Our people

Agnes Binagwaho is the Vice Chancellor and co-founder of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners in Health. Binagwaho previously worked in various high-level government positions, serving first as the Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National AIDS Control Commission, then as Permanent Secretary, and lastly as the Minister of Health for five years. Binagwaho serves as Senior Advisor to the Director General of the WHO, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, and Professor of Pediatrics at UGHE.

Gunilla Carlsson is a Swedish politician with extensive experience in developing the global health agenda. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Fund, a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), as well as a Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). Carlsson was previously the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and a Member of the European Parliament. Carlsson was also the Chair of the Swedish-initiated Commission on Climate Change and Development, and worked as Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Marion Guillou is a French scientist specialised in global food security. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute. She also has a variety of national and international responsibilities, especially in relation to food security, climate, research and skills training. Guillou is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and member of the French High Council on Climate (HCC), among others.

Bernard Gustin is a Belgian travel and transportation expert with a keen eye for development of the Africa-Europe partnership. As the former Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines, he was responsible for the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Group and its entrance into the global Star Alliance airline partnership. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was a key figure in the initial launch of the SN Brussels Airlines in 2001 and worked on its successful merger with Virgin Express. Gustin has also served as Chairman of the Association of European Airlines and a board member of Medicins Sans Frontieres.

Connie Hedegaard holds several leading positions in support of a low-carbon and green economy. She was appointed Lead of the Mission on “Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation” for Horizon Europe and is also the chair of the Board for the KR Foundation, a Danish climate and sustainability foundation. Hedegaard was also the European Commissioner for Climate Action from 2010 to 2014, during which she led the negotiations towards the adoption of the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the 2050 Roadmap for moving to a low carbon economy, whilst also representing the EU in international climate negotiations.

Paula Ingabire is a Rwandan politician and tech enthusiast. Prior to her appointment, she served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City Project. Ingabire coordinated the creation of SMART Africa, a broadband infrastructure initiative for African socio-economic growth. She was named among the Top 20 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical. Ingabire serves on the Global Council of the World Summit Award Board of Directors, WEF Cyber Security Board and Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network Advisory Board.

Before her appointment as Ambassador of Tanzania to the US and Mexico, Elsie Kanza was the Head of Africa and Member of the Executive Committee at the WEF, as well as Special Advisor to the President of the WEF. She has led numerous public-private collaboration initiatives to solve complex systemic challenges related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063. Kanza has previously served as an economic advisor in the Private Office of the President of Tanzania. In recognition of her achievements in advancing economic development, Kanza was named the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow in 2008 and among Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Africa in 2020.

Agnes Binagwaho is the Vice Chancellor and co-founder of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners in Health. Binagwaho previously worked in various high-level government positions, serving first as the Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National AIDS Control Commission, then as Permanent Secretary, and lastly as the Minister of Health for five years. Binagwaho serves as Senior Advisor to the Director General of the WHO, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, and Professor of Pediatrics at UGHE.

Gunilla Carlsson is a Swedish politician with extensive experience in developing the global health agenda. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Fund, a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), as well as a Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). Carlsson was previously the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and a Member of the European Parliament. Carlsson was also the Chair of the Swedish-initiated Commission on Climate Change and Development, and worked as Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Ibrahim Abubakar is a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and director of its Institute for Global Health, focusing on the epidemiology, prevention and treatment of infections including tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV. Abubakar was elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020 in recognition of his research in infectious disease epidemiology and migration and health. Abubakar is also the chair of the Welcome Trust Population Health Expert Review Group on Population Health and the Lancet Migration Initiative: global collaboration to advance migration health.

Dr. Amuasi lectures at the Global Health Department, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. He is Executive Director of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD). He is Group Leader of the Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research Group, at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine which hosts ARNDT. Dr. Amuasi trained as a physician at the KNUST School of Medical Sciences and holds post-graduate degrees, two Masters and a PhD in Health Research and Policy, from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, USA.

Cristina Bescos has more than 15 years’ experience in research and management of large international innovation projects in e-Health. Bescos has worked in public research institutions such as the European Space Agency, and in the private sector for Hewlett Packard, Telefonica I+D and Philips. Bescos joined EIT Health from Royal Philips, where she was the European Programme Manager. She has also held several representative positions at the European level in industrial bodies, standardisation committees, expert forums, and innovation projects in the area of ageing and chronic care management.

Alexander Betts is a Professor of Forced and International Affairs at the University of Oxford, where is also the Associate Head of the Social Sciences and a Senior Fellow in Politics at Brasenose College. His research examines the political economy of refugee assistance, with a focus on Africa. Alexander also currently leads the IKEA Foundation-funded Refugee Economies Programme, which undertakes participatory research on the economic lives of refugees in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. Prior to this, he served as director of the Refugees Studies Centre. Alexander has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian and is the author of “The Wealth of Refugees: How Displaced People Can Build Economies”, which explores policy solutions for the contemporary global refugee crisis.

Dr. Eunice Brookman-Assimah has a consolidated career in clinical medicine, spanning both the public and private sectors in the UK and in Ghana. She is committed to women’s reproductive health issues and champions women’s rights to equity in health care. In 2001, Brookman-Assimah assumed leadership of the IPAS Africa programme, an international not-for-profit organisation working globally to improve women’s health through a focus on reproductive health. Prior to joining IPAS full-time as Vice-President of Africa, she served as Minister of Health in Ghana from 1996 to 1998 and Ambassador for Ghana to The Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Marion Guillou is a French scientist specialised in global food security. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute. She also has a variety of national and international responsibilities, especially in relation to food security, climate, research and skills training. Guillou is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and member of the French High Council on Climate (HCC), among others.

Dr Mayaki has been the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) since 2009. From 2004-09, he served as executive director of Rural Hub, a Dakar-based platform supporting rural development in West and Central Africa. Former Prime Minister of Niger from 1997 to 2000, Dr Mayaki is committed to promoting social dialogue. In 2000, he created the first National Social Dialogue Commission of Niger. He also started a think tank for public policy debate on health and education issues. From 1996-97, he was appointed Minister in charge of African Integration and Co-operation and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Debisi Araba is a public policy and strategy specialist, currently managing AGRF, the premier catalytic, multi-partner platform for food and agriculture transformation in Africa. Araba is also a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, which strives to secure food and nutritional security in Africa. Previously, Araba was the Africa Director at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), where he led strategy and business development for the continent. He also served as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria.

Tom Arnold is an active member of the Champions Network for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, the Global Panel for Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, the Board of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Malabo Montpellier Panel. Arnold previously served as the Chair of the European Commission Task Force on Rural Africa. He was also an Administrator with the EU Commission for ten years, serving in Brussels and Africa. Arnold is currently the Chair of the Irish 2030 Agri-Food Strategy Committee.

Bagoré is an entrepreneur. After his baccalaureate in Senegal, he went to Belgium to study veterinary medicine. He worked as veterinarian in Europe for two years after which he spent one year working in a Mauritanian NGO. In 2006, he founded “La Laiterie du Berger” with the purpose to build up the Senegalese dairy value chain, and link traditional milk producers with the cities’ growing demand for dairy products. In 10 years, the company became the second largest player in fresh dairy products, and the first certified B Corp in Sénégal. Bagoré considers social entrepreneurship as a new efficient tool to face social and economic development challenges in a sustainable way, in Africa.

Brian Bosire is a Kenyan innovator, thinker, and entrepreneur with a passion for emerging technologies. With a special focus on agriculture, water and sanitiation, his goal is to use tech solve the most pressing challenges in Africa. He founded UjuziKilimo to develop data-driven technologies to help African farmers practise precision farming and access quality, actionable data for improved productivity. He is also the founder of Hydrologistics Africa (HydroIQ), which improves water distribution and consumption using sensors and data analytics. Bosire has won numerous global awards and recognitions for his contributions to digital technologies in Africa including Africa Pioneer in Agritech by Forbes.

Carolin Callenius is a strong leader with a deep commitment to pro-poor contexts of food systems. In her work, she promotes and supports collaborative research projects on global food and nutrition security. She has extensive experience in the area of sustainable development policies and development cooperation related to sustainable agriculture, food systems and food governance. She serves in the board of directors of Agrinatura, a network of European universities and research organisations on agricultural research for development. She is also a member of the think tank of the EU project Fit4Food2030 and leads a task in the EU Project LEAP4NSSA.

Connie Hedegaard holds several leading positions in support of a low-carbon and green economy. She was appointed Lead of the Mission on “Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation” for Horizon Europe and is also the chair of the Board for the KR Foundation, a Danish climate and sustainability foundation. Hedegaard was also the European Commissioner for Climate Action from 2010 to 2014, during which she led the negotiations towards the adoption of the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the 2050 Roadmap for moving to a low carbon economy, whilst also representing the EU in international climate negotiations.

Kandeh Yumkella mobilises global action and plays a leading role for the planning and implementation of ground-breaking initiatives towards a sustainable energy future. Kandeh Yumkella is a distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 25 years of international experience. He is actively engaging relevant stakeholders in government, businesses, academia and civil society at the highest level to advocate for and promote sustainable energy for all. As former chair of UN-Energy, he brought a renewed and vital focus to global energy issues and led the coordination of the United Nations response to energy issues. Previously, Dr. Yumkella served as Director-General of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for two four-year terms. He is currently a member of the National Parliament in Sierra Leone.

Hastings Chikoko has over 25 years’ experience in the sustainable development sector working in Africa and Switzerland. At C40, he cooperates with a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. Chikoko also serves on various advisory and supervisory boards, including the African Centre for Cities and the Global Future Council on Clean Air of the World Economic Forum. His work with local governments started at the City of Blantyre in Malawi. He has also worked for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), including as Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, and Head of IUCN in South Africa.

Brian Dames is a leading figure in the African energy sector, having held a number of different senior capacities in the field. As head of Eskom, Dames gained experience in the operations and management of a large national company, later moving to leading roles in international and local business. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on the Future of Energy, a former member of the Administrative Board of Sustainable Energy for All, and Non-Executive Director of the Nedbank Group and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Anton Eberhard is an expert with over 35 years of experience in the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions. His research and teaching focus on governance and regulatory incentives to improve utility performance, the political economy of power sector reform, power investment challenges, renewable and distributed energy resources. Eberhard is also a member of the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty. He was appointed by the President of South Africa to chair a task team to resolve serious financial and technical challenges in the national utility, Eskom.

An investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in finance, principal investments, and infrastructure, Tariye has mobilized over US$3 billion of capital for infrastructure projects in Africa. Tariye is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Washington D.C., the Advisory Committee on Infrastructure for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI), and the Technical Working Group on Finance and Investment for the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Energy (UN HLDE). Tariye was on the founding team to establish the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), where she led the US$800 million Industrial and Telecommunications Infrastructure business unit. Her global experience includes roles at the International Monetary Fund, the Boston Consulting Group, & Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Mansoor Hamayun is a young entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for sustainable and affordable energy. Aiming to transform the lives of millions, Hamayun founded Bboxx, a company that develops, manufactures and distributes solar energy solutions to developing countries across Africa and Asia. He now leads its global operations in providing communities and businesses with energy access.

Bernard Gustin is a Belgian travel and transportation expert with a keen eye for development of the Africa-Europe partnership. As the former Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines, he was responsible for the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Group and its entrance into the global Star Alliance airline partnership. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was a key figure in the initial launch of the SN Brussels Airlines in 2001 and worked on its successful merger with Virgin Express. Gustin has also served as Chairman of the Association of European Airlines and a board member of Medicins Sans Frontieres.

Before her appointment as Ambassador of Tanzania to the US and Mexico, Elsie Kanza was the Head of Africa and Member of the Executive Committee at the WEF, as well as Special Advisor to the President of the WEF. She has led numerous public-private collaboration initiatives to solve complex systemic challenges related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063. Kanza has previously served as an economic advisor in the Private Office of the President of Tanzania. In recognition of her achievements in advancing economic development, Kanza was named the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow in 2008 and among Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Africa in 2020.

Peter Balázs is the founder of the Center of European Neighborhood Studies (CENS) and its Director for 15 years. Balázs has served as Hungary’s Ambassador to Denmark, Germany and the European Union. He was also the first Hungarian European Commissioner in 2004. He served in three different Hungarian governments as State Secretary for Industry and Trade, State Secretary for European Affairs, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Most recently, he was appointed the European Coordinator of Transport by the European Commission.

Mervin Chetty brings over 30 years of freight and logistics experience to the table. As General Manager for Africa at Transnet, he specialises in port logistics and financing, as well as the transport infrastructure needs for the SADC region. Chetty focuses on projects that create externalities and positive spillover effects, as well as promoting cross-border and regional integration in Africa.

Alongside his role at PMAESA, Andre Didace Ciseau is also the current Executive Secretary for the Pan-African Association for Port Cooperation (PAPC). Ciseau brings with him extensive experience in the maritime and ports sector arising from his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA), as well as his focus on the development of the Blue Economy for Seychelles by working with the Depart of the Blue Economy established by the Government of Seychelles in 2015. He also served in the Seychelles People’s Defence Force (SPDF) with a strategic role in the development of the Seychelles Coast Guard.

Aboubaker Omar Hadi has been at the forefront of Djibouti’s transformation into one of the fastest-growing logistics hubs in Africa. Previously the director of operations at the port of Djibouti, he has spearheaded projects worth more than $15 billion, including the historic expansion of Djibouti’s world-class port facilities, the development of a new free trade zone, and the launch of a new passenger and cargo airline, Air Djibouti. In addition, during his 40 years careers in the maritime transport industry, he supervised port operations in Lagos and Djibouti.

Ziad Hamoui is a founder of the Borderless Alliance, a private sector-led, multi-stakeholder advocacy group that promotes economic integration and tackles barriers to trade and transport in West Africa. Hamoui is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) – Ghana and an active member of its Governing Council. He recently co-founded a grassroots trade advocacy campaign in Ghana, the “Trade Facilitation Coalition for Ghana” and is a member of several advisory committees in the areas of trade policy, trade facilitation, and agribusiness.

Paula Ingabire is a Rwandan politician and tech enthusiast. Prior to her appointment, she served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City Project. Ingabire coordinated the creation of SMART Africa, a broadband infrastructure initiative for African socio-economic growth. She was named among the Top 20 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical. Ingabire serves on the Global Council of the World Summit Award Board of Directors, WEF Cyber Security Board and Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network Advisory Board.

Samir Abdelkrim is not only a French entrepreneur but also an author and a tech reporter. Passionate about all things digital, he founded EMERGING Valley as an international summit on African innovation to connect tech start-ups with investors, thinkers and decision-makers across continents. He also leads StartupBRICS, a company that provides insights on entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Abdelkrim is a former chronicler on African tech entrepreneurs for Le Monde and has also featured in the Huffington Post, Le Point and Les Echos. His book, “Startup Lions”, chronicles his experience travelling the African continent in search of the most interesting and innovative tech start-ups. With French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative “Summit of the Two Shores of the Mediterranean”, Abdelkrim was amongst 10 selected to make proposals to relaunch European and Mediterranean cooperation.

Amrote Abdella spearheads Amazon Web Services' action in Sub-Saharan Africa. Before joining Amazon, she led Microsoft’s investments in Africa across 54 countries, enabling and accelerating digital transformation opportunities. Abdella has worked with the World Economic Forum as an Associate Director for Africa, served as a Financial Analyst at the World Bank, and was involved with the Global Hunger Project. Here, Abdella oversaw projects across eight countries in the continent and worked in driving financial inclusion. She has been named one of Africa’s Top 100 young business leaders and was recognised by Jeune Afrique in 2019 as a top 50 influential leader shaping digital evolution and supporting start-ups in the African continent.

Abdelmalek Alaoui is an editorialist, author and founder of the Guépard Consulting Group, a firm specialised in strategic communications for CEOs and governments. Prior to that, Alaoui founded Global Intelligence Partners, a pan-African consultancy firm specialised in strategic analysis and business intelligence. A regular policy analyst for the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, Alaoui also contributes to Forbes on US policy, North African affairs, and international relations. Alaoui is the author of award winning book “Economic Intelligence and Secret Wars in Morocco” and “Le Temps du Continent”, which won the Turgot Prize for the best French-speaking economics book in France.

Gilles Babinet is a French multi-entrepreneur and a digital visionary. A proven leader in digital excellence, he is the Vice-President of the French National Digital Council and represented France in the Digital Champions group at the European Commission until 2018. Collaborating with the think tank Institut Montaigne on digital competitiveness, digital inclusion, big data, and IoT, Babinet is a professor of Public Policies & Digital at SciencesPo Paris. Babinet’s latest book published in 2020 entitled, “Refondre les politiques publiques avec le numérique“, focuses on how government and public services should embrace the digital revolution.

Janet Fofang is an award-winning electrical engineering educator recognised as a pioneer in developing STEM training programs in electronics, robotics, and programming. Throughout her career, Fofang has been a key player in developing the digital skills of thousands of young people, with a focus on girls, in Africa. Her innovative approach earned her the A. Richard Newton Educator ABIE Award for innovative teaching practices in STEM and computer science, among other awards. Fofang is also the founder of the Tassah Academy, a leading provider of applied STEM curriculums in Cameroon.

Omar Cissé is a computer design engineer with the ambition to transform access to mobile payment and digital services in Africa. Prior to launching InTouch, a pan-African fintech firm, Cissé launched CTIC Dakar, the first ICT incubator in Dakar, Senegal and co-founded Teranga Capital, an investment fund for Senegalese and Gambian start-ups and SMEs.

Kamal Djemouai is a specialist in climate change, environment and sustainable development issues with more than 25 years of experience. He has been involved in climate negotiations for more than twenty years, focusing on issues such as climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, transparency and market mechanisms. Former Chair of the African Group of Climate Negotiations (2008-2009), he has been a member of the lead coordinators of the African group for several years. He is also an advisor to the African members of the Green Climate Fund board (GCF). He developed GCF Guidelines for Tunisia (State Actors and Civil Society organizations) and Algeria (Ministry of Environment). He chairs the clean development mechanism accreditation panel (and is an alternate member of the CDM executive board). And has co-chaired and facilitated various negotiating groups under UNFCCC. He is one of the lead authors for the international cooperation chapter of Working Group III of the IPCC 6th assessment report and also an expert for the African Adaptation Initiative (AAI). He was co-author of the climate negotiation guides for the Francophonie Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD), particularly on sections related to finance and adaptation. He is a Lead Reviewer for UNFCCC transparency reporting. Mr. Kamal Djemouai was for nineteen years a senior executive within the Algerian Ministry of the Environment.

Nisreen Elsaim is the Chair of the UN Secretary General Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. A climate activist and junior negotiator with the African Group of Negotiators in technology transfer with experience across a range of environmental topics, Nisreen was also part of the social movement that brought about democratic change in Sudan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Khartoum, Sudan where she also pursued her master's degree in renewable energy. Nisreen is currently the General Coordinator for Youth and Environment - Sudan (YES), a platform to give all environment working youth the networking they need. She is also the Chair of Sudan Youth Organization on Climate Change (SYOCC). As part of many regional and international platforms Nisreen led and mentored many young leaders within YOUNGO, PACJA, Abu Dhabi youth Voices, and many other young leaders. She focuses on the policies of countries regarding climate change and renewable energies. She has written several policy papers in climate change, renewable energy, gender, and youth empowerment.

Stella Gama is a forest resources management specialist with over twenty years of experience on participatory methodologies, forest governance and institutions, stakeholder engagement, natural resources management and forest administration. Stella has strong passion on enhancing women's effective participation in climate and environment diplomacy. She has nine years working on climate change diplomacy at the UNFCCC, advocating for women empowerment, gender balance in Rio Conventions bodies, gender responsive climate policies, and technology development and transfer. Stella is also acting as UNFCCC negotiator for Malawi and the Least Developing Countries Group. She has served as member and vice chairperson of the Technology Executive Committee and Rapporteur for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice at the UNFCCC.

Ineza Grace is an Eco-Feminist Impact driven actor in the climate change sector serving the global community-based in Rwanda. She is the co-founder and coordinator of "the loss and damage youth coalition" a global youth coalition of more than 350 members from +45 countries advocating for concrete action to address the climate injustice, and she is the founder and chief executive officer of "The Green Protector" a Rwandan NGO started in 2017 aiming to increase active youth participation in the creation of a better and protected environment. She is also a junior researcher fascinated with climate change politics to unlock concrete action on the ground.

Daniela Jacob is meteorologist and Director of the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS), a scientific organizational entity of Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and visiting professor at Leuphana University, Faculty of Sustainability. She was Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, and one of the Lead Authors of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (Working Group 2). Daniela Jacob is chair of the German Committee Future Earth (DKN) and co-chair of the Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit (WPN2030). She is member of the European Commission’s Mission Board on “Adaptation to Climate Change including Societal Transformation”, member of the ‘Earth League’, an international alliance of prominent scientists from world‐class research institutions, as well as member of several other committees. Her main research fields and areas of interest are local and regional climate modelling, the hydrological cycle, climate services and adaptation to climate change. Moreover, Daniela Jacob is Editor-in-Chief of Journal “Climate Services”, a new scientific Journal she co-founded with Elsevier.

Tracy Kajumba is a principal Researcher and Team leader strengthening local to global partnerships at IIED’s Climate Change Group. She is also the intersectionality and inequality lead for IIED, and is a member of the SMT, focusing on equitable partnerships, racial equity, gender justice and decolonising research and development. She has over twenty years’ experience of development research, programme management, policy influencing and has worked on diverse development programmes on climate change adaptation across sectors, gender equality and social inclusion and MEL for adaptation. Before IIED, Tracy worked with the Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs as a senior regional advisor for climate change and development for Sub Saharan Africa, country programme lead with the Africa Climate Change Resilience Alliance, Care International in Uganda as a gender and climate change advisor, and with the Government of Uganda in public administration as a senior assistant secretary.

Vhalinavho (Vhali) Khavhagali is a climate change and biodiversity professional specialist with over 15 years of experience in adaptation. He holds vast knowledge of management practices, scientific training, and multidisciplinary approaches, coupled with local, national and international experience. Valhi demonstrated a firm sense of responsibility and leadership throughout his career, working for African government ministries and initiatives, international civil society organizations, and the private sector. Currently, he serves as IUCN Country Director in South Africa, and will lead the work of the Africa-Europe Foundation Working Group on Climate Adaptation.

Paul Walton is Executive Director of the Africa-Europe Foundation. He has extensive international experience in leading organisations and multi-country programmes in complex operational contexts including fifteen years working and living in the Middle East. Paul has been in the vanguard of inter-regional cooperation and was former Director of Strategy at the 43-country Mediterranean Foundation, working from its headquarters in Egypt. He was member of the steering group mandated by the UN Security Council to produce the first global study on ‘Youth, Peace and Security’ and the taskforce to create structures for dialogue among the EU, Civil Society and Authorities following the historic events of the Arab Spring. Paul began his international career as founding Director of the landmark UK Millennium Project ‘Youth 2000’ and was CEO of the award-winning international NGO ‘Global Voice’. As an analyst of global affairs, he is visiting lecturer at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies and has been interviewed in the BBC, Al Arabiya and the New York Times.

Andrzej Dabkowski is Head of Programme Performance and Operations, responsible for leading the operational planning, programming coherence and quality assurance of the Africa-Europe. Andrzej is a public policy consultant focusing on inclusive economic development, and experienced programme director with PRINCE2 Practitioner-qualifications and a significant track record managing portfolio of donor-funded programmes in complex and politically sensitive environments. Previously, Andrzej has spent over a decade in private sector consultancies, most recently as a senior consultant and director of Oxford Policy Management in Indonesia, overseeing delivery of OPM programmes and activities across Southeast Asia. Prior to that he was overseeing a portfolio of market development, business environment and policy advocacy programmes in Africa and South Asia, aiming to build private sector capacity to engage in successful policy dialogue and improve investment climate. Andrzej has worked extensively across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. He holds an MSc in Economic Theory, HDip in Economics, and BSc in Social Science from the National University of Ireland, University College Cork.

Holy Ranaivozanany is the Head of Outreach, Advocacy and Partnerships, responsible for leading the Africa-Europe Foundation’s impact targets related to policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement and outreach. Holy has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and communications regarding sustainability issues. Prior to joining the Africa-Europe Foundation, she led corporate social responsibility and sustainability for Fortune 500 companies based in China and France, covering strategy, policy work and communications. With a focus on technology for good, she launched global digital inclusion and education programmes and drove corporate engagement with international organisations, civil society and academia, notably on climate change and circular economy. A graduate from EDHEC Business School, Holy speaks fluent French, English, Spanish and Malagasy and has a good command of Portuguese.

Youssef Travaly is Senior Fellow for Digital, responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on Digital from Data Governance and Digital Inclusion to Circular Economy. The founder of All Sights Africa, Youssef is also the former Vice President of the Next Einstein Forum and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) global network as well having led AIMS Senegal as President. As a senior executive, Youssef has 20+ years of experience working both at a strategic and operational level, in science, innovation, public policy design, including innovative products policies, in the USA, Europe and in Africa. Throughout his career he has worked closely with universities, research institutions, the private sector, regional organizations as well as national and international NGOs, and has authored and co-authored over 100+ publications in scientific and policy research, and published continental visions, research agendas and white papers.

Vhalinavho (Vhali) Khavhagali is a climate change and biodiversity professional specialist with over 15 years of experience in adaptation. He holds vast knowledge of management practices, scientific training and multidisciplinary approaches, coupled with local, national and international experience. Valhi demonstrated a firm sense of responsibility and leadership throughout his career, working for African government ministries and initiatives, international civil society organisations, and the private sector. Currently, he serves as IUCN Country Director in South Africa.

Tamsin Rose is Senior Fellow for Health, responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on Health from health financing to the future of health workforces. Having studied international relations, she has 25 years of experience working across the European continent from Ireland to Mongolia. A natural communicator, Tamsin has been a radio reporter, worked on press for the EU Delegation in Moscow and is currently a member of the external speaker team for the European Commission Directorate General for Communication, describing how the EU works and key policies to visitor groups from around the world. Since 2002 she has specialised in public health and public participation issues, serving as Secretary General of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), and providing strategic advice for health groups on how to engage successfully with the EU.

Gerry Salole is Strategic Advisor and Ambassador, responsible for ensuring the impact, visibility and political buy-in of the work of the Strategy Groups affiliated to the Africa-Europe Foundation with a particular focus on cross-sector conversations across the Foundation’s five priority focus areas. Gerry is the founding chair of TrustAfrica and sits on the Supervisory Board of the European Cultural Foundation, The Impact Trust, The Advisory Board of the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, the Wits Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment, and The International Advisory Council of Afrobarometer. Previously he was the Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre (2005-2020). Gerry has worked for the Ford Foundation, The Bernard van Leer Foundation, Save the Children Federation, Redd Barna (Norwegian Save the Children), and OXFAM UK. Gerry holds an M.A. (Econ.) and Ph.D. from the University of Manchester, and a B.A. in Social Anthropology and African History from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

Camilla Toulmin is Senior Fellow for Sustainable Energy, responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on Energy from our pioneering work on Clean Cooking Solutions to a strengthened cross-continental climate alliance for sustainable and accessible energy. Camilla is an economist and former director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Camilla’s work has combined field research, policy analysis and advocacy, with a specialised focus on African agriculture, drylands, tenure and the climate change-development nexus. She is currently an Associate at the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) and Professor at Lancaster University.

Yaya Yedan is Senior Fellow for Transport, responsible for driving, leading and supporting the strategic development of the Africa-Europe Foundation’s work on transport, infrastructure and connectivity from inland waterways to the role of connectivity with agri-food systems and energy. Yaya played a central role in the policy engagement on Africa’s transport policy and trade facilitation, at the regional and continental levels, as the Lead for the ‘Integration, Connectivity and Cohesion’ Pillar at the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP). He successfully convened and played a key role in expert and high-level, multi-stakeholder dialogue sessions to push for a more coherent African transport strategy.

Raphaël is Senior Programme Manager for the Africa-Europe Foundation, responsible for the programming, management and coordination of the Strategy Groups on Sustainable Energy and Agri-Food Systems, ensuring their impactful delivery. Previously, Raphaël managed the Climate, Energy and Sustainability policy area at Friends of Europe. He developed an acute interest for the climate and development nexus after working for various think tanks, civil society organisations, private sector companies and NGOs with projects in Africa, Latin America and Europe. Raphaël holds a Bachelor in Geography from Royal Holloway, University of London, after which he completed an MSc in Climate Change and International Development at the University of East Anglia, UK. He speaks French and English.

Leonie Kunze has a transversal role as Planning and Monitoring Coordinator for the Africa-Europe Foundation. Working with the Executive Director, she has responsibilities for embedding strategic evaluation and monitoring processes across the Foundation including its functions for programmes and operations and outreach and communications. Leonie holds a Franco-German double BA and MA in International Governance with a focus on Conflict and Development Studies from Sciences Po Lille and the University of Muenster, as well as an LLM in International Law from the University of Kent. Previously, she worked as a tutor in International Relations at Muenster University and as a research assistant at the Centre for International Crisis and Conflict Studies. Leonie is fluent in English, French and German and has a basic understanding of Spanish and Dutch.

Joséphine is Programme Manager for the Africa-Europe Foundation, responsible for the programming, management and coordination of the Strategy Group on Health and Digital, ensuring its impactful delivery. Joséphine has completed a MSc in Public Policy with a focus on Global Health at Sciences Po in Paris and has experience in various health-based organisations such as EURORDIS, Sanofi and Nextep Health. A dual national of France and Ireland, she is bilingual in French and English and speaks intermediate Spanish.

Manal Benani is Youth Advisor for the Africa-Europe Foundation, responsible for supporting the development of AEF’s youth strategy. Manal is youth ambassador and spokesperson, as well as medical doctor, coordinating and managing the International Patients Department at Neupharma Company and prior to that the international health department of Medar hospital in Turkey. She has seven years of experience in engaging with several Algerian NGOs as a communications officer, coordinator, trainer, reporter and advocate. As a passionate civil society and youth advocate, Manal is a trainer at Young Mediterranean Voices, and served as an ambassador and youth spokesperson in various high-level EU and UN dialogues.

Ms. Maame Boateng, is the Partnerships Manager for the Africa-Europe Foundation leading the organisations partnership scheme catalysing dialogue and action at the local level to help shape a strong, mutually beneficial partnership between Africa and Europe. Maame is the primary resource person for AEFs new and existing partners, mapping and maintaining the organization database of partners and ensuring partners can benefit from the AEF’s broader resource network. Alongside this Maame captures data and programme stories from the AEF-supported initiatives to communicate impact; generating narrative/budget reports. Prior to this Maame worked as an Associate in the Executive Office of the UN Special Representative and CEO for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) providing operational support to the Special Representative and co-lead the first SEforALL Youth Summit that mobilized over 2,000 youth participants from 134 countries to inspire active participation in the achievement of SDG7.

Nicolas is the Programme Officer for the Africa-Europe Foundation, working on the thematic areas of Climate, Ocean Governance and Blue Economy, and Development, as part of the Programme Delivery team. Previously, Nick supported the AEF’s Outreach, Advocacy and Partnership effort. Nick joined the AEF after a traineeship at the EU Delegation to Côte d’Ivoire. He holds a MA in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe in Warsaw, and a Liberal Arts degree from University College Maastricht. He speaks English, French, Portuguese and intermediate German.

Susan is a communications professional with over 7 years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, social media management and corporate social responsibility. She has in-depth expertise in designing and executing internal and external communication strategies. Prior to joining The Africa Europe Foundation, Susan had worked at Huawei Technologies Kenya Co. Limited as a Country Communications Specialist, Social Media Manager and Corporate Social Responsibility projects coordinator. Passionate about bridging the digital divide and the use of technology for good, Susan managed the roll out of various ICT training programs in Kenya in partnership with various stakeholders from the private and public sector equipping 5000+ youths with prerequisite skills for the digital economy. She is a champion for women empowerment and led the strategy development and implementation of the Women in Technology Huawei program to provide mentorship and training to women and female students in STEM. As a Community Manager at AEF, Susan is responsible for content development spanning traditional and new media. She endeavors to develop content with key messaging that drives the organization’s vision to reach its diverse global audience. Susan holds a Bachelor of Economics and Finance degree from Kenyatta University and brings to the team a wealth of knowledge in content management, communications strategy, stakeholder relations, among others. She embraces lifelong learning to attain personal fulfilment.