Speakers

Ali Bongo Ondimba entered political life in Gabon in 1981. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1989 and 1991, and then became a member of the National Assembly before going on to become Defence Minister from 1999 to 2009. In July 2009, he was chosen as the official candidate for the Gabon Democratic Party (PDG) for the presidential election due to take place following the death of his father, the Head of State. He was elected President of the Gabonese Republic on 30 August 2009 and took the presidential oath on 16 October 2009.

Since being sworn in, he has launched a number of large scale economic and infrastructure projects as well as a series of political and administrative reforms, all with a view to turning Gabon into an emerging economy. President Ali Bongo Ondimba is married to Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and is father to four children. He is a keen historian and nurtures two great passions, football and music. He is particularly fond of classical music, jazz and bossa nova and has even composed some musical pieces himself.

Mr. Janahi has more than 26 years of banking experience.He is Group Chief Executive of Dar Al-Maal Al-Islami Trust (DMI Trust).He is Chairman of Solidarity Group, Naseej and Ithmaar Development Company, Bahrain. Mr Janahi is a member of the Board of Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt and Ithmaar Bank Bahrain. He is also the Chairman of the Executive Committee and member of the board of Solidarity and Saudi Takaful Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Accountancy from the University of Manchester, UK and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

As CEO of AfricSearch, Didier Acoueteyhas recruited hundreds of executives and directors for companies working in Africa. He has led the restructuring of many companies and frequently drafts proposals for African governments and international organizations aimed at improving educational infrastructure.

Didier Acoueteyis an advisor to the Executive Boards and a chronicler for Radio France International (RFI) on training and employment in Africa. He was recognized as one of the most active people in Africa over the past 50 years by “Africa International” magazine.

He is Vice-President of “Africa Agenda & Action”, a network that brings young African leaders together to promote new leadership and help Africa establish itself as an economic leader.

He is eager to promote this new leadership to Africa’s youth and as such, founded the “Programme Excellences Jeunes” in 2010, aimed at identifying students with exemplary potential in Africa and giving them the opportunity to earn scholarships to the best African schools.

Along with Paulo Gomes, he co-founded the first Africa-South East Asia Chamber of Commerce to draft a partnership to spur investment in both regions.

Didier Acoueteyholds a MBA from l’Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris and studied international trade and industrial marketing.

David Adjaye is founder and Principal Architect of Adjaye Associates. Established in June 2000, the firm has received worldwide attention, with work ranging in scale from private houses, cafes and bars, exhibitions and temporary pavilions to major arts centres, civic buildings and master plans in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The practice is currently engaged on the prestigious commission to design the Smithsonian Institution’s ambitious National Museum of African American History and Culture on a prominent site on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Adjaye held a Visiting Professor post at Princeton University School of Architecture from 2008-2010. He is a RIBA Chartered Member, an AIA Honorary Fellow, a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  He was awarded the OBE for services to architecture in 2007 and received the Design Miami/ Year of the Artist title in 2011. 

Idelphonse Affogbolo created Africa Capital in 2007, after a 20 years career in banking. Africa Capital is an independent investment bank which provides its corporate clients with tailor made financing/fundraising solutions as well as strategic and restructuring advisory services. Mr. Affogbolo has been involved in numerous privatisations in Africa and is an advisor for several African governments.

Prior to creating Africa Capital, Mr. Affogbolo co-founded the Merchant Banking Division of Banque Belgolaise (a former subsidiary of Fortis Group) where he held the position of Managing Director from 1998 to 2006. From 1995 to 1998 he was the Head of French-speaking African countries at Natexis.

Mr. Affogbolo started his career in Public Administration as an official for the United Nation Development Program and he served as a technical advisor to the Cabinet of the President of Sénégal, in charge of the policy for the strengthening of public finances.

Mr. Affogbolo is a graduate from Université Paris Dauphine Business School.

Hassan Ahdab is the Vice-President and Regional Director of Operations for Africa & Indian Ocean region for Starwood Hotels & Resorts since 2006. In this position, he oversees more than 37 Hotels covering all brands.

He began his career in 1977 with Le Méridien, a subsidiary of Air France, and held a variety of senior level positions in finance and operations in many regions throughout the world. In 1987, Hassan Ahdab assumed his first Managing Director assignment located in the Seychelles. During his stay, he was elected the President of Seychelles Hotels Association (SHA) and served as an active Member of the Tourism Coordinating Committee chaired by his Excellency the President of Seychelles. He rejoined Le Méridien in 1992 as General Manager for Le Meridien Libreville, Gabon. He also founded the Gabon Professional Hotels & Tourism Association called “Destination Gabon” and served as Secretary General. In 1995, he was appointed General Manager of Le Méridien Saint-Martin Beach Resort & Marina, and was promoted in 1997 to Area General Manager of Le Méridien Hotels in the Caribbean & French West Indies. From 1998 until December 2005, he was the Regional Managing Director, Africa & Indian Ocean region.  

French citizen, born in Syria, Hassan Ahdab pursued his studies from Damascus. He holds a Bachelor degree in Economy, Commerce & Accounts Management. He has also obtained many diplomas from further studies and professional seminars. 

Ms. Clare Akamanzi is the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), a 500 staff organization in charge of promoting the country’s private sector through investment and export promotion, business support as well as promotion of strategic economic sectors. Ms. Akamanzi oversees an average annual budget that exceeds $50 million.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Akamanzi was the COO and Deputy CEO in charge of business operations and services within RDB. Other previous positions include Deputy Director General at the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), a commercial diplomat in London, United Kingdom and a trade negotiator representing the Government of Rwanda at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

Throughout her career, Ms. Akamanzi has contributed to notable progress in Rwanda’s trade and investment agenda. She is responsible for substantial growth of private investments from 5% of GDP to more than 10% over the last five years and a GDP average growth rate of 8.8%. She was technical coordinator of Rwanda’s business climate program. The program’s World Bank Doing Business Report global ranking of 158th in 2007 dramatically improved to 52nd in 2012, making Rwanda the 2nd most reformed economy in the world over the last seven years.

Idriss Akki is Managing Director of SportFive Africa, the leading African agency in the management of marketing and audio-visual rights for sports. SportFive Africa is part of SportFive, the international sports marketing agency owned by the French media group Lagardère.

SportFive Africa is the exclusive marketing and media agency of the main competitions organized by the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), the governing body for football in Africa.

An accomplished entrepreneur with more than 20 years of industry experience, Mr. Akki is recognized for the major contributions he has made to promote the image of football worldwide.

Mr. Akki and his team are continually looking to extend SportFive Africa’s innovative marketing, media and event services with a passion for new growth opportunities in Africa.

Ms. Nina AlidaAbouna is the CEO of the Agency for the Promotion of Investments  and Exportations (APIEX), prior to this appointment, advised the Minister of Economy, Trade, Industry and Tourism from 2009 to 2011 and was Commissioner General of Gabon to the Shanghai Expo 2010.

From 2006 to 2009 she was advisor to the Minister of Commerce and Industrial Development, in charge of NEPAD. This appointment gave her, from 2008 to 2009, the opportunity to coordinate the Commission of the Inter Ministerial for the development of the Gabonese code of trade with Facility BIZCLIM of the European Union, and also to become commissioner, representing the Ministry of Commerce with the Agency for the Promotion of Private Investments (APIP). Ms. Abouna is also, since 2007, the Delegate of Gabon to the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions).

Ms. Nina AlidaAbouna graduated from the Institute of European Affairs (IEA), Paris.
"My challenge is to contribute to a better visibility on investment opportunities in Gabon in order to attract FDI, and also to promote the potential of ''Made in Gabon’’ products.

Edmond Alphandéry sits on the Board of GDF SUEZ and is the President of its Strategic Committee. He served as Chairman of CNP Assurances in Paris from 1998 to 2012.  Prior to this appointment, he was Chairman of Electricité de France. 

From 1993-1995 he worked as a Minister of the Economy in the Government of Edouard Balladur, where he launched a widespread program of privatization, including BNP, Elf, and Renault, and gave its independence to the Banque de France. 

Mr. Alphandéry graduated in 1966 from Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, and after studying at the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley; he obtained his French Ph.D. in Economics in 1969 and his “Agrégation” in Political Economy in 1971.  He served as a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Paris II.  A former Member of the Consultative Committee of RWE AG, Mr. Alphandéry is presently a Board Member of Crédit Agricole CIB, of NEOVACS and sits on the European Advisory Panel of NOMURA Securities.  He also attends the Consultative Committee of the Banque de France and belongs to the French section of the “Trilateral Commission”. 

Roberta Annan is CEO and founder of Roberta Annan Consulting. With offices in New York and Ghana, Roberta Annan Consulting is a business development company that aligns investors with government entities and the private sector within Africa. She spearheaded the Miss Universe African tour, a charity tour to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS in the African Region. She also serves as the National Director for Miss Universe Ghana.

She is the Chapter Head for Africa 2.0, a nonprofit organization promoting the development of the African Continent. She is also the Africa Chair for the UN World Fashion for Development Program a non-profit organization promoting the fashion industry in developing countries. Roberta was the project developer for the Vogue Italia Special issue on Africa in 2012.

Roberta worked with United Nations Digital Health Initiative as the Program Coordinator where she built partnerships in private sector to help create awareness for MDGs on health. She was recently named a member of the Young Leaders Circle by the Milken Institute, a G8 Young summit delegate and member of the advisory board for Invest in Africa Club in London.

Stéphanie Antoine graduated with a Masters degree in Journalism from New York University, after earning her diploma at Sciences Po Paris. She worked for ABC News and CNBC for five years in New York City and then for Bloomberg in London. After that, she worked as a producer in France for six years for Public Television and private channel M6. She is currently Anchor for France24 Anchor for, Business Interview, A week in Business, and Business face-off. She is the Author of DSK at The IMF (Le Seuil 2011).

Ruben is an accomplished entrepreneur and investment advisor with a passion for developingandlaunchingmajorinitiativesthatblendsuccessful globalbrands,companies, and ideas with the significant opportunities for socioeconomic development and growth in Ghana and other parts of Africa. Through working at the highest level with global companies, majorinternationalbusinesses,andgovernments,Rubenhasdriventhelaunchofseveral groundbreaking initiatives.

He established the first major retail franchising and distribution business, Gracefield Ghana Limited, where currently serves as Chairman. He is a Co-Founder of West Africa LuxuryBrands,apioneerinBorderDuty-­‐Free shopsandInflightDutyfreeservices, for Ghana and its neighboring countries.

He formed part of the team thatestablished an Executive MBA Program at the University of Ghana Business School, Legon.

Through MECOWA he engaged LPA/Baker Group, a team of international infrastructural plannerstomasterplananddevelopover60acresofcommercialproperty(hotels,offices and retail) at the Kotoka Airport in Accra, Ghana.  

Ruben holds a MSc. in Management and a PhDin Finance from Imperial College, UniversityofLondon,UK. HisDoctoratethesiswas written onForecastingForeignExchange and the Efficiency of Pricing Foreign Currency Options. 

He is a founding member of the Ghana Malaysia Business Council.

Professor, writer, Honorary Member of the Council of State, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic from 1981 to 1991, founder and first President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, Jacques Attali is currently CEO of A&A, an international consulting firm specialized in new technologies, based in Paris, and President of PlaNet Finance, an international non-profit organization assisting microfinance institutions. PlaNet Finance is the most important world institution in support of microfinance, advising and financing their development in 80 countries.

He founded Action Contre la Faim in 1980 and the European programme Eurêka, a major European programme on new technologies that invented the MP3. Jacques Attali advised the Secretary General of the UN on the risks of nuclear proliferation. 

Jacques Attali has a doctorate in Economics and is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique, the Ecole des Mines, the Institut d'Etudes Politiques and the Ecole Nationale de l'Administration. He taught Economic Theory at the Ecole Polytechnique, the Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées and the University of Paris-Dauphine.

Jacques Attali is a columnist for the magazine L'Express. He has written 55 books, translated into over 30 languages, with over eight million copies sold all over the world. Dr. Attali has been designated as one of the three most influential intellectuals in France and one of the 100 most influential worldwide.

Cécilia Attias has dedicated her life to service; as a mother, a wife, a committed public servant, an activist, and an ardent supporter of women’s rights.

After studying law at L’Université Assas, Cécilia began her political career serving the French public as a parliamentary assistant. From 1989 to 2002, she served in Neuilly’s city hall and at the Assemblée Nationale. In 2002 she moved to the office of the Minister of the Interior, where she became deeply involved in women’s rights and issues of domestic violence, immigration, assimilation, and crimes against children. In 2005 she served as Advisor for the Minister of State, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry, and in 2005 as Chief of Staff for the Chairman of the UMP Party. Cécilia’s experience working with women and children in France strengthened her resolve to use her influence and status to make a difference.

In 2007, Cécilia Attias became First Lady of France, where she continued to champion the rights of those in need. That same year, she demonstrated her fortitude and determination by successfully negotiating with General Muammar Ghadaffi for the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor imprisoned on Libya’s death row.

Today, Cécilia serves as President and Founder of the Cécilia Attias Foundation for Women. She uses her experience in politics, relationship with global businesses, and knowledge of the communications industry to promote and support the valuable work done by NGOs and social entrepreneurs around the world. The Cecilia Attias Foundation support nine on the ground organizations with direct funding and media support. It has hosted two Dialogue for Action forums, New York City 2010 and Libreville, Gabon 2012, both of which brought hundreds of local and international women’s organizations, CEOs, and First Ladies together to form actionable solutions to global and regional issues faced by women and children.

Richard Attias is the world’s top community builder for the “thinking elite”.  As a global influencer over the last two decades, he has built a reputation for helping nations, organizations and corporations catalyze the global exchange of ideas.

This talent for anticipating the most pressing issues of our time, activating global networks of thought leaders, and inspiring innovation is based on his unique experience developing some of the most influential gatherings of global leaders in the last 20 years including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Nobel Laureates Conference, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Arab League Summit in Jordan, the China Economic Summit, the Monaco Media Forum, the Global Food Security Forum in Morocco, the signature of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in Marrakech, and most recently the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Hawaii in November, 2011.

Attias is also the founder and chairman of The New York Forum, a “Call to Action” forum for global CEOs, economists and business leaders to share ideas and provide recommendations and solutions for new business models in a post-crisis world.  In 2012, Richard Attias & Associates launched the annual New York Forum AFRICA in Libreville, Gabon, and coming soon the New York Forum CHINA.

Prior to establishing his base in New York, Attias spent nearly a decade at Publicis Groupe, where he is credited with creating the first worldwide events network Publicis Events Worldwide in 2001, before ultimately being named Chairman of PublicisLive. Richard Attias was born in Fez, Morocco.  He holds a degree in civil engineering and a Masters in mathematics and physics. He is fluent in English, Arabic and French.

In 1990, Olatunde graduated from Ahmadu Bello University with honors. He continued on to Nigerian Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Law Certificate in 1991. He holds a Masters in Law from The University of Lagos.

He founded the law firm Legal Resources Alliance in 1994. As a distinguished Legal Practitioner, he has completed courses at Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School.

In 2000, Mr. Ayeni founded Bond Bank Limited, a Commercial Bank in Nigeria. He was the largest single share holder until 2005 when the institution merged with four other commercial banks to form one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria, Skye Bank PLC. Today, Mr. Ayeni sits as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Skye Bank PLC.

In 2007, Mr. Ayeni took over Aso Savings and Loans PLC as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He has increased their balance sheet from 4 billion to 140 billion. The company is now poised to finance the development of more homes and mortgages in the booming housing sector of Nigeria.

Stéphane Bacquaert is a Managing Director with Wendel, a French family holding with a 300-year history, listed on the Euronext with €10Bn asset under management. Stephane joined Wendel in 2005. He is a member of the Investment Committee and in charge of direct investments in Africa. He currently serves on the boards of Bureau Veritas, Materis, Mecatherm and IHS Africa.

He was previously a Partner at Atlas Venture, an international venture capital fund with $2.5Bn under management, where he specialized in new technologies, telecoms and media. He began his career at Bain & Company, a leading strategy consulting firm, where he conducted studies in the telecom, banking and private equity industry in Europe and Central America. He then co-founded and led NetsCapital, an investment bank specialized in TMT. Stéphane Bacquaert graduated from the Ecole Centrale Paris and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques Paris, and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School (Baker Scholar).

ade Baderinwa is an Emmy Award Winning News Anchor in New York at WABC-TV's top-rated Eyewitness News at 5pm and 11pm.  WABC-TV is the number one local station in the United States.  Sade joined the Eyewitness News team in 2003 as a reporter and co-anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon. She has covered important stories ranging from President Obama’s Inauguration to the election of Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.  Sade has emceed events around the globe on a myriad of topics. Most recently, traveling to the middle east in Qatar, moderating forums with the top sports leaders in the world. Her travels have taken her to Africa where she has served as mistress of ceremonies with speakers including Former U.S. President George W. Bush, Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.  Sade has also moderated discussions in Lagos that include Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard.  

Sade is a big believer in giving back to her community.  She is President and Founder of The Get Reel Foundation, serving women and children.  The foundation has created a highly successful program called, "Get Reel with Your Dreams: The Inside Track" held at Lincoln Center - the performing arts capitol of the world. It exposes high school students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to top professionals in television and film. "Get Reel" has awarded $145,000 in scholarships. Her partners include Disney, WABC-TV, Lincoln Center Institute, and New York Women in Film and Television.

She also works with numerous organizations and community leaders. After being struck by a hit and run driver – while covering a story for ABC, Sade championed efforts to deal with the growing problem of hit and run accidents. For her efforts, she was recognized with the NJ Governor's Representative Award. While working as an Anchor in Baltimore, Sade testified before the Maryland State Legislature to help pass lead safety laws. She worked to enact childhood eye safety laws to help protect Little League players from serious eye injuries. She also developed a program to promote self-esteem, personal responsibility, and the importance of education at the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Mr. Balogun is also an independent director on the board of Nahco Aviance, listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. It is Nigeria’s leading aviation services provider with investments in aviation cargo and ground handling businesses and a nearly 80% market share. It’s  shareholders include BA, Air France and Lufthansa and 25,000 institutional and individual shareholders. Over the last year the company has commenced a diversification into the Power Sector and running Free Trade Zones, as well as an Africa expansion strategy. We will all attend the Forum and they are interested in opportunities in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in Aviation and Power.

François Barrault is chairman and founder of FDB Partners SPRL an investment and advisory firm in TMT, renewable energy and publishing.

He began his career as a researcher in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence with IBM Corporation, then founded and sold several businesses. He then moved to senior positions in large global companies including Lucent Technologies where he served as President and CEO of Lucent EMEA and then as International CEO and corporate officer. He ran all of Lucent’s 38 acquisitions in the Internet sector.

He retired at the end of 2008 from the position of CEO of BT Global Services and as a BT Group PLC board member. He established BT Global Services as a world leader in Networked IT services with 37,000 employees and operating in 176 countries. In 4 years BT acquired 32 companies. In parallel, Francois led BT Innovate, the advanced R&D; and innovation team of BT group and chaired & sponsored numerous initiatives with the most prestigious Universities in the world. Francois has been very active at the WEF. He created and then chaired the BT Global advisory board.

Francois is an active lecturer worldwide. He is a member of various boards of public and private companies, advisory boards, private investments funds and foundations around the world.

Born in Nice in 1941, Jean-Louis Beffa is an alumnus of the Ecole Polytechnique. He also holds a degree from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole and the Paris Institut d'Etudes Politiques.

He began his career in the Oil Division of the French Ministry of Industry.
In 1974, he joined Saint-Gobain as Vice President of Corporate Planning. He then served as Managing Director and subsequently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Pont-à-Mousson Company, a major subsidiary of the Saint-Gobain Group. He also lead the Pipe and Mechanics Division of Saint-Gobain from 1979 to 1982.

Jean-Louis Beffa was promoted to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saint-Gobain in 1986 after having served as Saint-Gobain's Chief Operating Officer since 1982. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2007-2010 and is currently Honorary Chairman of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain.

Since June 2010, he has been Senior Advisor of Lazard Frères and Chairman of Lazard Asia Financial Advisory. Jean-Louis Beffa is a director on the boards of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, GDF SUEZ and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL), and a member of the supervisory board of Siemens A.G.

Afif Ben Yedder is a graduate from HEC Paris and Harvard Business School. He served as the Managing Director of Jeune Afrique in Paris between 1962 and 1971.

He is the Founder of IC Publications, an international publishing company based in London and Paris.The Group publishes a number of leading Africa focused magazines in English and French covering current affairs, business, banking and lifestyle. These include New African, African Business, African Banker and New African Woman.

The Group recently diversified its activities and has an events division and media relations services. It also advises a number of institutions and partners on issues of Strategic Communication in Africa and worldwide, helping them to achieve better exposure and visibility. The events arm, IC Events, organises a number of international conferences, workshops and ceremonies including the famous African Banker Awards and the African Business Awards.

Since retiring from tennis in 1999, Boris Becker has actively been involved in the Media. He writes regular columns and articles for Bild, The Telegraph, India Times, and recently launched a ‘Sports & Emerging Markets’ blog on Forbes.com to heighten the success of his already prominent Twitter and Facebook presence. His regular and well placed TV commentating and appearances on BBC, Sky Sports, CNN, ARD, ZDF, RTL, and SAT 1 have reinforced his presence in the English and German media world. Boris Beckers’s profile is strong in Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, South Africa and Italy. He has endorsed Italian products such as Ellesse, Lotto, and FILA for 15 years. As a result of his presence in various global emerging markets, Boris Becker is able to assist and support in multiple territories within the African Continent.

Samir Benmakhlouf began his career in the Industrial Information Technology Consulting Field at leading companies including Cummins Engines, United Technologies, Bausch and Lomb, and Toshiba. 

Samir has 16 years of experience in ICT and franchising. He first joined Microsoft Morocco in 1998 as OEM Manager North and West Africa. He was promoted to Partner and Small Business Manager in North Africa. Samir then moved to leadership roles as Country Manager of Microsoft Algeria in 2001, and Country Manager of Microsoft Bahrain in 2002.

He received the Microsoft CEO Sales Award in 2000 and 2002. During his tenure in Bahrain, he was elected President of the American Chamber of Commerce and contributed to the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain. As Country Manager of Microsoft Bahrain, Samir drove many initiatives around e-government services, e-banking and the development of a national education initiative.

In 2006, Samir brought Century 21, the world's leading real estate brokerage, to Morocco and opened 23 branches in 9 cities. In 2010, Samir established Morocco's prestigious “Arsenal Soccer School” in Casablanca to train young footballers and create a new approach to Football and Professionalism.  In 2011, Samir re-joined Microsoft as Country Manager of Morocco. He signed a Vocational Training partnership which will allow 60,000 unemployed trainees to receive Microsoft training and certifications.

He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. in Industrial Automation and Management from North Carolina State University. 

In 2011, Fatou Bensouda of the Gambia was elected Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by the Assembly of States Parties and was sworn-in on June, 15 2012.

Mrs. Bensouda was elected as Deputy Prosecutor by the Assembly of State Parties in 2004 and served until May 2012.

Prior to her work at the ICC, Mrs. Bensouda worked as a Legal Adviser and Trial Attorney at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania, rising to the position of Senior Legal Advisor and Head of The Legal Advisory Unit.

Before joining the ICTR, she was the General Manager of a leading commercial bank in The Gambia. Between 1987 and 2000, she served successively as Senior State Counsel, Principal State Counsel, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General and Legal Secretary of the Republic, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice, in which capacity she served as Chief Legal Advisor to the President and Cabinet of The Republic of The Gambia.

Mrs. Bensouda took part in negotiations on the treaty of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Parliament and the ECOWAS Tribunal. She has been a delegate at UN conferences on crime prevention, the Organization of African Unity’s Ministerial Meetings on Human Rights, and the delegate of the Gambia to the meetings of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court.

She holds a masters degree in International Maritime Law and Law of The Sea and is the first international maritime law expert of The Gambia. 

Alan Bernstein is Executive Chairman and CEO of SFM Africa, an investment company focusing on the sustainable development of land use-rights in Africa. He has served as a senior executive and founding investor in emerging market investment and development businesses involving land and environmental resource management, forestry and agro-forestry, financial engineering and trading, agri-business, eco-tourism and resort development in Africa, Australasia, Asia and Latin America.

Alan co-founded Conservation Corporation Africa (now “& Beyond”) in 1990, establishing the company as a leading eco-tourism organisation in sub-Saharan Africa, pioneering private sector/state partnerships in eco-tourism and conservation development in 6 African countries.

In Gabon, Alan serves as Executive Chairman of the Grande Mayumba Development Company and of SFM Safari Gabon, public-private partnerships between the Gabonese Republic and SFM Africa formed to develop a large–scale, integrated, sustainable agri-business, forestry, infrastructure and conservation development plan in southern Gabon and a world-class circuit of high-end safari lodges in Gabon’s National Parks.

Jean-Louis Billon serves as Chairman of the Board of SIFCA Group and CEO of SIFCOM. He received a Master of Business Law at the University of Montpelier. He moved to the United States to receive a second Masters Degree in international business from the University of Florida in Miami.

Jean-Louis was elected Chairman of the Board of SIFCA in December 2001. SIFCA is a leading company in the agribusiness sector, specializing in organizing the growing, processing, and marketing of vegetable oil natural rubber, and cane sugar. SIFCA extends to Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria and employs over 25,000 workers. SIFCA contributes to West Africa’s development by purchasing the majority of its raw materials from private growers, which it then processes or markets internationally. 

In 2002, Jean-Louis was elected president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cote d’Ivoire. That same year, he was also elected vice-president of the UEMOA—the West African Economic and Monetary Union—and vice-president of the West Africa Francophone Consular Chamber. In 2004, he was elected vice-president of the Permanent Conference of African and Francophone Consular Chambers.

Wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie is a leading lawyer and committed campaigner for women’s rights. She founded the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women in 2008 to help women build small and growing businesses in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East so that they can contribute to their economies and have a stronger voice in their societies.  She is also Chancellor of the Asian University for Women, which seeks to educate girls from within the region to become leaders.

Cherie became a Queen’s Counsel in 1995 and in 2000 co-founded Matrix Chambers. She is the Co-Founder and Chair of Omnia Strategy LLP, a legal consultancy that provides strategic legal and policy advice to governments, corporates and private clients. Cherie has over 35 years as a leading barrister and sits as a part-time judge and is an accredited mediator. She is also president of the Loomba Foundation, trustee of Africa Justice Foundation and patron of a number of charities, as well as Vice-Chair of the US Secretary of State’s International Council for Women’s Business Leadership.

Pierre Blayau is Chief Executive Officer of SNCF Geodis, which is the freight transport and logistics division of SNCF group. He is Chaiman of Geodis.

As the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Geodis from 2001 to October 2012, he assumed his functions at SNCF group in May 2008 when Geodis was bought back by SNCF. With a turnover of € 9.5 billion in 2012 and a presence on all continents, SNCF Geodis is known as a world transport and logistics operator. Its aim is to propose to its clients efficient and innovative end-to-end transport solutions as well as management of their logistics chain. Pierre Blayau has set as a priority “to forge a path for our activity of freight transport to a profitable and sustainable growth that serves our clients’ performance”.

He has also served as Vice President of Corporate Planning for Compagnie Saint Gobain, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Pont-à-Mousson, Chairman of the Management Board of the Pinault-Printemps-Redoute Group, and Chief  Executive Officer of the Moulinex Group.

International Fashion Designer Ozwald Boateng is Founder of the brand Ozwald Boateng – ‘Bespoke Couture Ltd’. Celebrating over 25 years in fashion, Ozwald Boateng conceived a new silhouette and palette for international menswear; creating a concept of style and luxury for men not previously envisaged but desired by men everywere.  Previously, he held the position of Creative Director of Givenchy Homme. He began making bespoke suits in the 1980’s and is widely credited with introducing Savile Row tailoring to a new generation. In 1994, he was the first tailor to stage a catwalk show in Paris during Paris Fashion week.  Boateng’s many clients include Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Daniel Day Lewis, Russell Crowe, Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Spike Lee, and Mick Jagger.

He was recently awarded a honorary degree for ‘ An Outstanding Contribution to the clothing and Fashion industries’, Named as one of the Most Influential Londoners by the Evening Standard and awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 Queen's New Year's Honours.

Ozwald Boateng also co-founded Made In Africa Foundation, in 2011 alongside Kola Aluko and Atlantic Energy. The Foundation was set up to support and fund master plans and feasibility studies for transformational and large scale developments and infrastructure projects across the African continent, introduce a funding mechanism to assist successful businesses in Africa to transform their existing investments and prospects and give Africa Independence through development and infrastructure. 

Younès  holds advanced degrees in Communication and Marketing. He founded MediSystème, a distribution company for laboratory products, in 1992.

In 1993, Younès  successfully pioneered the first Moroccan private radio station. Founded in 1996, AMI became involved in the promotion and support of young talents from fashion and design.

Founded in Morocco in 2006, HIT RADIO’s model was duplicated in Belgium in 2009, Togo in 2012, and Central Africa in 2013. It aims to expand to a dozen countries in Francophone Africa.

Younès  is the founder of a Parisian Association for the Promotion of Young Talents, the co-founder and Secretary General of the Association of Independent Radio and Television (ARTI), and co-founder and Vice-President of l’Association Marocains Pluriels. 

Jean-Jacques Bouya is a Congolese politician, and currently holds the position of Minister at the Presidency for Spatial Planning in the government of Congo-Brazzaville. A pilot by profession, he served as Transport Adviser to President Denis Sassou Nguesso beginning in 1997, and then as Delegate-General for Major Projects since 2002.

Born in Mouembé in the Cuvette Region, he went to pilot school at Miler in France and in Miami. Certified on Boeings 737, 727, and Fokker 28, he worked as a professional pilot, flying a presidential aircraft from 1989 to 1992. He was appointed Transport Adviser to the President in November 1997, and in 2002 was appointed as Delegate-General for Major Projects. 

On 7 October 2011, he was made responsible for the coordination of the government's work. Following the 2012 election, he was appointed to the government as Minister at the Presidency for Spatial Planning and retained his position as the General Delegation for Major Projects.

Mr.Briosa e Gala holds a Masters degree in International Relations and Community law from the University of Lisbon.  He has been Secretary of State for Cooperation responsible for the development cooperation policy and humanitarian assistance of Portugal.  At the national level he was also in charge of the Portuguese foreign policy regarding the African continent. Mr.Briosa e Gala has been intensively involved in the peace processes in Angola and Mozambique, given Portugal’s engagement as diplomatic observer under the UN auspices. In 2007, the President of the European Commission, Mr. José Manuel Barroso, appointed him as his personal representative for Africa.

Harry G. Broadman is the Leader of PwC’s Emerging Markets Practice; he also serves as PwC's Chief Economist.  His practice develops and implements business solutions in high growth and transition economies for corporations to maximize new market opportunities while mitigating risks.  Harry is globally recognized as a seasoned practitioner, negotiator and thought-leader on multinational corporate strategy and global market dynamics.  Over the past 30 years he has worked with corporate and sovereign clients in China, India, Latin America, Russia and the rest of the Former Soviet Union, and Africa.  Prior to coming to PwC, Harry was Managing Director of The Albright Group and Chief Economist of Albright Capital Management, an emerging markets investment fund.  Earlier Harry served as a senior official at the World BankGroup; Assistant United States Trade Representative; Chief of Staff on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers; Chief Economist of the US Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs; Consultant at the Rand Corporation; a Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and on the faculties of Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities.  Harry is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a Member of the Bretton Woods Committee; on the Board of the Corporate Council on Africa; and on the Board of the Global Business School Network.   He attended Brown University, graduating with an AB in Economics and History magna cum laude and elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and obtained his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Michigan.  His most recent book is Africa’s Silk Road: China’s and India’s New Economic Frontier.

Dr. Shashi Buluswar is the CEO of LIGTT, the Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  LIGTT was launched in 2012 to develop technological breakthroughs for combating global poverty and related problems. 

Before creating LIGTT, Dr. Buluswar was a Partner at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, where he served as a strategic advisor to a range of institutions in international development -- NGOs, corporations, foundations, governments, social entrepreneurs, the UN, and the World Bank—on topics including health, agriculture, economic development, human rights, and climate change. 

Dr. Nicolas Bussard started his career as an e-commerce university lecturer at Coventry University (England) in 1998, at the age of 21. In parallel he worked on his Ph.D. in IT and passed it at the age of 24.

Soon after Nicolas became a serial web entrepreneur. Among other companies, he founded Feedzilla.com, a personal project he started in 2004 and turned it into a world leading news aggregator and news widget platform.

After focusing all his entrepreneurial life on the western world, in 2010 Nicolas turned his attention to the online African market and co-founded www.africagains.com, an Africa focused internet marketing agency. Helping many Africa based companies and organizations (mostly) from the western world to advertise their products and services to the official 167 million African Internet users.

In 2011, Nicolas also co-founded www.linkedafrica.com, a professional social network with 450,000 members that aims at turning Africa based job seekers into professional service providers. LinkedAfrica’s ambition is to acquire tens of millions of registered users within 4 years and provide them with relevant training services and help them find jobs and contracts in Africa and beyond.

Yassir Chakib is the Founder and CEO of PAYTOP, a leading payment company in France. He is an innovative and results-driven leader, experienced in launching new Services and Products and Managing cross-functional teams.

Chakib is an entrepreneur not only the founder of a successful Payment Institution in France, but also recognized as expert in Hi-Tech and Payment Sectors. He has spoken at a number of high level conferences and forums. He is also an expert in regulated sectors such as finance and telecommunications. Yassir holds both Moroccan and French citizenship speaks 4 languages fluently.

Yassir is an Engineer and holds an MBA from HEC Paris.

Dr. Jackie Chimhanzi is Senior Strategist at the IDC, a leading DFI on the continent with a mandate to promote and fund economic development, industrialization and job creation.  Prior to that, she was Lead, Africa Desk with Deloitte South Africa.  Her mandate was to assist companies to access and optimise opportunities across the African continent in the following sectors: Agriculture, Consumer Business, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, TMT, Financial Services, Healthcare and Infrastructure. Before that, she was a Manager in the Deloitte Consulting Strategy unit and led project teams on diverse client engagements interrogating and informing the strategies of major entities in energy, oil and gas, steel, banking and agriculture.

She was featured on the Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa 2012 list – women under 45 who are shaping the narrative of the continent’s rising. Jackie is a keen Africa watcher who speaks at Africa-focused conferences and closely monitors, analyses and writes on trends and issues on the continent.  She also provides commentary to leading publications and media houses.  Jackie is passionate about Africa and is convinced that Africa’s development can only be fostered and sustained by involving more young people and women.  To that end, she is a Fellow of the highly competitive pan-African ArchBishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Programme run by the African Leadership Institute (AfLI) at Oxford University and is also a founding member of New Faces New Voices, under the patronage of Mrs Graca Machel committed to widening financial access for African women entrepreneurs.

She holds a BSc (Hons), MBA (with Distinction) and a PhD (Strategic Marketing) - all from Cardiff Business School, University of Cardiff.  During this academic phase of her life, as a Researcher/Lecturer in Strategic Marketing at the University of Wales, she authored and co-authored papers in peer reviewed academic journals such as “Journal of Business Research” [US], “European Journal of Marketing”, Journal of Marketing Management [UK] and presented her work at various international fora.  Her PhD research focused on enhancing companies’ strategy execution capabilities.

Jared Cohen is the founder and Director of Google Ideas, an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the coauthor with Eric Schmidt of the New York Times Bestseller The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations, and Business. He previously served as a member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff and as a close advisor to both Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton.

In 2013 he was named as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world. He currently serves as a member of the National Counterterrorism Center’s (NCTC) Director’s Advisory Board. He received his BA from Stanford University and his M.Phil in International Relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He speaks Swahili.

Colin is head of the South African office, a role he has held since joining Goldman Sachs in 2000. In 2008, he was named head of the Investment Banking Division for Sub-Saharan Africa. Colin was named managing director in 2002 and partner in 2010.

In the early 1980s, Colin was involved in South Africa’s change process and later in its constitutional transition. From 1989 until South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, he was an executive director for the Consultative Business Movement. Colin served in working groups of the multi-party talks, facilitated the International Mediation Forum and helped to negotiate the agreement to facilitate all parties’ participation in South Africa’s 1994 elections.

In 1994, Colin became a senior consultant for public affairs at Standard Bank Investment Corporation (SBIC), where he was an advisor to the SBIC chairman. He was subsequently appointed director of Corporate and Merchant Bank. In 1997, Colin relocated to London, where he became a vice president of energy, power and oil for J.P. Morgan’s Investment Banking Advisory Department.

In 1996, Colin was nominated as one of the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders for Tomorrow. He was also a recipient of Harvard Business School’s “Business Statesman Award” in 1994 and was named one of Euromoney's World Top Ten “Financing leaders for the 21st Century."

Colin earned a BA in Architecture from the University of Witwatersrand in 1988.

Melissa T. Cook, CFA, is the Founder and Managing Director of African Sunrise Partners LLC.  ASP is an investment strategy firm dedicated to sub-Saharan Africa.  Our mission is to bring companies and institutional investors to Africa to invest, grow and profit. 

Ms. Cook has worked in the global equity business for over 25 years. She covered entertainment, broadcasting, housing, capital goods, and consumer products companies at Drexel Burnham Lambert, Prudential Securities and CLSA/Crédit Agricole. At CLSA, Ms. Cook was the Head of AsiaUSA Strategy, where she visited China regularly and wrote about the impact of China’s rise on multinational companies and global portfolios. She also worked as Head of Global Research at Lazard Asset Management.

Ms. Cook has an A.B. degree in History from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University. She is a CFA charterholder and holds FINRA Series 7, 16, 24, 63, 86, and 87 licenses.

With almost twenty years’ experience in energy investment and trading, Cyrille has lived and worked in markets spanning from Asia, Africa, Russia to Turkey and Europe. Before co-founding Lynx in 2010, Cyrille spent five years as Vice President for Business Development and member of the board at Mercuria Energy Ltd., leading a growth of turnover from $6 billion in 2004 to over to $47 billion in 2008. From the mid-1990’s to 2005, Cyrille held various positions at Total Oil Trading, heading the West Africa desk, the business development desk covering emerging markets, and pioneered the company’s Russia and CIS trading operations. Cyrille started his career with Sodechanges in Turkey after receiving a degree in English from Paris Sorbonne University, a Masters in Political science from the I.E.P Strasbourg and an MBA from the HEC.

Steve is the founding director of Makeshift (mkshft.org), a magazine and research institution investigating innovation in informal economies around the world, and author of Making Do, which catalogs his research on Kenya's jua kali roadside engineering culture. He is also part of IBM's design leadership team, driving a culture of design and innovation throughout the company. Previously at IBM Research, his work on SMS for healthcare in Uganda was accepted to the ACM SIGDEV conference, and he received awards and patents for his work on Smarter Cities, the Watson question-answer system, and enterprise crowdfunding. As an undergraduate, he founded the annual Better World by Design conference, ran Brown University's chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and developed an entrepreneurship center and curriculum for at-risk teens. He has spoken at TED, SXSW, and the Informal Economy Symposium.

Dr. Martyn Davies is the Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Advisory - a leading research, strategy and capital advisory firm that specialises in emerging markets.

Martyn has lectured by invitation at Harvard University, MIT, London School of Economics, Oxford University, IE Business School, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the African Development Bank, the OECD, the European Commission, the British Parliament and the World Bank. He is widely published in academia and has written for the Financial Times and the Washington Post and is a regular media commentator for the BBC, CNBC, CCTV, Al Jazeera, Reuters and AFP.

Martyn was previously the (founding) Director of the Centre for Chinese Studies (CCS) that was established under the South Africa – China Bi-national Commission at Vice Presidential level, a position he vacated in December 2009. During this time, he established the first Confucius Institute in Africa on behalf of the PRC Government in June 2004. He has also served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria. He is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of Tshwane University of Technology Business School, Pretoria, South Africa.

Martyn has been ranked the # 1 analyst in South Africa in the “Other African Economies &Markets;” category as awarded by the prestigious Financial Mail in its Annual Analysts of the Year awards. He was previously appointed as an advisor to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) for its Global Development Outlook project . He is a member of MasterCard‘s Global Knowledge Panel – a group comprising leading international economists and is also a member of MasterCard’s Africa Knowledge Panel providing strategic advice to the Board of MasterCard.

Martyn holds a BA degree in Law, an Honours Degree in International Relations (cum laude), a Master's Degree in International Relations (cum laude) (University of the Witwatersrand), a Diploma in Asian Studies (Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea), and a PhD in International Relations (University of the Witwatersrand) – all completed by the age of twenty five. He also has a certificate from Harvard Business School & GIBS for its “Making Markets Work” course.

In 2010, Destiny Man magazine named Martyn in its “Power 40” of leading South African businessmen under the age of 40. Martyn divides his time between South Africa and international travel. His is an avid reader and is an active sports fan and participant. He has been awarded Protea Colours for cycling for South African Universities, played soccer for his alma mater Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea and participated in athletics and cross country at provincial level during high school.

Photography Credit: Vanessa Van Vreden

Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk was born in Johannesburg on 18 March 1936 and was educated at Monument High School and Potchefstroom University. He practised as an attorney in Vereeniging from 1960 until 1972 when he was elected to Parliament. He was appointed to the cabinet in 1978 and during the following 11 years was responsible for the Mineral and Energy; Internal Affairs and National Education portfolios. In 1982 he was elected leader of the National Party in the Transvaal and became Chairman of the Minister's Council in the House of Assembly in 1985. In February 1989 he was elected leader of the National Party.

After his election as President in September 1989 Mr De Klerk initiated the transformation process that culminated  in the adoption of South Africa's first fully democratic constitution in December 1993.  He served as Deputy President in the Government of National Unity until June 1996 when he withdrew the National Party from the GNU and became Leader of the Opposition. He retired from party politics in 1997.

In 1999 Mr De Klerk published his autobiography "The Last Trek: A New Beginning" and established the F W de Klerk Foundation. In 2004 he established the Global Leadership Foundation in London. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Mr Nelson Mandela in 1993.

Pierre Descazeaux, 58, is currently SVP Africa & Middle-East for Air France KLM. He has a 33 years experience in the Airlines industry, always in Air France and Air France KLM, in positions mainly focused on sales and operations.

He was posted abroad twice, in Germany and Singapore and in the last 15 years has been SVP Air France, Corporate Sales and Distribution on the French market. He has also served as SVP Air France KLM for The Caribbean and Indian Ocean and SVP Air France KLM for Europe and North Africa.

Africa has long since been a priority for Air France KLM. The company’s policy for the African continent is based on 2 convictions. First, Africa will continue to grow steadily and with strength. Air France KLM is investing funds every year to accompany this growth. Second, there is an urgent need to improve the regional air transport network within Africa. Air France KLM is ready to support national and local airlines to better answer to this growing demand. Gabon is an excellent symbol of Africa’s dynamism and opportunity. 

Amadou Diallo is Chief Executive Officer of DHL Freight and a member of the DHL Global Forwarding, Freight Management Board. Based in Bonn, he is responsible for the performance and long-term strategic development of the unit, a role he is well-placed to perform with his experience in Freight operations and international leadership. Mr. Diallo was previously Chief Executive Officer of Africa and South Asia Pacific for DHL Global Forwarding.

Mr. Diallo has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism, banking, express and logistics industries. He was appointed to head the South Asia Pacific region in June 2008, prior to which he was Chief Financial Officer of DP-DHL Logistics Divisions and Managing Director for the integration of Exel and DHL. Mr. Diallo has worked across all geographies in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Renowned for his expertise and forward-thinking approach towards corporate integrations, Mr. Diallo played a lead role in shaping the development and structure of the DHL Logistics Division through the Exel integration, which remains the largest corporate integration in the transportation and logistics industry to date.

Mr. Diallo is a member of the Universal Business School of Mumbai. He was born in Senegal and is fluent in several languages including English, German, French, Fulani, Wolof and Spanish.

Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong is the Founder and CEO of the Dakar-based pan-African advisory firm, Africa Consulting and Trading (ACT). ACT believes that Africa can only achieve sustainable development by taking full control of its destiny with confidence, responsibility, professionalism, dedication and high caliber human resources.ACT supports both public and private clients in the areas of business/project strategy advisory and financial/commercial intermediation. While running ACT, Mr. Diong continues to serve as Senior Africa Adviser of the Corporate and Investment Banking of BNP Paribas which he has been advising since September 2011.

Mr. Diong served in July 2007 as Minister, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic of Senegal. As such, he was the Senior China adviser to the President focusing mainly on developing Chinese trade and investments opportunities for Senegal. Following his ministerial duties, Mr. Diong was appointed in May 2010 as Ambassador at Large to the President of the Republic of Senegal, undertaking strategic assignments for the President worldwide. His ambassadorial duties were combined with his role in May 2009 as Director General (DG) of the International Cooperation of Senegal. As such, Mr. Diong oversaw the country’s resource mobilization in emerging markets (China, India, South Korea, etc).  Mr. Diong was appointed in February 2011 as Permanent Secretary of Energy (PSE) of Senegal, leading, within the Ministry of Energy, the implementation of Senegal’s 4-year emergency plan in the energy sector, and in served in May 2009 for two years, as the first Chairman of the Board of the privately owned national airline of Senegal, Senegal Airlines (SAL), part of Group Air Senegal. Mr. Diong managed the operations the steering committee that helped set up the airline.

Prior, Mr. Diong served for over three years as a Manager in the Africa Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, as Regional Coordinator for Africa of the World Bank-managed multi-donor facility, the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), as  a Senior Associate with the US-based international management-consulting firm, Booz Allen and Hamilton (BAH), and as a consultant to a number of private, bilateral and multilateral organizations and NGOs in areas such as privatization design, infrastructure development, water resources management, environmental policy management and investment promotion.

Prior to his consulting assignments, Mr. Diong was a Managerof the Environment Unit of the Dakar-based Pan-African Agency for Research and Consulting (PARC) and the Water Department of the African Network for Integrated Development (ANID) for a combined three year. While living in Taipei, Taiwan, Mr. Diong established a consulting firm, Africa Consulting in Taiwan (ACT), whose main purpose was to advise Taiwanese businessmen on trade and investment opportunities in Africa.

Mr. Diong graduated from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in New York City with a Master’s degree in international affairs specialized in public policy, international finance and environmental policy management.  Mr. Diong is perfectly fluent in English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Wolof. He has lived and/or worked in many countries around the world, including China, Taiwan, Kenya, Hong Kong, South Africa, UK, Senegal and United States.

In 1964, he was named Managing Director of the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales du Togo. Between 1966 and 1968, he created the Regime des Accidents du Travail, the Regime de Retraite des Travailleurs and merged them with the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales. This entity later became the Caisse Nationale de Securite Sociale du Togo.

In 1968, he was elected President of the Conseil Economique et Social du Togo. Between 1971 and 1972, he launched a housing program on a 1000 acre plot of land owned by the Caisse Nationale and called “Residence du BENIN”.

In 1976, he was appointed as President of the Chambre of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry of Togo and then became Managing Director of SCOA TOGO (Groupe Multinational d’Import-Export francais), a position he held until 1984. He was President of the Fédération des Chambres de Commerce et d’Industrie de l’Afrique de l’Ouest  from 1978 to 1984. 

Sindika Dokolo was born the 16th May 1972 in Kinshasa, Zaire. He was brought up in Belgium and in France by his parents along with his two sisters and brother. Sindika Dokolo attended the Lycée Saint Louis de Gonzague (Paris) from which he graduated. He then studied economics, commerce and foreign languages at the Pierre et Marie Curie University of Paris VI. Initiated by his father, Sindika Dokolo started an art collection when he was 15. He decided to leave France in 1995 to join his father in the Congo and be introduced to the large family business. Sindika and his father stayed while everyone was leaving the country. They pursued their investments and their efforts to develop the Congo. The country collapsed and their activity couldn’t survive. Augustin Dokolo died in 2001 and Sindika took in hand the family business. He now lives in Luanda, Angola with his wife and children. His Congolese business is flourishing and Sindika remains a patriotic Congolese. He often spends time in Kinshasa where he runs the family business.

Pascal Drouhaud is an international networking professional with 12 years of experience within the French governmental structure.

He has served as Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America at Alstom, an International leader in energy and transport, since 2007.  

He served previously as the advisor to the Minister of Public Affairs for the French government, in charge of relations between the administrations in Francophone African countries, reinforcing his knowledge of the French administration.

He served from 2004-2006 as the Director of the International and European Relations of Union for a Popular Movement, headed by Nicolas Sarkozy. From 2002 to 2004, he was the Director of International Relations in charge of the strategy, projects of international cooperation. He established links with the media, explaining the decisions and missions of the organization. 

Nicholas Duncan-Williams is the Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM), head-quartered in Accra, Ghana.  He is the founder and father of the Charismatic Movement in Ghana and other parts of West Africa.  CAFM, one church in many locations, has over 300 affiliate and branch churches located in North America, Europe and Africa.

Known in many parts of the world as the Apostle of Strategic Prayer, Archbishop Duncan-Williams is also the Founder and President of Prayer Summit International (PSI). The Prayer Summits bring revivals to international cities through the power of corporate, intercessory and prophetic prayer.

Recently named by New African Magazine as one of "The 100 Most Influential Africans," Archbishop Duncan-Williams is also the Founder of Dominion University, based in Ghana, which aims to train a new generation in excellence and ethical leadership for ministry, government and business.  He is also the Founder of an NGO Compassion in Action Africa that is transforming schools under trees into 21^st century primary educational facilities while also providing clean water and other forms of support.  Compassion in Action also supports an orphanage with 150 children and a drug rehabilitation facility with 120 people recovering from drug addiction.  

Vladimir Duthiers is an international correspondent for CNN based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Duthiers was among the first journalists to arrive in Haiti to cover the 2010 earthquake, and was part of a CNN team that went on to win two Emmy Awards for its coverage of the earthquake and its aftermath. He also reported on the plight of trafficked children in Haiti and interviewed Haitian President Michel Martelly in 2011.

He was on the scene as the Occupy Nigeria movement exploded into the streets of Lagos, and has since covered the ongoing military intervention in Mali, the terrorist attack on the Amenas gas plant in Algeria, the trial and sentencing of the former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone, the 2012 presidential elections in Ghana, and the crash of Dana Air flight 992 that killed 153 people in Lagos. He also interviewed former U.S. President Bill Clinton during his visit to Lagos in 2013.

Ms. Echihabi received her State Engineering Diploma from Ecole Mohammedia des Ingénieurs, Rabat, Morocco  Since 2002, she has served as the Director General of the National Agency for the Promotion of SMEs in Morocco. She served previously as the Director of Studies and Industrial Planning and as the Head of Agro-alimentary Industries, Industrial Production Bureau for the Moroccan Department of Commerce. 

William (Bill) Egbe is the Group Director, Sustainability, Strategy & Business Planning for the Coca-Cola Company’s Eurasia & Africa Group. His position oversees 92 countries covering Africa, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Russia and the former Soviet Union States. He is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Until several months ago, Bill was President of Coca-Cola South Africa and Head of Pan-African Initiatives for Coca-Cola. He held these roles for 5 years.  Prior to this, Bill was briefly the Group Business Unit President for Coca-Cola Africa, a role where he had general management responsibility for Coca-Cola’s business in sub-Saharan Africa. He also previously spent 2 years as the President of Coca-Cola East and Central Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bill has more than 23 years of international experience in the fast-moving consumer goods and telecommunications industries; experience obtained on 4 continents in manufacturing, finance and marketing. More than 18 years of this experience has been in general management positions.

Bill holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Howard University in Washington DC, USA. 

Scott Eisner is executive director of the International Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Chamber’s Africa Business Initiative (ABI). As executive director of the International Division, Eisner oversees day-to-day management of the department as well as the budget, staff, and strategic direction. He plays an integral role in coordinating the activities of the division with internal and external stakeholders alike.

Eisner is also responsible for representing the Chamber’s interests in sub-Saharan Africa as executive director of ABI. This initiative is the business community’s leading advocacy-focused group aimed at strengthening U.S.-Africa trade relations. Eisner directs the strategic activities of the ABI as it engages with senior U.S. government officials, international business leaders, and African governments.

Previously, Eisner was deputy chief of staff at the Chamber where he oversaw the Executive Office and was the senior staffer to Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue. He also represented the Chamber at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Eisner has held a number of leadership roles at the Chamber, including special assistant to the president and CEO and director of programs for the National Chamber Foundation—an independent, nonprofit, public policy think tank affiliated with the Chamber.

Before joining the Chamber, Eisner held high-level jobs in the political arena, most notably his work on Sen. John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign as well as his reelection to the Senate in 2004.

Eisner spent time in international politics working for the International Republican Institute in Malawi, Africa, where he trained political parties on communications and campaign tactics leading up to Malawi’s 2004 presidential elections.

Earlier, he was director of business development for the Kronk Boxing Gym, one of boxing’s leading management and training firms. His duties included promoting and training former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Eisner graduated with a degree in political science from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Arnold Ekpe was Chief Executive Officer of the Ecobank Group from 2005 to 2012. He previously held the same position from 1996 to 2001. With 30 years banking experience in the industry, Mr. Ekpe has held several senior positions in African and international banking. He was Head of Sub-Sahara Africa Structured Trade and Corporate Finance at Citibank in the 1990s. In that position, he played a leading role in building Citibank’s corporate finance business in Africa, including several landmark transactions. He is also a former Managing Director of UBA.

Since his return to Ecobank in 2005, Mr. Ekpe led the ongoing transformation of the Group, which has become the leading Pan-African banking institution, with operations in more countries in Africa than any other bank in the world. Mr. Ekpe’s abiding passion is in promoting pan-African private-sector initiatives, particularly in the financial services sector. He holds a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from Manchester University and Manchester Business School respectively.

Mr Ekpe was member of the Governance and the Risk Management Committees of the Board.

Jean-Louis Ekra assumed his current as role President and Chairman of the Board of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in January 2005 after successively serving as the Executive Vice-President and Senior Executive Vice-President of the Bank. Under his leadership, the Bank, with Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, received investment grade credit rating from the three major international rating agencies: Fitch; Moody’s; and Standard & Poor’s. The Bank also won many awards and prizes for excellence from by various reputable organizations. Mr. Ekra was re-appointed by the Bank’s shareholders as President and Chairman of the Board for a second term in July 2010.

Prior to joining Afreximbank in 1996, Mr. Ekra held senior positions in various institutions, including serving as Vice-President in charge of International Financial Institutions at Citibank NA; Managing Director at Société Ivoirienne de la Poste et de l’Epargne, the post and savings institution of Côte d’Ivoire; Country Manager for the West African Economic and Monetary Union region at Meridien BIAO sa, Abidjan; and Partner at DKS Investment, a financial advisory firm in Jersey. He is currently the Honorary President of the Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions.

Mr. Ekra holds a Master of Business Administration from the Stern School of Business, New York University, and a Maîtrise en Sciences Economiques from the University of Abidjan.

In 2011, Mr. Ekra was listed among the 100 most influential people in Africa by New African magazine, a leading pan-African publication.

Since his appointment in 2007 as Chairman and CEO of Attijariwafa bank, Mohamed El Kettani has overseen the development of the banking and financial services group to its current status as North Africa’s leading bank and the seventh largest in Africa.

An engineering graduate of ENSTA Paris, Mohamed El Kettani began his banking career in 1984 when he joined Banque Commerciale du Maroc.

In 2004, he oversaw the merger between BCM and Wafabank, which resulted in the establishment of Attijariwafa bank, culminating in his appointment as the bank’s Chairman and CEO.

Under his chairmanship, Attijariwafa bank successfully implemented its 5-year strategic plan, “Attijariwafa 2012”, which has seen the Group consolidate its position as the market leader in the Moroccan market and become a leading bank on the African continent.

The Group currently operates in 23 countries, including 11 countries in Africa. It has the largest branch network in Africa with 2,882 branches and 15,289 employees.

Mohamed El Kettani is also Vice-Chairman of the Moroccan Bankers Association.

Mohamed El Kettani received the Officier de l’Ordre du Trône decoration from His Majesty King Mohammed VI as well as Senegal’s Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Mérite. 

After graduating from Sherbrooke University in Information Technology, Moulay Hafid Elalamy started his career in Canada as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Finance of Quebec, before joining Saint-Maurice, a Canadian insurance company, where he ran the IT department.

In 1988, Moulay Hafid Elalamy joined Compagnie Africaine d’Assurance in Morocco, a subsidiary of ONA, as General Manager. In 1995, he created SAHAM Group, which developed activities in several sectors, principally insurance, assistance, consumer credit, off shoring and distribution.

In 2005, Moulay Hafid Elalamy became CEO of CNIA Assurance following its takeover by SAHAM Group. In 2006, the Group acquired a second insurance company, Essaada Assurance, which merged with CNIA Assurance in 2009 to form CNIA Saada Assurance. In 2010, the Group acquired Colina Group, a Pan-African insurance company with operations in 10 countries.

A respected personality in the business and social communities of Morocco, Moulay Hafid Elalamy was Chairman of the Confédération Générale des Entreprises, the Moroccan business leaders’ organization, from 2006 to 2009.

Yariv Elbaz holds a masters degree in Finance from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and a degree from L’Ecole Supérieure Internationale d’Adminstration des Entreprises de Paris.

He began his career at BNP Paribas as an asset manager. He then founded Paris Keren Finance, an asset management company distinguished by various prizes for the excellent performance of its funds.

In 2002, Yariv sold his shares and founded COGEF, an investment firm headquartered in Geneva. Yariv sold COGEF in 2009.

In 2010, Yariv founded YCAP Group, an independent investment management company offering tailor-made investment solutions to institutional investors across pension funds, sovereign funds, insurance companies, banks, financial intermediaries and third party distributors. YCAP Group is based in Paris, Luxembourg, and Lausanne. As of December 31st, 2012, the assets under management represent more than $1.8 billion. YCAP Group’s wide range of expertise covers the main financial assets of fixed income, equities, commodities, real estate, hedge funds and private equity investments.

In 2012, YCAP Group launched its two funds dedicated to Africa. Agriland is focused on agriculture related investments and Infra PPP Africa is an infrastructure fund with a PPP approach.

Souad holds a joint BA in Operations and Production Management, IT from Montreal. She joined Bombardier in 2001. In the Aerospace division, she led the definition, implementation of Bombardier’s Manufacturing Information System and the development of integrated IT strategies.

She is currently the Chief Country Representative, North Africa for Bombardier. In her position, she establishes and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, supporting all regional activities for Bombardier's business units. Her job description recently expanded to encompass aerospace-level business development strategy in Africa. She has been named Officer of the Order of National Merit by HM King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Ebenezer Essoka is Chief Executive Officer, South Africa and Area General Manager Southern Africa of Standard Chartered Bank. With Governance, Executive and Commercial responsibility for South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Mauritius. He has had over 29 years of banking experience. Prior to this appointment, he was Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Central and West Africa.

Over the past 25years his involvement in the industry has ranged from the establishment of Greenfield operations to restructuring and repositioning mature businesses for sustainable growth across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has served on twelve SCB subsidiary Boards, currently as chairman of SCB Cameroon, Chairman of SCB Securities, South Africa and previously Chairman of SCB Côte d’Ivoire and Non Executive Director of ten others including Nigeria and Pakistan.

Ebby plays an active role as a member of various business associations and has served on Presidential Advisory Councils of some countries. In addition he serves on the Global Advisory Council of the London Business School and a founding member and trustee of the Global Reach Network Foundation – an organisation focused on bridging opportunity gaps for individuals and communities worldwide.

Amadou Gallo Fall is the Managing Director of NBA Africa based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He is responsible for leading the NBA’s efforts to grow the game in Africa and oversees all the NBA’s business efforts and grassroots programs on the continent.

Fall served as Director of Player Personnel and Vice President of International Affairs during his 12 years with the Dallas Mavericks. He was also the team’s International Goodwill Ambassador and oversaw their scouting assignments. Fall graduated magna-cum-laude from the University of the District of Columbia. 

He also launched SEEDS (Sports for Education and Economic Development Senegal).  In its 11th year, SEEDS is committed to providing educational opportunities for youth, creating social awareness and fostering economic development through sports.

Businesswoman, designer, community manager and event architect. These are the many hats that Celine Victoria Fotso, founder of Je Wanda Magazine, wears. Je Wanda is an interactive media platform focusing on entertainment, cultural events, and dedicated to African youth.

Celine holds advanced degrees in Marketing from The College of Enterprise Management of Nice and The Academy of Arts and Design in Montreal.

She has worked in the marketing and sales teams of leading brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, Smalto, and Reminiscence. She used her passion for African culture and her eclectic tastes to create Je Wanda & Co. Her brand fuses an online media platform, events, fashion and communications.

Celine’s dream is to  embody a young Africa through her brand ; on that is modern and focused on moving away from recurring negative stereotypes. She wants Je Wanda to represent and promote a decidedly positive Africa.

Well-known international financier Robert Friedland is in the vanguard of leaders in the global mining and energy sectors that have pioneered business links throughout Asia and the Asia Pacific region during the past 20 years.

Mr. Friedland is founder, Executive Chairman and largest shareholder of Ivanplats, which has an initial focus on advancing and developing three major mining projects in Africa. Ivanplats shares began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange in October 2012 following a successful initial public offering that raised CDN$306 million (US$308 million) frominternational investors in what was the largest Canadian IPO since 2010. Two of Ivanplats’ projects – the Kamoa copper discovery, an extension of the legendary Central African Copper Belt, and a large, unmined deposit at the Kipushi zinc-copper mine – are in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The third project, the Platreef platinum-palladium-gold-nickel-copper discovery, is on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.

Mr. Friedland founded Canada-based Ivanhoe Mines in 1994 and served variously as the company’s Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer during the ensuing 18 years, to April 2012. 

Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou leads the Africa Commercial Region as Senior Vice-President of SES. Ibrahima’s responsibilities include building a strong team on the continent to assist customers in bridging the digital divide and building their businesses via satellite connectivity.

Prior to joining SES, Ibrahima was Senior Key Director and Managing Sales Director with Intelsat. He was responsible for the development and execution of various strategic Sales initiatives. Before this role, Ibrahima was Director of the Regional Marketing Management team of Intelsat, defining and driving the marketing strategies in all regions. He was responsible for identifying long-term communications requirements for Intelsat customers worldwide and the projected satellite market share.

Prior to Intelsat, Ibrahima worked for Société des Télécommunications Internationales du Niger, the Signatory of Niger. His responsibilities included advising the Director General on new technologies, with a focus on the Internet and its applications. 

Ibrahima holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal and a degree in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Niamey (NIGER). He received his Master’s degree in International Management from the University of Maryland and his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland. 

Karim Hajji is the CEO of the Casablanca Stock Exchange, the third largest exchange in Africa, and a member of the World Federation of Exchanges.

In 2011, he joined the HOPE Global Board of Advisors and was appointed Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Association of African French speaking Exchanges.

Prior to joining CSE in April 2009, he was Chairman and CEO of Atlas Capital Group, a well respected, independent investment bank, active in both corporate finance and asset management, which he had founded in 1999.

After an 8 year international career at Eli Lilly and Co in the US then in Italy and Switzerland, he had joined the ONA Group, Morocco’s largest conglomerate, in 1990 as advisor to the Chairman, then General Manager of an affiliate in Monaco and finally Group CFO in 1994.

Karim Hajji holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School, a diploma from “Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris” and a Master’s degree in capital markets from the University of Paris-IX Dauphine.

David Hale is a Chicago-based global economist whose clients include asset management companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. He is the founding chairman of David Hale Global Economics.  He formerly worked as chief economist for Kemper Financial Services from 1977 to 1995 and Zurich Financial Services, which he joined as chief economist when it purchased Kemper in 1995.  He advised the group’s fund management and insurance operations on both the economic outlook and a wide range of public policy issues until 2002, when he founded David Hale Global Economics. He writes on a broad range of economic subjects and his articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the New York Times, and other publications. He has frequently testified before Congressional committees on domestic and international economic policy issues, and has done briefings for senior officials in the executive branch, including former President George W. Bush.  

Stefan started his career as analyst at Arthur Andersen, London & consultant at Corporate Descisions Incorporated, Paris. Before founding IEG in 1999, he held the positions as Director at Lazard, London, New York, Frankfurt & as Partner at VTC Venture Capital, Munich. He holds a CEMS Master in International Management from HEC, Paris and a MBA in Business Administration from University of Cologne.

IEG is a leading independent investment banking boutique focused on M&A;, Financing & Financial Strategy for the Digital & Technology, Business Services and Energy industries, locally present in 12 growth & emerging countries. 

Robert Hersov is a senior executive, private investor and entrepreneur based in London. He currently serves as Managing Partner of merchant bank Sapinda, Chairman of the VistaJet Advisory Board, Chairman of Adoreum Partners, Chairman of Taggstar, Chairman of Medikidz, and non-executive Chairman of Paragon Entertainment.

From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Hersov was the Vice Chairman of NetJets Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of NetJets, Inc. and a member of the NetJets Europe Advisory Board. Appointed in January 2010, Mr. Hersov is now the chairman of the VistaJet Advisory Board. Mr. Hersov founded and, from 2002 to 2004, served as CEO of Marquis Jet Europe, a private aviation company that he sold to NetJets, Inc.

Mr. Hersov founded and served as the Chairman of Sportal Ltd. From 1996 to 1998, he served as the Executive Director of Enic plc, a holding company that invests primarily in the sports and media sectors. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Hersov was the CEO of Telepiu PayTV in Milan, a pay TV and digital satellite company.

Mr. Hersov received a B.B.S. from the University of Cape Town and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

Voted as  #20, in Complex magazine’s 2012 “50 Most Influential People in Sneaker Culture”, Gentry Humphrey continues to be a beacon in the athletic footwear industry. Placed on a list with the likes of individuals such as Michael Jordan, Phil Knight, Spike Lee and Penny Hardaway, Gentry continues to play a pivotal role in influencing the lives of today’s culture of youth, worldwide.  He sets the strategic direction and leads a creative team in providing compelling athletic footwear for athletes that want to compete, train and “express” their lifestyle off  the court or off the field of play.

When you think of the Air Jordan franchise and its legacy of cutting-edge design in basketball footwear, the first person that should come to mind is Michael Jordan. After all, Michael wore these coveted shoes throughout his illustrious career to become one of the greatest players in the history of the game.  Like the man, the Jordan Brand and its logo, have become a representation of a symbol of excellence.  Tinker Hatfield is a name that pioneered the creation of revolutionary designs and keeping the tradition of excellence alive was also one of MJ’s “right hand men”, Gentry Humphrey.  From 2008 to 2011He was the Jordan Brand’s International GM, which is apart of a subdivision of Nike Inc. Gentry has been with Nike since 1989 and was one of the principal members of the Jordan Brand when it launched as a separate business unit in 1997.  Gentry was able to grow the Jordan business into a perennial success by reaching a billion dollars in annual revenue.

With no surprise…Gentry is a busy man.  He’s been responsible for the direction of Nike/Jordan’s basketball business and vision since 1997.  Providing creative direction to designers, developers, product marketing managers, advertising agencies and consumers from all across the world, has been a major focus of his day to day responsibilities.  However, his rapport and relationships with professional athletes, consumer focus groups, the Brand’s largest accounts, internal resources like Nike Sr. Management and the Jordan Brand’s Sales Force, has allowed him to become a valued commodity within the athletic industry.  If he isn’t collaborating with Jordan or other key influencers, he’s in the office sitting in meetings, making things happen and traveling all over the world representing the Brand and its interest.  He has frequent conversations with executives from other professional entities and has been interviewed by professional leagues like the NBA and NFL.  He has appeared on television shows such as CBS’s “60 Minutes”, CNBC’s documentary on Nike Inc, and the Design Channel’s “I’Design”.  He’s been featured in articles such as ESPN The Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Sole Collector magazine, Sneaker News and Footwear News. Gentry’s contributions in mentoring the youth of today and mentoring up and coming business professionals, has him presenting motivational speaking engagements to diverse programs such as; recreational centers, University MBA programs and Fortune 500 companies.

Originally from Cerritos, Ca., a small suburb south-east of Los Angeles, Gentry was a talented basketball player known for his tenacity, ability to lead and his dedication.  True to form, he went on to earn a degree in Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.  He paid his way through college working for the specialty retailer, Nordstrom which was his first entry into the footwear business and the retail professional world.  He joined Nike in 1989 and relocated to Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton Oregon in 1995.  A man with an extreme passion for sports, when he isn’t on the move at work, you’ll find him on a golf course as golf has become his true sanctuary.  His love of God and for his family, is what motivates Gentry and allows him to navigate through life’s journey.  For Gentry Humphrey, Nike and Jordan represent the perfect arena in which to live out one’s love of sport.  However, today he states that he receives the most satisfaction when he’s able to “Pay it Forward” to the youth of today, by sharing his knowledge and experiences.  

Ivor Ichikowitz is an industrialist and philanthropist.

Ivor is a life-long proponent of Africa and its people and his interests stretch from local community initiatives to international trade and development. Over the last two decades he has been an active investor, employer and industrialist building numerous successful businesses across the continent.

He believes that innovation is the key to Africa’s future growth. As a result his core businesses are within the high value manufacturing and technology sectors. It is investment in these and other heavy industries like mining and energy that positions Ivor at the vanguard of Africa’s re-industrialization.

Over the last 20 years he has built successful businesses across oil and gas, defence and aerospace manufacturing, property, retail, tourism, mining, agriculture and sustainable development across Africa.

Ivor is the Executive Chairman of the Paramount Group, which he founded in 1994. Under his leadership the business has grown into Africa’s largest privately owned defence and aerospace business.

As Executive Chairman of private equity group TransAfrica Capital (Pty) Limited, he directs investments in scientific research and development projects, producing innovative solutions for industry and commerce.

He founded the Ichikowitz Family Foundation which supports educational and developmental programmes that empower Africa's young people to seize the new century's opportunities.

Saran Kaba Jones is the Founder and Executive Director of FACE Africa, a Massachusetts based nonprofit that funds and supports sustainable clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Liberia.

Saran was born in Liberia but left in 1989 at the young age of eight, shortly before the country's civil war began. The daughter of a career diplomat, Saran spent her formative years living in Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, France and Cyprus before making her way to the United States in 1999. She returned to Liberia almost 20 years after she left to find a country in desperate need and made it her mission to help, specifically focused on access to safe drinking water and empowering women through education and skills training.

Since launching FACE Africa in January 2009, the organization has raised over $250,000 for clean water projects in Liberia. In recognition of her commitment to clean water initiativesthat have benefited over 10,000 residents in Liberia to date, Saran was recently appointedGoodwill Ambassador for the county of River Cess, Liberia. In her new role, she willencourage and promote business and philanthropic investments throughout the county,beginning with FACE Africa's 'County by County’ Commitment, which will seek to construct250 clean water wells in River Cess County by 2017. The initiative, scheduled to begin in theFall of 2012, will provide complete water coverage to the county, benefiting over 60,000residents, and will ensure that River Cess meets the Liberian Government’s 250 persons persafe waterpoint standard.

A firm believer in the private sector as the best possible as the best possible option for sustainable social and economic change in Liberia, Saran recently co-founded the Monrovia-based company,

Empire Group, to create businesses in the areas of small-scale manufacturing, agriculture, and hospitality.

Saran was recently named a 2013 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and was listed by the Guardian UK as one of Africa's 25 Top Women Achievers alongside President Joyce Banda of Malawi and Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee.

Mr. Donald Kaberuka is currently serving his second five-year term as President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). He was first elected in 2005, becoming the seventh president of the Bank Group since its establishment in 1963.

Before joining the African Development Bank, Mr. Kaberuka, had a distinguished career in banking, international trade and development and government service. A national of Rwanda, he was the country’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning between 1997 and 2005. During this period, he oversaw Rwanda’s successful economic reconstruction after the end of the civil war there.

He initiated and implemented major economic reforms and introduced new systems of structural, monetary and fiscal governance, laying special emphasis on the independence of Rwanda’s central bank.

These reforms led to the widely-recognized revival of Rwanda’s economy, and to the sustained economic growth that enabled Rwanda to obtain debt cancellation under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in April 2005.

Donald Kaberuka was educated at universities in Tanzania and Scotland. He holds a PhD in Economics from Glasgow University.

Kola Karim is the Group CEO and Managing Director of Shoreline Energy International Ltd, a leading energy and infrastructure company focused on Sub-Saharan Africa. His portfolio consists of businesses in oil & gas exploration & production, construction, commodity trading, agro-allied products, engineering services, logistics, FMCG and power infrastructure.

Mr. Karim is the current Chairman of Shoreline Natural Resources, which is the second largest onshore field by reserves in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also serves as Director in several other companies across Sub-Saharan Africa including, Costain West Africa PLC, Nigerian Ropes PLC, Schlumberger Testing & Production Services Nigeria, Trans Amadi Facilities Ltd, Eco Bank Nigeria Plc, Shoreline ETC LTD - Kenya, Panalpina - Angola, CWA-Ghana and Fortis-Ghana.

Mr. Karim is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader 2008 and also a pioneer and active member of the Global Agenda Council on Emerging Multinationals. Mr. Karim holds an MBA from the University of Leicester, a degree in Business Management from City University. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Program and the Harvard Kennedy School Leadership and Public Policy program.

David Khayat is Professor of Medicine and Head of Medical Oncology at the Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France. He gained his medical degree at the University of Nice and went on to become an intern and resident in oncology at the Paris hospitals. Professor Khayat also gained a Master of Science in tumour immunology from the University of Paris and went on to complete his PhD in tumour immunology at the University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris. He is also Adjunct Professor of Medicine in the Department of Breast Diseases at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, United States. He was the President of the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) from December 2004 to August 2006 and is now Honorary President of this Institute.

In 1998, he organised the French Federation of Medical Oncologists (FFOM) and was elected its first President, a post he held until 2001. He set up the Master of Excellence of Medicine in Oncology program.

Professor Khayat received the American Association for Cancer Research public service award in 2000 and was elected for a research grant from the Bristol-Myers-Squibb Foundation in 2000. He is a member of several editorial boards and is the associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and of Cancer.

SUN is an investor in natural resources, real estate, aerospace, infrastructure and technology businesses. SUN Gold has invested in gold mines in Russia, Kazakhstan and other emerging markets. SUN Energy operates Oil and Gas businesses in West Africa.

Shiv was elected ‘Global Leader for Tomorrow’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He is involved in philanthropic programmes in India and abroad through the Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation and the Global Education & Leadership Foundation. Chairman Aikido Aikikai Foundation, India

He holds degrees from Eton College, Brown University, an MBA from Wharton, and a Master's in International Studies, Lauder Institute, from Upenn. He is a Board Member of Wharton Overseers, Lauder Institute, The President's Leadership Council, Brown University; School of Oriental and African Studies; Moscow School of Management, Skolkovo; International School of Gabon Ruban Vert; Foreign Business Leaders Council for Russia at WEF Davos; Brookings India Founders Circle, and is a Member of YPO. 

Jacob Kholi is a member of the senior team responsible for The Abraaj Group’s investments and activities in Africa.

He has brought 17 years of venture capital and private equity experience to The Abraaj Group, which he gained in West Africa with CDC Group.

Before joining CDC, Mr Kholi worked for Shell in Ghana as a Financial Accountant and later as a Management Accountant.

He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana, having trained with KPMG in Ghana and holds an Executive MBA in international business from the Paris Graduate School of Management as well as an MSc in Finance and Financial Law from the University of London.

Stella Kilonzo MBS is the Founder of Astute Capital, an advisory company specializing on Africa in capital markets development, strategic policy, research and regulatory advisory, infrastructure finance, acquisitions and joint venture strategies.  

Stella serves on The World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Global Financial System and is a Non-Executive Director of Athi River Cement Ltd, Liberty Holdings Kenya Ltd and UBA Capital Plc.  

Stella served as Chief Executive, Capital Markets Authority Kenya from 2008 to 2012 were she oversaw development and regulation of the capital markets in Kenya. Stella served as Chairperson, East African Securities Regulatory Authorities (EASRA) from 2008 to 2010. She has previously worked for FINRA, the United States’ largest independent regulator, and PwC Kenya.  

Stella has an MBA, Corporate Finance, Loyola University Chicago & First Class Honors Bachelor of Commerce, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and is a CPA (USA).

Stella is 2010 Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) decorated by the President of Kenya for contributing to national economic development. She was among the 2011 Forbes 20 Youngest Powerful Women in Africa and the 2011 “100 most influential people in Africa” (New African). 

Manoj Kohli is the Managing Director and CEO (International) of Bharti Airtel. He has 34 years of experience, equally divided between the manufacturing and telecom sectors. He heads the International Business Group, which leads the international strategy & vision and is also responsible for leading the Africa operations in 17 countries. Manoj spearheaded the turnaround and transformation in the 17 Africa operations. This transformation covered networks, IT, BPO, Distribution and Brand and led new initiatives of 3G and Airtel Money in all markets.

He is a Director on the Board of Bharti Airtel. Prior to becoming Managing Director and CEO (International), Manoj held multiple roles as CEO (International) & JMD, CEO & JMD, President & CEO, and President of Mobile Services business. Before moving to Africa, Manoj led Bharti Airtel’s India operations for 8 years and grew the customer base from 1 million to 140 million.

Manoj holds degrees in Commerce, Law and an MBA from Delhi University. Manoj also attended the “Executive Business Program” at the Michigan Business School and the “Advanced Management Program” at the Wharton Business School.

Isabelle Kumar is a British journalist. She joined Euronews in 2003 and is now one of the leading presenter/reporters at the channel. Her activities have included covering key events such as the UK elections, COP15 Climate Conference, the Monaco royal wedding and Davos WEF as well as many interviews with global leaders. She currently presents the flagship debate programme On the Frontline. Before coming to Euronews, Isabelle worked for CNNI, Reuters and APTN in London.

Ms. Kwemo is President of A StrategiK Group, a firm that provides strategic advises to multi-dimensional entities, allowing them to compete globally and building in roads into the United States, Africa and other emerging markets.

She started her career in France at Bestaux Law firm.  In Douala, Cameron, she served as the Chief of the Maritime Claims and Disputes Department, and later as the General Counsel for Bollore Technology Group and Geodis Overseas.

She worked 7 years in the US Congress as Legislative Counsel for two members of Congress including Rep. Bobby L. Rush, Senior Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. In that capacity, she was instrumental in strengthening US - Africa trade relations.

Ms. Kwemo was President and Founder of the Congressional African Staff Association aiming at educating Members, Senators and staffers on the positive progress of Africa. Under her leadership, CASA became a reference organization in Congress, regularly hosting leaders from around the world in collaboration with the State Department and prominent think tanks.

Ms. Kwemo holds a LLM degree in Economics Activity Law from the University of Rouen in France and an LLM degree in International Business Transactions and Human Rights Law from American University in Washington DC. 

Olivier Laouchez is the co-Founder, Chairman & CEO of TRACE, an international media group, focused on producing and distributing urban music and sports celebrity content to fast growing multicultural and multiethnic audiences living in metropolitan areas around the world.

TRACE operations reach 160 countries and TRACE TV channels have leading positions all over Africa. TRACE media and content activities have rapidly expanded from TV to radio, mobile, digital and events.

Aged 47, with Caribbean and African origins, Mr. Laouchez is one of the very few black executives in the international media industry. He is an active contributor and supporter of youth expression, diversity and equal opportunity in media and society.

Fatine Layt is an expert in corporate finance, with an entrepreneurial background. She is the President and managing director of a French independent investment bank.

 She started her career in 1989 at Euris, one of France’s leading private equity fund companies. There she acquired experience in private equity and management as head of various subsidiaries: Managing Director of Sygma (the leading news agency); Director of Editeuris and Oros (publishing) and CEO of EPA (books).

In 1998 Fatine Layt became CEO of CEPP, an LBO sponsored by Apax.  In 2000 she drew on her knowledge of the media sector to create Intermezzo, a mergers & acquisitions advisory boutique specialising in this field. Three years later she founded and co-managed the investment bank Messier Partners in Paris and New York, with Jean-Marie Messier, former CEO of Vivendi.

In 2007 she founded the investment bank Partanéa, sold to Oddo & Co in 2009 and which merged with Oddo Corporate Finance (OCF), the investment bank of the Group Oddo.

Today, Fatine Layt heads Oddo Corporate Finance and is a member of the Group’s Executive Committee. She is strongly involved in several cultural and economic projects where she uses economics and finance as tools to improve societies and reduce social inequality.

She is a graduate with honours of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and of the SFAF (Financial Analysts), Fatine Layt is also a member of the Cercle Interallié and of Le Siècle. Additionally Fatine Layt is a Young Leader at the French American Foundation.

Fatine Layt has been awarded the Legion of Honour.

Benefiting from a joint French and Moroccan background and nationality, Fatine Layt cares about social and economic developments, and any related projects.

Acha is a Director of McKinsey & Company, and Location Manager of the Lagos Office.  He started his McKinsey career as a Summer Associate in the Johannesburg office in 1998 and rejoined the Firm in Atlanta in August 1999. He transferred back to Johannesburg in January 2002 to help expand the Firm’s activities across Sub Sahara Africa. He relocated to Lagos in 2010 to lead the Firm’s newly established office in Nigeria.

Acha’s industry work has been split primarily between telecom, oil & gas, and financial services; he has served a wide range of private, public, and social sector clients on issues of new investment decisions, business building, turn around/growth strategies, and economic development predominantly across SSA (e.g., South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Botswana, Ghana).

Prior to McKinsey, Acha worked for 3 years as a part-time Consultant at Pacific Monolithics, Inc and Spectrian Corporation, both in Sunnyvale, CA on novel techniques to linearize High Power Amplifiers for wireless applications, while completing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University.  His research at Stanford focused on applying xDSL techniques to wireless broadband transmission.  Acha also received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University, as well as a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering summa cum laude, with a minor in Economics, from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he graduated as Valedictorian (first Black Valedictorian in the School’s history) and was elected to Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu.  He is a co-founder and member of the Board of the African Leadership Academy, a co-educational boarding school which aims to develop the next generation of African leaders.  He is also a co-founder of the African Leadership Network, an invitation-only network of the current generation of African leaders who aspire to bring prosperity to the Continent. In 2008 he was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF), as Africa’s Young Investment Professional of the year at the Ai Investment Awards, and as one of the top 100 movers and shakers in Africa by Les Afriques.  In 2010, he was selected by Destiny Man as one of the top 40 men under 40 in South Africa, and in 2011 by Forbes as one of the top 10 youngest Power Men in Africa. Acha was one of the lead authors of McKinsey’s highly acclaimed Lions on the Move report. He is currently a member of the WEF’s Regional Agenda Council on Africa. He is originally from Cameroon, and is fluent in both English and French.

Francois Locoh-Donou is currently Senior Vice President, Global Products Group at Ciena Corporation, a global technology company building large telecommunications networks. Francois’ responsibilities include Research & Development, Product Strategy, Supply Chain and relationships with the company’s suppliers and technology partners.

Prior to his current role, Francois occupied the position of  Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East & Africa. 

Mr. Locoh-Donou is also the founder and Chairman of  ‘Cajou Espoir’ – a 500-people strong agro-processing company based in his native Togo – which focuses on processing raw cashew nuts for exports in Europe and North America. .  

Mr. Locoh-Donou holds an M.B.A from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a "Mastere" in Optical Telecommunications from the National Institute of Telecommunications of Paris (ENST), and a "Diplome d'Ingenieur" in Physics Engineering from the National Institute of Physics in Marseille (ENSPM), France.

Mr. Locoh-Donou lives in Washington, D.C – with his wife and three children.

Peter Mandelson is a Member of the House of Lords; Chairman of Global Counsel, a strategic advisory firm; and Senior Adviser to Lazard.

Lord Mandelson was elected to Parliament in 1992 and entered British government in 1997, serving as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

In 2004, he became EU Commissioner for Trade, until 2008 when he re-entered the British government serving as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills until 2010.

He published his autobiography, The Third Man (Harper Collins) in 2010.

Vérone Mankou is the founder and CEO of VMK, a Congolese startup whose strategy revolves entirely around mobile technology. In 2011 he presented its first product:  a PC tablet known as the Way-C. It is the first touch screen tablet designed by an African. The tablet has been available since January 2012 in the Congo and France and will soon be available throughout Africa. The tablet’s success has opened countless doors for VMK which is preparing to introduce a Smartphone to the market before the end of 2013.

In order to allow more people to have access to technology, the VMK board has introduced a home computer at the cost of only $100. They have also launched a digital textbook: a tablet dedicated entirely to education.

Beatrice Marshall is one of Africa's most highly respected News Anchors. She anchors "Africa Live" on CCTV News, a daily news program that gives global viewers a deeper perspective of the news and views of Africa. Beatrice is also the host of "Talk Africa", a weekly talk show that provides viewers with an inside look at political and economic affairs and trends in Africa.

Beatrice has extensive knowledge of Africa having covered major events across the continent, particularly the conflicts and politics of the Horn of Africa and Great lakes region for the past 10 years. In 2009, Beatrice moderated a forum for visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Nairobi. In 2011 she moderated a town hall forum for Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In 2010 she moderated a Kofi Annan led national debate on Kenya's dialogue and reconciliation process hosted by the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities. She has also moderated a town hall debate on the economy for Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Beatrice holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester (UK) and has been a journalism lecturer at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi.

Cote d’Ivoire born, Swaady Martin-Leke is the Founder and CEO of the African luxury brand YSWARA, the curator of Precious African teas. After a successful 10-years career at General Electric Co., Swaady decided to follow her passion for teas, African culture & heritage. At GE, she held leadership positions in several divisions across the world with her most recent posting as GE Transportation’s Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and acting-CEO for GE South Africa Technologies.

Swaady has received numerous distinctions and awards. Among them, she was selected as “New Leader of the Future” by the Forum of Crans Montana in 2011. In 2012, she was hand-picked to be part of the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme and named one of the “Youngest Power Women in Africa” by Forbes.

Swaady holds a Masters in Economic Sciences from the University of Lausanne and an MBA from the London School of Economics (LSE), NYU Stern Business School and HEC Paris Business School.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was born September 9^th, 1986 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Born from royal blood he and his siblings are by extension princes and princess of the native village of Bafia. At the early age of 12 he showed interest in basketball and from then never stopped playing the game; by 15 he was one of the best youth players in Cameroon, he then moved to the United States where he attended the Montverde Academy in Florida, there he was able to develop his basketball skills and complete his high school diploma.  After true hardship he earned a scholarship to University of California Los Angeles where he was a varsity on the basketball team for three years, where he was spotted and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Luc is now focusing on his professional career but he is also very dedicated to giving back to the community especially the African community.

Brian Menell is a principal and the CEO of the Kemet Group.  Kemet is a private group which invests in and manages a range of natural resource projects in East, Central and West Africa, ranging from gold and iron ore, to forestry and commercial agriculture.

The group also advises certain African governments on Resource Policy and strategic transactions. Brian also serves as the CEO of Tinco Investments Ltd, an integrated Tin and Tungsten producer with projects in Rwanda, South Africa and Niger. Brian is a former principal and Executive Director of Anglovaal Mining (AVMIN) with extensive Base Metal, Precious Metal and Ferrous Metal interests across Southern Africa.

Paul is a French CPA with 25 years in the recruitment business with Michael Page International, including various operational management/director roles within Michael Page's Finance, Technology and Executive Search disciplines (1987-2000). He also served as Business Development Director for Continental Europe (2000-2005)

He launched Michael Page Africa operations in 2005 Michael Page has been providing recruitment solutions for managers and executives in Africa for 6 years now, with 40 dedicated consultants working out of Johannesburg, Casablanca and Paris. Michael Page Africa has placed candidates in 38 out of the 54 African countries.

Paolo Montessori, CEO eServGlobal, has worked in the telecommunications industry for more than 20 years, having spent the last 10 years specifically focusing on mobile money and payments. He is a well recognised figure in the global mobile VAS market and has been closely involved in the creation of mobile solutions which bridge the telco and financial worlds, having led projects for numerous industry leaders.

Mr Montessori’s experience extends to the telecom and financial services industries in Australia, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, encompassing both emerging and developed markets where mobile money is experiencing rapid growth.

Paolo, who joined eServGlobal in 2012, draws on a unique combination of deep industry knowledge and global telecommunications management experience to lead the company in the provision of next generation end-to-end mobile money solutions.

Prior to leading eServGlobal, Paolo held senior positions at Comviva and LogicaCMG.

Tarek is the founder of Affinity, a Ghanaian financial company that provides support to entrepreneurs through financial services, advisory and training programs. Previously, Tarek was an investment manager at GLG Partners (division of Man Group plc) where he managed a portfolio that invested in banks. He then joined the management's strategy team to help grow the business. Prior to GLG, Tarek worked at Deloitte where he advised global private equity funds on acquisitions. Tarek started his career as an academic, having completed his PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge and an engineering degree from Imperial College London. Tarek is on the board of OneLeap, a social start-up, a trustee of Arms Around the Child, a charity that looks after children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and is an advisor to Chatham House and Dr Jane Goodall, DBE.

Daniel is the CEO of Bwamanga Sustainable Investments Advisors. The company is involved in the development of businesses in West Africa with a focus on Nigeria and Ghana.

The company has a focus on Agriculture, Financial Services, Energy and Healthcare, four of the areas with the strongest expected growth over the next 5 to 10 years.

Prior to founding his business he was Head of Business Strategy and Chief Operating Officer of AXA Investment Managers the Investment Management arm of the AXA Group. 

Daniel is a non-executive Director of AXA Cameroon and is retained as advisor to AXA Group in its development in West Africa.

In 2012, he was awarded the Alumnus of the Year of International House at the University of California Berkeley for his efforts to address food security and unemployment issues in Northern Nigeria and where he has set-up a nascent farming business.

Hon. Louise Mushikiwabo is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda. She previously served as the Minister of Information in the Government of Rwanda. She is an author and public relations executive.  She lived in the United States for 22 years, then briefly in Tunisia, before joining the Rwandan Cabinet in March 2008.

She is the co-author of Rwanda Means the Universe (St. Martin’s Press, 2006)—an intergenerational socio-historical memoir; and she has contributed many articles to newspapers and online magazines. She has given numerous television and radio talks on Rwandan issues, and collaborated on many award-winning documentary films.  She is also the recipient of the 2004 Outstanding Humanitarian Award from American University’s School of International Studies.

Ms. Mushikiwabo holds Languages and Interpretation degrees from the University of Delaware, USA.

Bertin NAHUM was born in Senegal in 1969 and raised in France. His studies at l'Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA, Lyon, France) [The National Institute of Applied Sciences] confirmed his vocation: "At the end of my studies, I took part in the design of software capable of detecting brain injuries automatically using scanners. This feeling of usefulness gave me the desire to dedicate my career to patients, but on the technician side, through the creation of robots that could assist surgeons with their operations."

Engineering diploma in hand, he earned a Master of Science in Robotics degree from Coventry University (England) before beginning his career. He worked for ten years with large groups specializing in robotic surgery such as Computer Motion Inc. (cardiac surgery, urology, etc.), Integrated Surgical System Inc. (orthopedic surgery) and IMMI SA (neurosurgery).

In 2002, Bertin NAHUM founded in Montpellier (France) his own surgical robotics company called Medtech.

Amir Nayeri is Chief of Staff at Richard Attias & Associates, a global positioning and advisory firm, where he focuses on counseling leaders, corporations and nations on how to build their global influence, catalyze innovation and lead the global exchange of ideas. An investor and analyst by trade; Amir has extensive experience working in both public and private debt and equity markets. Prior to joining RAA, Amir worked as a Private Equity Associate with PHI Industrial Acquisitions in Madrid, Spain, and also served as the Head of Corporate Development at Healthscreen Solutions, a TSX-publicly listed company. Amir started his career as an analyst with Spinnaker Capital Markets in Toronto, Canada.

Amir spent considerable time in the HIV/AIDS sector in Togo with the Clinton Health Access Initiative. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an HBA from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Zemedeneh Negatu is the Managing Partner for Ethiopia and Head of Transaction Advisory Services for Eastern Africa at Ernst & Young.

An American of Ethiopian origin, his global clients have ranged from “Fortune Global 500” companies to Latin American multi-nationals to African governments.

Across Africa he has advised clients extensively in various sectors including financial services, airlines, telecoms, manufacturing and agro-industry. Zemedeneh is presently advising investors from around the world about investments in Africa. And, this past year, he led a high powered Mergers & Acquisition (M&A;) team which advised on a very successful project for Diageo, plc, the world’s largest spirits company, in one of its largest acquisitions in Africa. Previously, Zemedeneh had led the E&Y; team, which helped transform Ethiopian Airlines to the second largest in Africa and more profitable than all African airlines combined.

The firm Zemedeneh leads was recently awarded “Lead Advisory Firm of the Year” for 2012 by a leading UK based financial publication. Zemedeneh was recently recognized as “Pioneer Ethiopian-American Diaspora Business Person of the Year” in Washington D.C. 

Zemedeneh completed Harvard Business School’s LSE program, received a business degree from Howard University, Washington, D.C. and is a U.S. CPA. 

Thione Niang is a mentor, political activist, community leader, international motivational speaker and consultant.  Named by Complex Magazine as one of the 10 Young Activists Who Are Changing The World in March 2013, Thione’s personal journey is a testament to the power of dreaming big.  

In 2009, he launched the GIVE1 PROJECT, a global nonprofit organization, dedicated to the engagement and empowerment of young leaders for the pursuit of social, economic and political advancement in their communities. His organization is currently operating in France, USA, Senegal, Benin, Canada, Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Turkey, Belgium, Guinee Conakry, and Japan.

Mr. Niang is also the creator and host of the THIONE NIANG SHOW, an online forum dedicated to social engagement and awareness of current issues in the arts, society, business and politics.

Since 2011, Thione has served as the national Co-Chair of GEN44, the DNC and Obama for America’s newest program to cultivate and empower a rising generation of Democratic leaders.  Gen 44 is the fundraising arm of the Obama for America campaign for individuals under forty.

As a result of his leadership, the Center for American Progress named Thione as one of America’s Ten Most Daring Young Black Activists in February 2011.  In 2012,Thione was featured in Applause Africa magazine’s “Change Maker Issue” as one of Africa’s Forty Under Forty young leaders.

Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo served as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 until 2007. Upon leaving office, he oversaw the first civilian handover of power in Nigeria from one democratically elected leader to another.

He has at different times served as Chairman of the Group of 77, Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Chairman of the African Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee on NEPAD, and today serves on the African Progress Panel to monitor and promote Africa‘s development. In 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Obasanjo as his Special Envoy on the Great Lakes.

President Obasanjo is also Founder of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, a UK-based charity that has a mission of advancing Human Security for All. The Foundation has wide ranging initiatives of Feeding Africa, Youth Empowerment, Education for Girls and a health initiative focused on non-communicable and water borne diseases.  

Christine Ockrent is a columnist and writer based in Paris. She writes regularly for El Pais, The Guardian, Gazeta Wyborcza, l’Espresso and various other European newspapers. She is also the producer and presenter of a weekly radio program about foreign affairs on France Culture.

Previously, she served as COO of the French Radio and TV World service, France24 and RFI. She was also editor in chief of the weekly news magazine, L'Express.

She has had an outstanding career in television, both as producer of documentaries and anchor of the evening news, where she shaped a style as the first woman presentor and editor.

Ms. Ockrent was also deputy director general of TF1 Television and an editor with RTL Radio. She began her career in broadcast journalism at NBC News and worked for eight years at CBS' 60 Minutes. She has been awarded several French and international distinctions for her work in TV journalism.

She is a graduate of the Institut d'études politiques in Paris and studied at Cambridge University. 

Francis is a Lawyer by profession and holds an LLB Honours Degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam. He is an Albert Parvin Fellow of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and a Fellow of The Kenya Institute of Bankers, Chairman of Tourism Promotion Services Eastern Africa Limited and Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited, and a Non-Executive Director of the Nation Media Group at which he chairs the Group’s Editorial Board Committee. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Strathmore Business School, Strathmore University-Nairobi and is a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences – East Africa. 

Francis’s involvement in nurturing leadership talent at pan-African level has been through Africa 2.0, where he serves as a member of the Advisory Board and is the organization’s Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Eastern Africa.

In a peer review conducted by The Nairobi Law Monthly in 2010, Francis was recognized as one of the 50 Kenya’s most influential Lawyers.

Francis is currently the Executive Director in charge of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Industrial Promotion Services Group of Companies, an affiliate of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. 

With more 22 years of Industry Experience, Dr. Alberto Olympio has lead several successful Information Technology projects for many organization worldwide, both public and private, as a consultant and architect of information systems by implementing security solutions, collaboration, enterprise messaging, data encryption, e-government, business applications (ERP), Business Intelligence and Analytics to name a few. He started his professional life in France and the UK before moving to the United States where he spent nearly 12 years. He decided to return to Africa to take a position with Microsoft.

A few years later, Alberto founded Axxend Corporation: an IT and Systems Integration consulting firm which is now servicing customers in over 15 countries in Africa and employs more than135 talented and extraordinary professionals.

Alberto holds a doctorate degree in Systems Management and is an Engineer in Information Technology. He studied in France and completed his education in Harvard Business School where he studied Business Administration.

On a private note, Alberto contributes and donates his time to several nonprofit organizations, plays Piano, holds a Private Pilot license and is an advanced Squash player.

Yaw Owusu founded Gateway Innovations Ltd to develop and manage the first technology park in Ghana. Mr. Owusu co-authored the book Modernizing Commonwealth Governments (publisher: Commonwealth Business Publications, London, England, 2004). The book, available on Amazon.com, outlines the role of startup incubation and technology parks in transforming Africa's IT economy.

Mr. Owusu has presented papers on innovation in emerging markets in the last 10 years, including the ITU Telecom World 2012 in Dubai, UAE; the 11th MIT Global Startup Workshop, Madrid, Spain and the 8th Annual Africa Business Conference at Harvard Business School. He worked for General Electric and IBM Global Services as project manager before joining the technology group of the Investment Banking unit at Goldman Sachs in New York. Mr. Owusu studied in the Executive MBA program at Columbia Business School in 2001-2002 and majored in Mathematics and Economics at Albright College, Reading, Pennsylvania. He earned a certificate in Planning, Developing and Managing Technology Parks in 2007 from the Shanghai International Business Incubator.

After getting his Master’s degree in banking from the American University of Washington, D.C, Henri-Claude Oyima starting his career with Citibank in New York and then in Libreville. He joined Paribas Gabon (later renamed BGFIBank) in 1983 as a Deputy General Manager. In 1985, he became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the board of Directors in 1986. Since then he’s been the main architect of the Group’s growth at the national and international level. Besides his managerial duties, Henri-Claude Oyima presides over many organizations such as the Gabonese Executive Trade Union since 2004, and the African Leadership for Financial Institutions in 2008.

Milind K.Oza is President, Global Ventures, Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL).  He is currently focusing on JSPL’s efforts in North and West Africa.  Prior to his taking assignment with JSPL, he worked with a Canadian telecom major as Director of International Marketing, and with Booz Allen Hamilton in Mclean Virginia.  Mr.Oza holds a Bachelor degree in business and a degree in law from South Gujarat University, India.  Mr. Oza also holds Masters in International Management studies from University of Texas and Masters of Science in Management Information Systems from University of Texas at Dallas, USA. 

With over 20 years of experience in large international groups, Loic has worked as Director of Sales and as Marketing Director  for Lease Plan, Daimler Chrysler, and FIAT Group.

His fluency in four languages ​, French, English, Italian, and Spanish, have allowed him to oversee the development of the European network Minorplanet Systems, a leader in GPS vehicle tracking. He has led the creation and direction of all European subsidiaries  and manages more than  500 staff in 9 countries.

In 2005, he joined Risc Group, a French IT services provider, as CEO and President to restructure and develop its operations in Europe. He successfully led the company’s turnaround and sold it in 2009.

He founded Windeo Green Futur in 2009 with a goal of increasing investment in renewable energy. He currently serves as the group’s President.

Loïc Pequignot is also a major investor in the  leisure, telecommunications, and renewable energy sectors. 

Serge Pereira is the chief Executive Officer of the Unicon Group.

After working several years in the investment banking sector in the United States, He started Unicon Development in 2001 as a vehicle to develop turn key projects in Africa.  After several successful large scale projects in central Africa, the group has diversified into a regional conglomerate involved in real estate, construction, hospitality, education, automotive and Finance.

 Today it has close to 2,000 employees and is building two of the largest university campuses in Africa, in Congo and in Equatorial Guinea.

A serial entrepreneur, He also hold stakes in several ventures developing products to fight against malaria and other infectious diseases.

 With his Wife, he chairs the Unicon Foundation for education that donates laboratories and school materials to local communities.

He holds a BS in Management and a MBA in Finance.

Born in 1971 in Flensburg, Germany, of French and German nationality, Michael Peters

graduated from EM Lyon business school with a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering (1995) and from IAE Lyon III (1992).

He began his career at the international auditing firm of Arthur Andersen, in Lyon, France in 1995.

Michael Peters joined Euronews in 1998 as Finance Manager and then became CFO. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Euronews in December 2003.

In May 2005, at the age of 33, and seven years after joining Euronews, Michael Peters was appointed Managing Director of Europe’s leading news channel. In December 2008, Michael Peters was appointed Managing Director of the Executive Board of Euronews S.A. In December 2011, Michael Peters was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board.

Herbert Pohl, Director with McKinsey & Company, Inc., leads the Infrastructure practice in Middle East & Africa and is part of the Global leadership team. During his 15 plus years at McKinsey, he has led many infrastructure mega-projects and transformations of government institutions as well as private sector companies.  His work ranges from national strategies for infrastructure and logistics, regulatory management, operations to defining the social and economic development objectives and translating those into national agendas to financing/PPP. He has published on this topic and is a frequent speaker at conferences, specifically those focused on infrastructure in Africa.

Herbert Pohl studied law and economics in Freiburg, Geneva, Munich and New York and holds a Ph.D. from Munich University and a LL.M. from New York University. He is married with three children. 

Mehdi Qotbi discovered his gift for painting by chance while studying at The Kenitra Military High School. He further developed his gift at the Beaux-Arts of Rabat, Toulouse and in Paris. In 2005, he returned to live in Morocco where he became a member of the Advisory Council on Human Rights and has strived to bring cultures together ever since. In 2011, he was appointed Head of the Foundation Nationale des Musées in Morocco while continuing his acclaimed work as an artist.

Celebrated globally, Mehdi Qotbi’s work represents a world with unlimited possibilities. At the crossroads of the Orient, the Occident and Africa, geometrical abstraction, and the refinement of Arab-Islamic decorative art, his work commands the eyes to move slowly across the interlaces of his contemporary calligraphy and Arabic writing.

Mehdi Qotbi has displayed his work on every continent. His pieces can be found in the collections of the Musée de la Ville de Paris, the Centre Georges Pompidou, The British Museum in London, the Museums of Fine Arts of Houston and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the National Gallery of Art in Amman, Jordan.

John A. Quelch is the Charles Edward Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Between 2011 and 2013, he was on leave as Vice President, Dean and Distinguished Professor of international Management at CEIBS (China Europe International Business School).

Professor Quelch has held leadership roles at business schools on three continents: as Dean(equivalent to chief executive) of CEIBS,China's highest ranked business school; as Senior Associate Dean at Harvard Business School and as Dean (with Vice Chancellor status) of London Business School.

Professor Quelch has extensive experience as a non-executive director of companies listed in the USA and United Kingdom. He is the longest-serving director of WPP, the world's largest marketing services company,and of Alere, a diagnostics and health management company. He served previously on the boards of Pepsi Bottling Group and Reebok International in the USA and Blue Circle Industries, easyJet and Pentland Group in the UK.

Professor Quelch served for eight years as pro bono Chairman of the Massachusetts Port Authority, restoring confidence and stability to the $450 million turnover agency following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Quelch also served pro bono as Chairman of the British American Business Council of New England and as Honorary Consul General for the Kingdom of Morocco in New England.

Professor Quelch is an expert on international management andeconomic development. He has advised companies and governments in more than fifty countries. He has (co)authored seventeen Harvard Business Review articles and twenty-five books including All Business Is Local (2011) and Greater Good: How Good Marketing Makes For Better Democracy(2008).

Professor Quelch holds degrees from Oxford University, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations. He received the CBE for services to British business in 2011 and holds an honorary doctorate from Vietnam National University.

Jean-Christophe Ramos graduated from the Ecole Supérieur de Commerce de Reims and joined the CANAL + group in September 1990 after four years as a management controller at TF1 and three years as the CFO of Créativité et Développement.

He was appointed CFO of CANAL + HORIZONS in 1990 and Executive Director of MultiTV AFRIQUE in 2001, which became CANAL OVERSEAS AFRICA in 2008. This branch is in charge of distributing and expanding CANAL + and its digital bouquet across Africa.

Photography Credit: Maxime Bruno, Canal +

An alumni of Harvard Kennedy School, Moji is the first female and youngest Deputy Chief of Staff in the history of the government of Lagos. A member of the Governor’s high level policy team that developed transformational policies and consequent improvements in the State, she served as Senior Special Assistant-Admin & Strategy from 2007-2011, restructuring operations in the Governor’s Office, establishing a Project Monitoring Unit and Lagos-Clinton Foundation Partnership programme.

In her current position, she oversees the daily administration of the Governor’s Office and manages relations with 75 Government ministries & agencies. In partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School’s IFED Programme, she established and manages the INNOVATE LAGOS initiative, the first government-led programme to support innovation in Nigeria – she has established an Innovation and R&D; Council and currently developing the state’s innovation policy.

With degrees in Law & Development Finance (UK) her 12 year career covers legal & financial analysis, business planning & brand management at the UK Department of Health, Lehman Brothers and other institutions.

After studying economics and journalism, Jean-Luc Ricci began his

career as a specialist on economic issues and restructuring for various

regional newspapers. He later became the editor-in-chief for an economic magazine and worked as Corporate Sponsorship Director for Vittel and Communication Director for the Image Group. He then worked for a communication and political marketing consulting firm and joined HEC Paris group as affiliated professor in the Executive Education Communication program (CESA) in 2004.

Since 2007, he has overseen the development of the HEC School of

Management in Africa and the implementation of 12 HEC Executive Clubs in

Western and Central Africa. He also worked on the deployment of an

innovative strategy based on Public Private Partnerships to trigger

economic development. He has also affiliated with the Exchanges

Committee Africa France (CEAF) with the Parisian Trade and Industry

Chamber (CCIP). 

Luc Rigouzzo is Executive President and Co-Founder of Amethis Finance: an investment fund focusing on long-term responsible investment in Africa built in partnership with the Edmond de Rothschild Group.

Luc Rigouzzo was, from June 2006 to December 2010, the CEO of PROPARCO, the French Development Financial Institution. He was also Member of the AFD Executive Committee and Chairman of the Board of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI). He is a Board member of “DANONE communities”, an incubator for social enterprises.

Luc Rigouzzo, who holds degrees in both agronomy and finance, began his career in Mexico. He devoted the first 14 years of his career to private equity and project finance in the agribusiness and food sectors in Latin America and Africa, initially at AFD and Proparco then at IFC. From 2002 to 2006, he created and led the AFD department of non-sovereign and financial sector, structuring and developing AFD’s activities in the infrastructure and banking sectors. 

Alec Ross is one of America’s leading innovators. He recently served for four year as Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a role created for him by Secretary Clinton to maximize the potential of technology and innovation in service of America’s foreign policy goals. Prior to his service in the Obama Administration, he served as convener for technology and media policy for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and co-founded an NGO that grew from modest origins in a basement into a global organization serving millions of low-income people, with programs on four continents. Alec started his career as a school teacher in an impoverished community in the United States, an experience which launched his career harnessing the forces of globalization to advance the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations around the globe.

Nouriel Roubini is the cofounder and chairman of Roubini Global Economics, an independent, global macroeconomic and market strategy research firm. The firm’s website, Roubini.com, has been named one of the best economics web resources by BusinessWeek, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist. He is also a professor of economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Dr. Roubini has extensive policy experience as well as broad academic credentials. From 1998 to 2000, he served as the senior economist for international affairs on the White House Council of Economic Advisors and then the senior advisor to the undersecretary for international affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department, helping to resolve the Asian and global financial crises, among other issues. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and numerous other prominent public and private institutions have drawn upon his consulting expertise.

He has published numerous theoretical, empirical and policy papers on international macroeconomic issues and coauthored the books “Political Cycles: Theory and Evidence” (MIT Press, 1997) and “Bailouts or Bail-ins? Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Markets” (Institute for International Economics, 2004) and “Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance” (Penguin Press, 2010). Dr. Roubini’s views on global economic issues are widely cited by the media, and he is a frequent commentator on various business news programs. He has been the subject of extended profiles in the New York Times Magazine and other leading current-affairs publications. The Financial Times has also provided extensive coverage of Dr. Roubini’s perspectives.

Ruan Xiaoming is the Vice-Chairman of China-Africa Business Council and Chairman of the Gemsy New Group.

Ruan Xiaoming is Vice-President of the International Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China and Executive Vice-President of Zhejiang Sewing Association.

Gemsy New Group is involved with industrial sewing machines, electronics, foundry, packaging machinery, fiber, insurance, real estate and other industries, and is one of the country'stop500private enterprises.

Gemsyis one of "China Famous Brand" award winners, "the Ministry of Commerce focusing on cultivating and developing the export brand", Gemsy trademark by the State Administration for Industry as "well-known trademark."

Mr. Rugara is the Founder and Managing Director of CCG.  Mr. Rugara has structured and advised on over $2 billion dollars in transactions on four different continents. He has advised some of the largest corporations and largest financial institutions, and Heads of State and Government on a wide range of matters from Finance and Corporate law to Strategy and Governance.

Prior to CCG Mr. Rugara was a Partner in the Corporate Finance department of a large US based law firm. Mr. Rugara represented clients in a variety of industries and advised on transactions in multiple jurisdictions. Mr. Rugara worked with several Fortune 500 companies and many corporate entities. The majority of Mr. Rugara’s work was in the area of private issuances of debt and equity, municipal bonds, corporate law and board governance.

Mr. Rugara received his BA in Psychology from the University of Manitoba and served as Student Union President. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School, which he attended on a Royal Stone Scholarship and served on the Audit committee of the Board of Regents.

Nadia SALAH is the Eco-Media Group administrator (2 daily newspapers and a radio station). She is also chief editor of the Group’s publications. After studing economics and political sciences in Grenoble (France), she enters Moroccan press: L’Opinion (10 years), then “La Vie Economique” (1 year), before creating the Eco-Media Group in 1991.

Minna Salami is a writer, blogger, speaker and commentator. Her work focuses on African feminism, society and popular culture and as such she has written for various publications including The Guardian, The Independent and The Huffington Post. She is a contributor to the Guardian Africa Network.

Minna is the editor of the multiple award-nominated blog MsAfropolitan, listed as one of "40 African change-makers under 40" by Applause Africa, "one of 50 Remarkable Women connected by Nokia" and shortlisted "Blogger of the Year" in RED Magazine "Red’s Hot Women Awards" 2012. 

She is a guest speaker at settings such as the African Union (AU) headquarters, the Southbank Centre, The V&A; Museum, University of Northampton (keynote), Channel 4 and TV Ontario. 

A Senegalese national, Oulimata Sarr is a Board Member of Africa2.0 in charge of Donor Relations. Africa 2.0 is a Pan-African civil society organization that consists of over 300 young and emerging leaders from Africa and the Diaspora who share a collective vision for Africa and a commitment to finding and implementing sustainable solutions capable of leapfrogging the development of the continent.

She currently works for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an institution member of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. She is based in Burundi where she is leading IFC Advisory Services activities. 

Albert Sasson, M. Sc., D.Sc. (University of Paris), is a founding member of the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology. He has had a distinguished scientific career as a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Science of Rabat, Morocco; and thereafter at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, Paris). He was Assistant Director-General of UNESCO and Special Adviser to UNESCO Director-General from 1993 to 1999.

He has been Senior Visiting Professor at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (Yokohama, Japan) and is a senior consultant to United Nations specialized agencies, several governments, national and regional institutions, as well as to the European Commission. He is President of the Association BioEuroLatina that aims to promote cooperation between Europe and Latin America in biotechnology. Albert Sasson has been appointed by the King of Morocco as member of the Kingdom’s Human Rights Consultative Council (CCDH), the governing board of the Royal Institute of Strategic Studies (IRES), and the Economic and Social Council.

His research and work have culminated in over 200 publications, including many books and reviews on biotechnology in developing countries over the last 38 years. 

Moussa is a renowned expert in the field of agricultural science and planning.  He is the architect for Senegal’s national policy on agriculture, known as “Senegal Agricole” a Comprehensive Multisectorial Rural Development Program calld also Senegal Vert and pioneered the concept of “Agropoles,” a word he coined in 1989.  In the late 1990's he created Agraria Africa, a concept for developing agriculture on a Pan African scale, based on the geophysical and climatic specificities of the African Continent.

Moussa is also President of Agrina Senegal sa, an organic highly mecanised irrigated agribusiness Farm he founded in 1996.

He is the Chairman of PanAAC, the Pan-African Agriculture and Agribusiness Consortium, a plateform to mobilize and engage the private sector involved in the African Agribusiness and Agro-industry value chain. Moussa was also recently appointed as the Chairman of Lead Africa, a leadership training program for anglophone and francophone Africa.  He has acted as a consultant on agricultural policy to FAO, UNDP, World Bank, and the Swiss Government, among others.  He has managed an agricultural graduate and undergraduate student exchange program with University of Minnesota, ISARA of Lyon, University of Dakar... and has a very strong network in the agribusiness industry.

Previously, Moussa managed the SYSPRO think-tank of ENDA, the international environmental and development organisation, for 20 years, since its formation in 1986.  He built SYSPRO into one of Africa’s most highly respected think-tanks, and he is regularly quoted and published on issues of agricultural development and planning.

Moussa graduated from the University of Minnesota Borlaug Hall, USA and the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II in Morocco.

Taiye Selasi is a novelist, photographer and filmmaker. Born in London and raised in Boston, Selasi holds a BA in American Studies from Yale and an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford. In 2005 Selasi wrote the seminal essay, "Bye-Bye, Babar (Or: What is an Afropolitan?)", considering the identity of African transnationals. In 2006 she joined the WGAE Screenwriting Lab at Columbia University, studying under Academy Award nominee Zach Sklar. In 2012 Selasi began the documentary 2030 : SIX, a six-part series about African millennials.Her debut novel, the New York Times bestseller Ghana Must Go (Penguin, 2013), has been sold in 15 countries and heralded as a "once in a generation debut." In 2013, Selasi was named to Granta's prestigious list of Best of Young British Novelists. She lives in Rome.

Ipeleng Selele is the founder and Group CEO of Khumo Group. Khumo Group comprises Khumo Investment Holdings, Khumo Consulting and Khumo Branding and Marketing. KHUMO specialises in foreign market entry strategies, it provides solid, comprehensive business consulting services that ensures ease of business operations and transactions in Africa and emerging markets.

She has held various roles and positions including that of Group Strategy Director, Senior Strategic Consultant, Head of Strategy, Strategic Marketing Executive, Business Strategy Consultant, Strategic Project Manager, Senior Marketing Consultant, Brand Strategist and Senior Strategic Planner over the years in a broad range of industries in the public and private sector including Telecommunications, Banking, FMCG’S, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Automobiles, Construction, National Branding, IT and Consulting.

She recently played an instrumental role in conceptualizing, developing and implementing the key stakeholder engagement and training project that enhances South Africa’s global competitiveness by empowering key stakeholders who deliver on (and leverage) the nation brand and aligning them to enhance South Africa’s reputation. She has repositioned a JSE listed IT company. She was part of the team that developed the Brand Strategy for France Telecom and Telkom Kenya Ltd. She is also currently repositioning the South African Maritime Authority. She has worked on projects in South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Angola and the UK.

Ipeleng is currently involved through a partnership in a digital television migration project across the continent which enables countries to bridge the digital divide through access to information. She has been instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing the recent BRICS 2013 Summit which was held in Durban; South Africa focusing on the Maritime agenda. She championed the BRICS Maritime business seminar aimed at leveraging the BRICS partnership with an objective of developing Africa’s maritime trade and attracting investment into the maritime industry.

She was also at the forefront of hosting together with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Black Business Council (BBC), a series of preparatory business breakfast sessions for the private sector in order to develop a firm and clear business agenda for BRICS which was articulated at the Summit. The topics that were successfully covered at the breakfast sessions convened by Khumo Group were:

Ipeleng Selele holds a MSC (Master of Science) in International Marketing Strategy majoring in Foreign Market Entry Strategy from the University of London South Bank. She recently completed an African Leadership Executive Course from Oxford University as part of her TUTU Fellowship. She is passionate about entrepreneurship development on the continent. Ipeleng is part of the Africa 2.0, Brand Africa initiative, and is a business fellow for the Global Networks for Africa’s Prosperity.

Abe M. Sher is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Aqua Sciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation involved in the development, manufacture and sale of advanced water technology products and services. Under Mr. Sher's leadership, Aqua Sciences has developed and is currently selling innovative atmospheric water generators that will generate drinking water virtually anywhere on the planet, including "dry" deserts.

Contracts spearheaded by Mr. Sher include those with the Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, the United States Army, and the United States Department of Homeland Security-Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among numerous other key international deals. Under Mr. Sher’s leadership, the Company developed disaster relief atmospheric water generators that will operate in virtually any climate condition where there is human population; in addition, Mr. Sher has negotiated a deal with a pre-eminent multi-national consumer electronics manufacturer to develop a new line of consumer related solar powered water generators that have the potential to have a major impact on the way fresh water is distributed to citizens globally, especially in water-starved areas. 

Bright Simons is president of the mPedigree Network, where he pioneered a system that allows consumers to instantly check whether their medicines are counterfeits by sending a free text message. He is director of development research at IMANI, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Councils, Young Global Leaders, and Technology Pioneers Communities, a TED and Ashoka fellow and a Brain Trust member of the Evian Group at IMD. He is a recipient of numerous awards, ranging from an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Award, Marie Curie and Commonwealth Vision Grants to a PPARC Scholarship in Gamma Ray Astronomy. Bright regularly serves as a consultant and resource person on innovation strategy to international organisations such as the World Bank, UNECA, USAID, and the Commonwealth. Bright is a regular contributor to BBC Business and Harvard Business Review, and has been cited in many of the world's leading news media.

Mr. Song holds an EMBA from HEC Paris, a Bachelor of Engineering from Wuhan University, China, and is a graduate of Business Management from Xi’an University of Technology, China.

He is a Senior Engineer at the Professorial Level, a Class A Registered Project Manager, a Class A Registered Construction Engineer, an Arbitrator for the Beijing Arbitration Commission, and an expert of the Disputer Board on the Beijing Arbitration Commission.

He has served as President of SINOHYDRO Corporation since 2012.

He has also served as Executive Vice President & General Counsel of SINOHYDRO Corporation and Vice Chairman & Secretary General of Experts Committee for International Business of SINOHYDRO Group.

Before joining SINOHYDRO, Mr. Song was Vice President, International Business, of China Water Resources & Hydropower Engineering Bureau No. 11. He was Assistant Project Manager of CGIC Joint Venture, a joint venture of Chinese, German, French and Italian Contractors for Lot II of The Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam Project in China. 

Craig Stapleton is a Senior Advisor to Stone Point Capital and a director of Abercrombie and Fitch, Carlile Bancshares, and Flamel Technologies.

From 2005 to 2009, Stapleton served as ambassador to France. In 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy named him Commandeur of the Legion of Honor. He was designated an honorary citizen of Deauville, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rocamadour, and Vienne.  From 2001 to 2004, Stapleton served as ambassador to the Czech Republic. He was given the Jan Masaryk Medal for service to the Czech Republic.

During the 2000 presidential election, Stapleton served as the Connecticut Finance Chairman for the

Bush-Cheney Presidential Campaign. In 2004, he served as Connecticut State Chairman for the Bush-Cheney Presidential Campaign.

Stapleton is currently a member of the Boards of Directors for the 9/11 Memorial Foundation, de Tocqueville Foundation in Paris, CERGE-EI (the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education-Economic Institute in Prague, Czech Republic) and the Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud. Stapleton is President of the Vaclav Havel Foundation in the United States. He has served on the Visiting Committee for Harvard College Athletics and the Committee on University Resources and Athletics. During the George H.W. Bush Administration, he served on the Peace Corps Board of Directors.

Stapleton resides with his wife, Dorothy Walker Stapleton, in Greenwich, Connecticut; they have two children and five grandchildren. 

Peter Sullivan edited The Star, South Africa’s most influential newspaper, through the country’s transition to democracy, from 1993 – 2000. He was appointed Group Editor-in-Chief of Independent newspapers 16 titles in 2000 and served for 10 years.

A tenth generation South African, he attended Grey College then Universities of Witwatersrand (Philosophy), Cape Town (Economics) and South Africa (Computer Science). He sailed the Cape-to-Rio yacht race in 1993 and raced the yacht “Wizard” from Cairns across the Indian Ocean to South Africa in 2011.

Peter moderated at The World Economic Forum in Davos and Africa WEF summits for 12 years. He also moderated at COP17 in Durban in 2011, in Beijing in 2010 on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme for the International Finance Forum, and for 2012 Energy Indaba, 2013 for Nuclear Indaba. He has travelled to over 60 countries, many as guest of governments.

Alongside Nelson Mandela and Marc Lubner, he set up the Smile Foundation. George Soros asked him to start the Open Society Foundation in SA and he served on its board for seven years. He has chaired many charitable organisations including BirdLife South Africa. He currently serves as chairman of Amrop/Landelahni recruitment, assessment and leadership training

is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus of Harvard University. During the past two decades, he has served in a series of senior policy positions in Washington, D.C., including the71st Secretary of the Treasuryfor President Clinton, Director of theNational Economic Councilfor President Obama and Vice President of Development Economics and Chief Economist of the World Bank.

He received a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975 and was awarded a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1982. In 1983, he became one of the youngest individuals in recent history to be named as a tenured member of the Harvard University faculty. In 1987, Mr. Summers became the first social scientist ever to receive the annual Alan T. Waterman Award of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and in 1993 he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given every two years to the outstanding American economist under the age of 40.

He is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University and the Weil Director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School. He and his wife Elisa New, a professor of English at Harvard, reside in Brookline with their six children.

Hapatsou was only 24 when she created the concept of global, custom-made spaces of beauty: Hapatsou Sy Beauty Salons.

Since then, her brand has taken off on a national and international scale. She has established 17 locations throughout France and 1 in Switzerland.

Hapsatou speaks regularly at large companies and high schools to share her story and inspire hope and dynamism. Despite her overwhelming success, her inaugural brand is only the first stage of her diverse entrepreneurial course that she details on her blog.

Mr. Tanoh joined Ecobank Group in July 2012 as the CEO Designate. After a six month transition period, Mr. Tanoh was appointed as the substantive Group Chief Executive Officer.  Prior to his appointment, Mr. Tanoh worked for the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.

During his 17-year career with the IFC, Mr. Tanoh has played a key role in expanding the latter’s investment activity in Sub-Saharan Africa from USD 140 million in 2003 to more than to $3.5 billion in 2011. During this time, his responsibilities included business development, deal structuring and processing of some of IFC’s largest transactions, before taking on a broader management role.

Mr. Tanoh joined IFC in 1994. He initially worked in the Asia Department but moved to the chemicals and petrochemicals sector, working on transactions in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. He moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2001, focusing on transactions in Latin America. He became Regional Director in 2006 and Vice President, Latin America & the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Europe in 2008.

He graduated from Ecole Superieure de Commerce d’Abidjan, is a certified public accountant in France and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Amine Tazi-Riffi has lead the effort to establish McKinsey in Francophone Africa, covering both Maghreb and francophone West Africa, and build McKinsey’s office for the past 12 years. He Co-lead McKinsey Public & Social Sector Practice for Europe, Middle East and Africa from 2010 until 2012 and is a Member of McKinsey’s Africa Council. His expertise is focused on socio-economic development and sector development strategies: agriculture, industry, energy, and logistics.

Amine has conducted more than 120 economic development engagements for a large spectrum of clients and sectors, especially in Africa. He has implemented 18 national sector strategies in Maghreb years covering all key areas of government, developed strategy and turnaround of a leading National Mining Company and National Oil Company.

He holds an M.B.A, INSEAD, France (1995), MSc in Electrical  Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S. (1994), MSc in Electrical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland (1992), Electrical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, U.S. (1990).

He is Moroccan and Swiss and speaks French, English, German, and Arabic. 

Dr. Sam Thenya, a medical doctor by profession, is the Group CEO and Founder of the Nairobi Women's Hospital and Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC), a pioneer in gender violence remediation in Kenya. Dr. Thenya is a graduate of the University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine (MBCHB and MMed (Obs/Gyn degrees) and the United States International University (Masters in Management and Organizational Development).

He has over eighteen years of experience in his field as he began his career at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital as an intern. He was the Chief Resident in the University of Nairobi’s department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Medical Officer at the Nairobi Hospital. Dr. Thenya’s vision for founding the Nairobi Women’s Hospital was, and still is to strategically respond to the gaps identified within the African healthcare sector by providing healthcare that is financially and geographically accessible through specialized products and services.

He is passionate about women’s health and gender violence issues. As as a member of the taskforce on the Sexual Offenses Act (2006), he was instrumental in its enactment he was termed as not only a technical expert but also the “male face” of Gender Based violence. Dr. Thenya is actively involved in various professional forums on health and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Bu Thiam, Def Jam’s Vice President of A&R, was born in Senegal and raised in New Jersey. Son of legendary percussionist, Mor Thiam, Bu traveled the world with his father, developing his love of music from an early age. While touring as a hype man and road manager for Lil’ Zane, Bu would set his sights on developing and identifying musical wonders.The big break would occur while A&Ring for his brother, Akon, on the album, “Trouble”, under Konvict Muzik. Bu would further gain success through discovering and signing platinum selling and GRAMMY Award winning artist T-Pain, aiding in the release of Lady Gaga’s debut album ‘The Fame’ through KonLive Distribution with Akon and would discover and sign Def Jam’s breakthrough artist of the year, Jeremih. While with Def Jam, Bu has been instrumental on Kanye West and JayZ's "Watch The Throne", Rihanna's "Loud", "Talk That Talk", and "Unapologetic". Recently, Bu has taken on the role of Manager to International sensation; Chris Brown. Bu has become one of the industry's youngest and most forward-thinking power players. His life motto is that you’re never too young OR too old to make a difference or make your dreams come true. 

After studying medicine and psychology in Lyon, Aida Touhiri discovered her passion for journalism during the Football World Cup in 1998. She volunteered for the organization’s press office in Paris.

In 2000, she won the first prize at the Espoirs François Chalais du Jeune Reporter Competition, which opened the door to the national newsroom of France. 3 years later, she became a correspondent in Algeria for various French media including Jeune Afrique, Afrique Magazine, RMC, France International, Radio Orient, and Arte. In 2005, M6 chose her to be its anchor.

She hosted 66 Minutes for 6 seasons and presented the daily news. Since September 2012, she has anchored the new cultural show on France 2 “Grand Public”. 

Mamadou Kwidjim Toure is the Founder of Africa 2.0. Mamadou currently works as Sales & Project Finance Leader with GE Africa. In this role, Mamdou leads a regional Capital Markets (Sales and Project Finance) team across Sub-Saharan Africa supporting GE’s industrial business growth with sales’ funding solutions. He is also responsible for developing market and competitors’ analysis across the region.

Mamadou previously worked at IFC (International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group) in Johannesburg, he was in charge of private sector investments in the Telecommunications, Media and Technologies sector covering Sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to that, he worked at Fortis Group in Paris within the Investment Banking Team focused on Mergers and Acquisitions, Government Advisory, Privatizations and Project Finance mostly in Infrastructure covering Africa. His work included transactions, sector restructuring, advisory assignments in Power, Water and Telecommunications sector. He started his professional career with KPMG Audit France as an audit consultant. 

Katherine Tweedie is Executive Director of the Investec Investment Institute. The Institute is a global insights and engagement platform that draws on Investec’s deep market knowledge and global expertise to support its clients as they navigate an increasingly complex global investment landscape.

Prior to joining Investec Asset Management, Katherine was Director and Head of Africa for the World Economic Forum where she was responsible for key relationships and strategic initiatives with government and business leaders at Davos and the World Economic Forum on Africa. She commenced her career in mergers and acquisitions at a Canadian investment bank and subsequently joined a pan-African private equity firm based in Johannesburg.

Katherine holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she was selected as an Edward S. Mason Fellow and won the Raymond & Josephine Vernon and Lucius N. Littauer Awards for academic excellence and leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) in Finance and Economics from the University of Victoria, Canada.

Katherine is an advisor and board member of several organizations including Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web Foundation, Phoenix Africa Development Company and 4G Africa AG. 

A former student at the French Institute of Political studies known as “SciencesPo” and at the National School of public administration called ENA, Hubert Védrine served successively as a diplomatic advisor, spokesman and Secretary-General, Chief of Staff under the presidency of François Mitterrand, from 1981 to 1995. 

He was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of the Prime Minister Lionel Jospin under the presidency of Jacques Chirac, from 1997 to 2002.

In January 2003, Hubert Védrine founded “HUBERT VEDRINE CONSEIL”, a public consulting firm specializing in foreign, economic and geopolitical affairs. He has chaired the François Mitterrand Institute since 2003.

Hubert Védrine has been appointed as an independent director of LVMH since 2004.

He was chosen by Kofi Anan to be one the twenty international members of the High Level Group of the “Alliance of Civilizations” in 2005 and 2006. 

After a successful career in Asia, Alexandre Vilgrain dedicated himself to his family business in Africa in 1995. As Chairman and Managing Director of SOMDIAA, he now presides over 10 subsidiaries that are fully oriented towards African markets. He also serves as an independent Director for CARE and SIDA Entreprises, both based in Africa. Having witnessed the economic developments of Africa and as Manager of a leading group in the food-processing industry on the Continent, Alexandre Vilgrain was appointed President of the Conseil Français des Investisseurs en Afrique (CIAN) in 2009, an association of leading French investors and companies operating in Africa.

Magatte Wade was born in Senegal, educated in France, and launched her entrepreneurial career in San Francisco.  She is fluent in, and conducts business in, Wolof, French, and English.  

She started her first company, Adina World Beverages, after visiting Senegal and discovering that Bissap, her country’s drink of hospitality, was being replaced by Coke and Fanta.  Adina raised over $30 million in capital and, at its peak, was carried nationwide by Whole Foods Market, United Natural Foods, Inc., and other major retail chains.  In order to supply Adina with organic hibiscus from Senegal, Magatte partnered with ASNAPP (Agribusiness in Sustainable African Natural Plant Products) and the first lady of Senegal.  The result was a major revival of the Senegalese hibiscus industry resulting in thousands of jobs for women hibiscus growers.

She is now launching Tiossan, a high-end skin care products line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes, modernized for the U.S. consumer market by leading California green chemists and scented by French artisanal perfumers.  Tiossan products are distributed via a web portal, www.tiossan.com, as well as through selected boutiques and our flagship store in Hudson, New York.  Fifty percent of Tiossan profits are dedicated to the creation of innovative schools in Senegal designed to developing the next generation of Senegalese genius.

Magatte writes for the Huffington Post and Barron’s, and is a frequent speaker at business conferences and college campuses, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Babson, etc.  She was named a Young Global Leader by the Global Economic Forum as well as one of the “20 Youngest Power Women in Africa” by Forbes in 2011.  She serves on the board of ASNAPP and the SEED Academy (Sports for Education and Economic Development), a private school in Senegal that prepares young people academically and athletically so that they can win NCAA basketball scholarships in the U.S.  She is a mentor for the MIT Legatum Center for Entrepreneurship and Development.

Young Wang holds a Masters degree in Economics. He has worked for China Minerals in a project development capacity and in asset management. He served as the manager of the Investment Department at China Center in New York and as the general manager of Overseas Investment Department of Poly Technologies, Inc. He is currently Vice-president of China-Africa Development Fund.

Born in Southern Sudan, Alek was raised as a part of the Dinka tribe. At fourteen, the civil war forced her to flee to London with her younger sister, where their mother and siblings later joined them. It was in London, at a street fair, where Alek was discovered. She launched a career in modeling that has since named her: “Model of the Decade” by trendsetting i-D magazine; one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” in May of 1999; and one of the “50 Most Influential Faces in Fashion” according to i-D and Frank magazines. New York magazine has also named her one of the “50 Most Beautiful New Yorkers.”

Alek’s influence extends far beyond the fashion world and societal concepts of beauty. She spoke at the International Black Caucus Foreign Affairs as a member of a panel, which included Hillary Clinton, Congressman Daniel Payne, and Danny Glover. Alek has served on the advisory board for the U.S. Committee for Refugees. She speaks in New York area schools to bring attention to the famine in Southern Sudan and to educate children on the importance of nourishment, in addition to helping launch the Bracelet of Life campaign in conjunction with Doctors Without Borders. She has also worked closely on behalf of AIDS awareness, children’s charities and breast cancer research.

Alek continues to remain extremely active with Southern Sudan and is an ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN Refugee agency.

Photography Credit, Daniel Jackson

Rosa Whitaker is broadly recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on Africa trade, investment and business issues. Named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2010, she is credited for successfully advancing trade and business in the region. During her 30-year career, Ms. Whitaker served as the first ever Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for Africa in the Administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton. While serving as Senior Trade Advisor for US Congressman Charles Rangel, Ms. Whitaker was a hands-on-architect of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the first comprehensive US trade policy toward Africa.

After leaving the US government in 2003, she founded The Whitaker Group (TWG) with offices in Washington, DC and Ghana, which has emerged as the premier consulting firm serving global companies investing or expanding business engagement in Africa. The Whitaker Group has driven more than $1 billion in trade, investment and capital flows to the continent.

Ms. Whitaker holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the American University in Washington, D.C.

Professor Lee White CBE has worked in Gabon’s national parks for 25 years as a researcher, trainer and manager. He initially served as the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Gabon Program. Over the last 4 years, he has been head of the Gabonese National Parks Agency. He has published 70 scientific papers and book chapters and written and edited 12 books on tropical forests and their management. Under his leadership ANPN is becoming an internationally renowned parks agency, with 550 staff including a newly formed armed wing, the National Parks Gendarmerie, created to help in the battle against ivory poaching. In addition to his role managing national parks he is one of Gabon’s principal negotiators on climate change, where his dual Gabonese and British nationalities give him a unique perspective on the discussions between developed and developing nations.

He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling and an Associate Researcher in the Gabonese Institute of Tropical Ecology. Professor White was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre de Merite Nationale in 2003 for his contribution to the creation of Gabon’s National Parks and was awarded a CBE for his contribution to conservation in Central Africa in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2010.

Paul is Managing Director for Africa and Middle East at Waterfund and has over 12 years extensive experience in the energy and commodities sectors across Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Prior to moving to Dubai in 2006, Paul spent three years in London and three years in Singapore with the Petroleum Argus group, developing pricing indices used as benchmarks within global oil products markets.

In Dubai Paul worked for Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, responsible for initiating, developing and implementing soft and hard infrastructure projects to enhance trade flows through the Emirate. This involved devising and co-ordinating project strategies and economic models for a broad variety of commercial infrastructure projects in the emirate.

Paul is originally from the UK and graduated from Cambridge University with an MA in philology and also speaks and writes French, Arabic and Farsi.

Zhiming Xu is the Chairman of Yue Mei Group and the Vice-Chairman of the China-Africa Business Council.

Zhiming Xu is the vice chairman of the China National Foreign Trade Council and a member of the Hubei Provincial CPPCC.

Zhiming Xu founded Yue Mei Group in July 1992. The company is engaged in spinning, weaving, dyeing, and embroidering clothing as well as importing & exporting trade and real estate development. Its products are mainly sold in West Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and Hong Kong.

The group has offices in nearly 30 countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Dubai, Senegal, Tanzania, Hong Kong. They have established overseas sales with eight companies including four off shore production-oriented enterprises, an overseas textile industrial park, and anoverseas regional products center.

Ms. Lan Yan is a Managing Director and Head of Greater China Investment Banking of Lazard.

Prior to joining Lazard, Lan Yan was a partner in charge of Gide Loyrette Nouel Beijing Office, where she was an advisor on mergers and acquisitions and foreign direct investment projects in China.

Andrew Young has always viewed his career through the lens of his first career-that of an ordained minister. His work for civil and human rights, his many years in public office as Congressman, United Nations Ambassador and Mayor, his leadership of the Atlanta Olympic Games, his advocacy of investment in Africa through GoodWorks International, and the establishment of the Andrew J. Young Foundation are all a response to his call to serve.

Ambassador Young brings a unique perspective formed by his wealth of experience in national and global leadership to his focus on the challenges of this era. He confronted segregation with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and galvanized a movement that transformed a nation through non-violence. Young was a key strategist and negotiator during the Civil Rights Campaigns in Birmingham and Selma that resulted in the passage Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1972, the first African-American elected from the deep South since Reconstruction. He served on the Banking and Urban Affairs and Rules Committees, sponsoring legislation that established a U.S. Institute for Peace, The African Development Bank and the Chattahoochee River National Park, while negotiating federal funds for MARTA, the Atlanta highway system and a new international airport for Atlanta. His support for Jimmy Carter helped to win the Democratic Party nomination and election to the Presidency. In 1977, President Carter appointed him to serve as the nation’s first African-American Ambassador to the United Nations, where he negotiated an end to white-minority rule in Namibia and Zimbabwe and brought Carter’s emphasis on human rights to international diplomacy. 

Dr. Zheng Yuewen is Chairman of the Creat Group and the China-Africa Business Council.

Zheng Yue Wen is member of the CPPCC National Committee, Vice-Chairman of the ninth session of All-China Chamber of Industrial and Commercial, and Chairman of China International Chamber of Commerce for Private Sector.

Zheng Yuewen founded Creat Group in July 1992. Creat Group is an industrial investment conglomerate with operations concentrated in the manufacturing, resources, real estate and financial sectors, the Group is headquartered in Beijing, the United States, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, and many other countries worldwide. Creat Group has owned six domestic and overseas listed companies.

Zheng Yuewen visited more than seven African nations multiple times in 2006, 2007, and 2012. He is a recipient of the 2012 China Overseas Investment of the Year award.

Patrick Zhong is a Senior Managing Director at Fosun Group, the largest privately held conglomerate in China. Mr. Zhong leads the Global Investments & Strategies Group within Fosun and he is responsible for Fosun’s investments and partnerships with international companies. Mr. Zhong is the President of Pramerica-Fosun China Opportunity Fund, which invests in global opportunities with China nexus.  Mr. Zhong also sits on the board of Fosun-Carlyle Equity Investment Fund. Mr. Zhong is also the Chairman of Forbes China and Chairman of Fosun Media. Due to the strategic nature of his work, Mr. Zhong involves the four founders and the board in most of his projects. Mr. Zhong has many years of experience working with CEOs, entrepreneurs and government leaders in China and around the world.

Prior to joining Fosun Group, Mr. Zhong worked at Wellington Management, one of the largest investment management firms in the world, as a generalist investor. He has invested in fast growth companies across various markets including the US, Greater China, Europe, Japan and other Asian economies. Mr. Zhong also worked at RHJ Associates and Wasatch Advisors as a senior investment professional as well as a fund manager.

Prior to PAI, Lionel Zinsou served as General Partner of the investment bank Rothschild from 1997 to 2008. He acted Head of the Global Consumer Products Group, and Head of Middle East and Africa.

He started his professional career as a lecturer in economics at Paris University (Paris XIII and Ecole Normale Supérieure) and a member of the Department of Industry Minister’s Office, and the Prime Minister’s Office. From 1986 to 1997 he had worked for Danone where he held various positions as Financial Controller, Corporate Development Director and then CEO of the grocery division.

He graduated from Ecole Normale Superieure, Sciences Po and La Sorbonne in history and economics. He is a former research student of the London School of Economics and a “professeur agrégé de sciences économiques et sociales”.

He is a member of the Board of the Institut Pasteur, of the Brookings Global Leadership Council, Washington D. C.,  and of the High Level Financial Panel created by the G20 in 2010.

After graduating from the Stern School of Business at NYU with a dual degree in Finance and Management and Organizational Behavior Leyth started his career with Deloitte Consulting in New York specializing in Governance and Reorganization.

After participating in and leading several projects to improve the governance of large U.S. multinationals, Leyth left New York for Beijing where he founded “Enoteca”, a company specializing in the sale and promotion of wines based on the experience of the Art of Living. In July 2006, Leyth returned to Morocco to join and run Diana Holding, the family company and the seventh largest private group in Morocco, where he launched a major restructuring project, an initiative that resulted in significant improvements in the company’s financial performance and its business sustainability. After nearly seven years as CEO and putting the group on the path to internationalization, especially in Africa.

Since then, Leyth has created a new company, Eiréné Enterprises, which specializes in investing and accompanying African SMEs in their development thru a socially responsible approach.