfield Services Limited, a Springfield Group Company, and Aker Solutions of Norway, a leading global provider of oil field services. He also holds a highly influential position as a board member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Ghana Section).
Kevin is a passionate leader and public speaker. He has engaged with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and students at Harvard Business School and the University of Ghana Business School on the topics of energy, governance, and entrepreneurship in Africa. He is an esteemed philanthropist, establishing alongside the Springfield Foundation, the Kevin Okyere Foundation, an entity that delivers impactful initiatives in health and education.
Mr. Ahmed Mulla
Deputy CEO
Infinity Power
Ahmed Mulla has been working in the international renewable energy industry for over eighteen years and is driven by a singular vision of delivering affordable, sustainable, clean power to the masses.
Mulla started his career in Venture Capital before turning to renewables, where he worked as an R&D engineer, an engineering consultant, a strategist, a project manager, a development director exploring new market opportunities in Africa, MENA region, CIS countries and beyond, at big names in the industry including E.on Climate & Renewables, FRV, Scatec Solar, and Masdar.
Mulla is the Deputy CEO of Infinity Power (A Masdar Infinity Company) which is the largest pure play African Renewable Energy development and operational platform.
He has a Masters in Arts, a Masters in Engineering, and a Bachelors (with Honours) in Electrical, Electronic and Information Systems Engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Infinity Power
Ahmed Mulla has been working in the international renewable energy industry for over eighteen years and is driven by a singular vision of delivering affordable, sustainable, clean power to the masses.
Mulla started his career in Venture Capital before turning to renewables, where he worked as an R&D engineer, an engineering consultant, a strategist, a project manager, a development director exploring new market opportunities in Africa, MENA region, CIS countries and beyond, at big names in the industry including E.on Climate & Renewables, FRV, Scatec Solar, and Masdar.
Mulla is the Deputy CEO of Infinity Power (A Masdar Infinity Company) which is the largest pure play African Renewable Energy development and operational platform.
He has a Masters in Arts, a Masters in Engineering, and a Bachelors (with Honours) in Electrical, Electronic and Information Systems Engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Ms. Allen Sophia Asiimwe
Deputy CEO and Chief of Programmes
TradeMark Africa
In this role she is responsible for the overall operations and technical delivery of TMA’s project portfolio in infrastructure, trade environment, and business competitiveness, in East, West, Horn and Southern Africa. Allen also oversees the Climate Change and Gender portfolios and leads collaboration with key stakeholders and development partners, including the Partner States, FCDO, USAID, the World Bank and the African Development Bank
Prior to this, Allen worked for the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) supporting the implementation of the Intra Africa Trade Initiative and has served as past CEO of AVID Development, a consulting firm working on key issues of trade, development, and governance in Africa.
Allen currently sits on the boards of The Innovation Village (Chairperson); KCB Bank Uganda (Board Member); The Water Trust (Board Member); Girls for Girls (Chairperson). She previously served as the Chairperson of the Women Lawyers Association (FIDA- Uganda); and Board of Trustees of FEMNET.
Allen is a co-founder of Girls For Girls, a global mentoring initiative that seeks to empower ONE million girls to lead. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School (Edward Mason Fellow, 2017) and a Masters in International Business Law from the University of Manchester, UK (1998). She lives in Kampala and Nairobi with her 2 kids Daniella and Jogi.
Twitter Handle: @AllenAsiimwe1
LinkedIn Handle: http://linkedin.com/in/allen-sophia-asiimwe-816a974
About TMA:
TradeMark Africa (TMA) is a leading African Aid-for-Trade organisation that was established in 2010. TMA aims to grow intra-African trade and increase Africa’s share in global trade, while helping make trade more pro-poor and more environmentally sustainable. Our focus on reducing the cost and time of trading across borders through enhanced trade policy, better trade infrastructure, standards that work for businesses, greater use of digital innovations and a focus on creating trade access for vulnerable groups, has contributed to substantially lower cargo transit times through improved border efficiency, and reduced trade barriers.
TMA recently rebranded from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), reflecting our ambitions to serve partners in driving continental-wide trade gains, and are expanding from East and the Horn of Africa to Southern and West Africa. TMA operates on a not-for-profit basis and is funded by institutional and philanthropic development partners. TMA works closely with regional and continental intergovernmental organisations, national Governments, the private sector, and civil society organisations to deliver results that drive shared prosperity and reduce poverty.
For more information, please visit www.trademarkafrica.com
TradeMark Africa
In this role she is responsible for the overall operations and technical delivery of TMA’s project portfolio in infrastructure, trade environment, and business competitiveness, in East, West, Horn and Southern Africa. Allen also oversees the Climate Change and Gender portfolios and leads collaboration with key stakeholders and development partners, including the Partner States, FCDO, USAID, the World Bank and the African Development Bank
Prior to this, Allen worked for the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) supporting the implementation of the Intra Africa Trade Initiative and has served as past CEO of AVID Development, a consulting firm working on key issues of trade, development, and governance in Africa.
Allen currently sits on the boards of The Innovation Village (Chairperson); KCB Bank Uganda (Board Member); The Water Trust (Board Member); Girls for Girls (Chairperson). She previously served as the Chairperson of the Women Lawyers Association (FIDA- Uganda); and Board of Trustees of FEMNET.
Allen is a co-founder of Girls For Girls, a global mentoring initiative that seeks to empower ONE million girls to lead. She holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School (Edward Mason Fellow, 2017) and a Masters in International Business Law from the University of Manchester, UK (1998). She lives in Kampala and Nairobi with her 2 kids Daniella and Jogi.
Twitter Handle: @AllenAsiimwe1
LinkedIn Handle: http://linkedin.com/in/allen-sophia-asiimwe-816a974
About TMA:
TradeMark Africa (TMA) is a leading African Aid-for-Trade organisation that was established in 2010. TMA aims to grow intra-African trade and increase Africa’s share in global trade, while helping make trade more pro-poor and more environmentally sustainable. Our focus on reducing the cost and time of trading across borders through enhanced trade policy, better trade infrastructure, standards that work for businesses, greater use of digital innovations and a focus on creating trade access for vulnerable groups, has contributed to substantially lower cargo transit times through improved border efficiency, and reduced trade barriers.
TMA recently rebranded from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), reflecting our ambitions to serve partners in driving continental-wide trade gains, and are expanding from East and the Horn of Africa to Southern and West Africa. TMA operates on a not-for-profit basis and is funded by institutional and philanthropic development partners. TMA works closely with regional and continental intergovernmental organisations, national Governments, the private sector, and civil society organisations to deliver results that drive shared prosperity and reduce poverty.
For more information, please visit www.trademarkafrica.com
Eng. Mahmood Albastaki
Chief Operating Officer,
Digital Trade Solutions at DP World
Mahmood Albastaki is the Chief Operating Officer of Digital Trade Solutions at DP World, the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe, with a portfolio of 295 businesses in 78 countries across six continents.
In his role, Albastaki leads the development and global rollout of DP World’s major trade facilitation solutions including -among others- CARGOES Customs, the full-fledged AI-based customs administration system enabling effective digital transformation of customs operations and community services; CARGOES Community, the leading logistics community system enabling seamless cargo flow at ports and throughout the trade supply chain; World Logistics Passport (WLP), the world’s first incentive-based loyalty program rewarding traders and freight forwarders for high trade; and DUBUY.com, the innovative B2B e-commerce marketplace connecting importers and exporters across borders with efficient fulfilment from the factory floor to the customer’s door.
Albastaki served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) before taking up his current position as the Chairman of the Board for Dubai Trade, the electronic single window that underpins Dubai’s position as a global base for trading across borders with seamless processes for government agencies and private sectors, by integrating the major stakeholders in trade and logistics operations such as DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali port and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai Customs, Importers and Exporters, Shipping Lines and Agents, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Hauliers, and Free Zone Licensees.
Al Bastaki is also the former acting Director of E-Services at Dubai E-Government (currently “Digital Dubai”) where he formulated the then E-government strategy. He managed critical projects such as the governmental Electronic payment Gateway “ePay”, unified contact center “AskDubai”, and web hosting and Management platform “eHost”.
He was appointed as an advisor for the Dubai Expo 2020 bid team. He was also a member of the Board of Directors in the International Chamber of Commerce - UAE and Chairman of the Customs & Trade Facilitation Commission; a Member of the UAE National Committee of World Trade Organization; and the president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – UAE.
Albastaki is a winner of the 2013 “Accomplished Leader” category of Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award, organized by Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University and voted as the “Popular CEO of the Year” at the 6th International Maritime Award in 2013. He was selected as one of the Government Technology Leaders by “The Who’s who of the Government Technology – Middle East” in 2006.
He is a graduate of the Global Business Consortium Program at London Business School; the Muhammed Bin Rashid Leadership Development Program; and the Dubai Leaders Program in association with Wharton Business School. He holds a bachelor’s of science in Electronics Engineering Technology from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Oregon Graduate Institute.
Digital Trade Solutions at DP World
Mahmood Albastaki is the Chief Operating Officer of Digital Trade Solutions at DP World, the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe, with a portfolio of 295 businesses in 78 countries across six continents.
In his role, Albastaki leads the development and global rollout of DP World’s major trade facilitation solutions including -among others- CARGOES Customs, the full-fledged AI-based customs administration system enabling effective digital transformation of customs operations and community services; CARGOES Community, the leading logistics community system enabling seamless cargo flow at ports and throughout the trade supply chain; World Logistics Passport (WLP), the world’s first incentive-based loyalty program rewarding traders and freight forwarders for high trade; and DUBUY.com, the innovative B2B e-commerce marketplace connecting importers and exporters across borders with efficient fulfilment from the factory floor to the customer’s door.
Albastaki served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) before taking up his current position as the Chairman of the Board for Dubai Trade, the electronic single window that underpins Dubai’s position as a global base for trading across borders with seamless processes for government agencies and private sectors, by integrating the major stakeholders in trade and logistics operations such as DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali port and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai Customs, Importers and Exporters, Shipping Lines and Agents, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Hauliers, and Free Zone Licensees.
Al Bastaki is also the former acting Director of E-Services at Dubai E-Government (currently “Digital Dubai”) where he formulated the then E-government strategy. He managed critical projects such as the governmental Electronic payment Gateway “ePay”, unified contact center “AskDubai”, and web hosting and Management platform “eHost”.
He was appointed as an advisor for the Dubai Expo 2020 bid team. He was also a member of the Board of Directors in the International Chamber of Commerce - UAE and Chairman of the Customs & Trade Facilitation Commission; a Member of the UAE National Committee of World Trade Organization; and the president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – UAE.
Albastaki is a winner of the 2013 “Accomplished Leader” category of Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award, organized by Hamdan Bin Mohammed E-University and voted as the “Popular CEO of the Year” at the 6th International Maritime Award in 2013. He was selected as one of the Government Technology Leaders by “The Who’s who of the Government Technology – Middle East” in 2006.
He is a graduate of the Global Business Consortium Program at London Business School; the Muhammed Bin Rashid Leadership Development Program; and the Dubai Leaders Program in association with Wharton Business School. He holds a bachelor’s of science in Electronics Engineering Technology from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Oregon Graduate Institute.
Mr. Sanjeev Gupta
Board member and Executive Director for Financial Services
Africa Finance Corporation
Mr. Gupta has over 30 years’ experience in Investment Management, Private Equity and Corporate Finance. His forte has been to blend together global and indigenous corporates, financial investors, and governments to develop commercially viable businesses and development models that leave a sustainable impact on emerging economies.
Prior to joining AFC, Mr. Gupta was the Managing Partner of Emerging Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Center of Excellence at Ernst & Young. He has also been the Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Investment Management Emerging Markets operations and a Founder & Managing Partner of Emerging Opportunity Consulting, a boutique advisory firm specializing in SME financing.
Mr. Gupta holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calcutta, India and is an Alumnus of the Said Business School, University of Oxford, England and also an alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, India (FCA).
Sanjeev is a Board Member at various charitable and “not for profit organizations” globally. He is a member of the institute of Directors, United Kingdom.
Guest Lecturer at various universities, e.g., UCLA Anderson School of Management, University of Amsterdam Business School, Indian Institute of Management: Shillong, India, Murdoch University, Virginia military institute, Dubai etc.
Africa Finance Corporation
Mr. Gupta has over 30 years’ experience in Investment Management, Private Equity and Corporate Finance. His forte has been to blend together global and indigenous corporates, financial investors, and governments to develop commercially viable businesses and development models that leave a sustainable impact on emerging economies.
Prior to joining AFC, Mr. Gupta was the Managing Partner of Emerging Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Center of Excellence at Ernst & Young. He has also been the Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Investment Management Emerging Markets operations and a Founder & Managing Partner of Emerging Opportunity Consulting, a boutique advisory firm specializing in SME financing.
Mr. Gupta holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calcutta, India and is an Alumnus of the Said Business School, University of Oxford, England and also an alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, India (FCA).
Sanjeev is a Board Member at various charitable and “not for profit organizations” globally. He is a member of the institute of Directors, United Kingdom.
Guest Lecturer at various universities, e.g., UCLA Anderson School of Management, University of Amsterdam Business School, Indian Institute of Management: Shillong, India, Murdoch University, Virginia military institute, Dubai etc.
Dr. Adeeb Rahmeh
CEO & Managing Director
Future Energy Projects Development Co.
Future Energy Projects Development Co.
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