Michael Brown

Agribusiness Consultant, USA

Michael Brown has over 13 years of international development experience in addition to six years of U.S. corporate management specializing in agribusiness and marketing for public and private enterprises. In the role of senior manager, Brown has directed agribusiness operations (U.S. and foreign) from crop production through to retail category management, prioritizing profits and making the brand/product dominant market leaders. His experience in strategizing turnarounds and new business development has been used affectively in emerging and developed markets. Likewise, his corporate experience in new product development, marketing, value and supply chain intervention and risk management effectively transitions farms and firms into competent commercial enterprises expanding markets, increasing sales. His work with USAID, USDA, the World Bank and various consulting firms provides for proficient management of a broad range of international ventures. Aside from his US corporate experience, he has work experience in Pacific Asia, Central America, Eastern Europe and West Africa. Currently Brown is a Senior Associate at Abt Associates a leading international consulting firm based in Bethesda Maryland, USA. He holds a MPA degree from the University of North Carolina and MS degree in Horticulture (postharvest technology) from Cornell University and a BS degree in food science from the University of California Polytechnic – San Luis Obispo.

Joyce Cacho

Chief Sustainability Officer, Novus International

Joyce Cacho joined Novus International, Inc. in January 2009 as the Chief Sustainability Officer. Prior to joining Novus International, Dr. Cacho directed the Agribusiness Initiatives Program of the Corporate Council on Africa. From 2004-2007, Dr. Cacho consulted for Land O’Lakes, Rabobank International, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dr. Cacho holds a Doctorate in Agribusiness Finance Policy and Investment Decisions from the University of Missouri – Columbia, a Master’s in Agricultural Marketing Policy and International Trade from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Cacho serves on the Board of Directors of Winrock International and the World Agricultural Forum. In addition, Joyce serves on the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the Corporate Council of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Leadership Council of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Linley Chiwona-Karltun

Researcher, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Linley Chiwona-Karltun holds a BSc in Food Nutrition and Institutional Management, an MSc in Nutrition and a PhD in International Health. She is a lecturer and research fellow at The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Sweden. In 2002 she co-founded the Chinangwa ndi Mbatata Roots and Tubers Enterprise (CMRTE) in Malawi that has membership of over 3000 farmers and more than 80% are women. CMRTE empowers its members with skills and information to manage and produce cassava, process, develop nutritious products and to commercialise their products. CMRTE has received several awards in recognition of their commitment to cassava agro-processing and entrepreneurial achievements. She is also a founding member of the Network of African-European Women Scientists (NAWES), The Association of African Agricultural Professionals in the Diaspora – Europe (AAAPD-E) and serves on several editorial and international boards.

Dr. Ralph D. Christy

Founder, CEO, & Chairman of the Board

Professor Ralph D. Christy is Director of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development and Professor of Emerging Markets at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he teaches and conducts food marketing research and educational programs on the economic performance of markets and distribution systems. He has advised industry leaders and public policy makers on food marketing strategies, economic development, and the organization of the global food economy.

A Ph.D. graduate of Michigan State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics, Christy is past President of the American Agricultural Economics Association, and is currently a Board Member of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, WinRock International, and the Agribusiness Capital Fund.

He is the author of three books, A Century of Service: Land Grant Colleges and Universities, 1890-1990 (1992); Achieving Sustainable Communities in a Global Economy (2004); and Emerging Markets (forthcoming). His most recent research calls attention to the role of creating an enabling environment for accelerating agro-industries’ contributions to sustain economic growth and development.

Njeri Gakonyo

Njeri Gakonyo is an Agricultural Economist with a wide range of interests and engagements including Africa’s economic and social progress, agriculture, environment, youth, strategy, faith and leadership. Currently she is a consultant to the Resource Mobilisation unit at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Prior to working at AGRA, Njeri facilitated strategy development for both business and non-profit organizations on a consultancy basis in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. She previously worked as Associate Director at Lattice Consulting Limited, a corporate finance and strategy firm in Nairobi. Njeri studied economics at the undergraduate level at Grinnell College and agricultural economics at Cornell University at Masters’ and PhD levels. Njeri is currently the Board Chair of the Green Belt Movement (GBM), and serves on the Board of the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI) at the University of Nairobi.

Andrew Jackson

Director of Corporate Safety, Frito-Lay North America

Andrew Jackson is Director of Corporate Safety, for Frito-Lay North America. He joined Frito- Lay in 1986 and has worked in various roles including Manufacturing Manager and Director of Operations Capability. In his current role, he is responsible for three key areas: Regulatory Compliance, Safety Systems and Processes, Safety Culture and Servant Leadership. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Southern University. Andrew has served on several boards in Texas: The Houston Food Bank, State Board of Educator Certification and Brazos River Authority. He is married to Roxie, and they have three children: Andrew III, Abriell Lynae, and Lendon Charles. They are members of Stonebriar Community Church.

Dean Mohammad Karaan

Dean of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Mohammad Karaan was the Dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University. He earned his doctorate from Stellenbosch University and joined the Faculty in 1997 as a lecturer specialising in Agribusiness Management, Marketing and the Economics of Development. Before joining the University, he worked in the nongovernmental sector focusing on rural enterprise development. He also has experience working as a project economist and policy analyst at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. He serves on the Board of Directors of several South African agribusiness companies. He is a past Chairman of the National Agricultural Marketing Council and past President of Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa.

Dr. Ndunge Kiiti

Senior Director for Partnerships at MAP International

Dr. Ndunge Kiiti is a Professor of International Development at Houghton College, in Houghton, NY and Adjunct Faculty at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Global Health, in Atlanta, GA. Currently Dr. Kiiti is a Visiting Professor at the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD). With a key focus on Africa and Latin America, Ndunge’s work involves research, teaching, and publishing in the areas of communication, education, health and development. Her current research highlights the use and impact of mobile money technology by women’s micro-credit groups, the 'Jua Kali' or informal business sector and smallholder farmers in Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. She has served on the boards of MAP International, CORE Group, and Jericho Road Community Health Center in the U.S. Ndunge has a Ph.D. in Communications from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA), which included a one-year study in International Health at the John’s Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.

Dr. Edward Mabaya

Research Associate, Cornell University

Dr. Edward Mabaya is an academic and a development practitioner. As a development practitioner, Ed is involved in several programs that seek to improve the lives of African farmers through private enterprise. Ed established and coordinates the Seeds of Development Program, a business development services and networking program for emerging seed companies in East and Southern Africa.

As a Research Associate in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, he conducts research on food marketing and distribution, seed systems, spatial market equilibrium, and the role of efficient agricultural markets in Africa’s economic development.

He is currently the Assistant Director at the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development. Ed earned his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Economics at Cornell University and his B.Sc. from the University of Zimbabwe. In 2007, Ed was an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, a training program offered by the African Leadership Institute at Oxford University. In 2010, he will be a Visiting Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Dr. Jose Jackson Malete

Deputy Director of Research, University of Botswana

Dr. Jose Jackson Malete has a Masters and PhD in Food Science from Cornell University and Michigan State University in the USA. Her research interests are in the processing and quality evaluation of fruits and vegetable products and she has more than 10 years experience in academia, industry and government. Her research has involved the functional and nutritional characterization of legume protein fractions after processing and also the policy implications of improved nutrition on the nutritional and immune function of HIV+ children. Currently she is a scientist in the Food Group of the Centre for Scientific Research, Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation (CesrIKi) at UB working on several internationally funded research projects. In addition to her scientific experience, Jose also has extensive experience in the management of research in her role as the Deputy Director of Research at the University of Botswana. Previously, she was Director of Research at a food research institute in Botswana and Lecturer of Food Science at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. She is a member of various international food networks, for e.g. she is the Botswana representative on IUFoST and is a professional member of IFT where she was the past chairperson for the fruit and vegetable products division.

Mainza Mugoya

Mainza Mugoya is a Policy Officer with the East African Farmers' Federation—EAFF. Mainza's academic background is in agricultural economics. In his role managing the policy desk at EAFF, he works closely policy departments at the national farmer associations and national co-operative organizations—all of which are EAFF member organizations. In addition, he works with regional governments including the East African Community (EAC), East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Pete Ondeng

Founder and CEO of Africa Partnership Advisors Ltd. (APA)

Pete Ondeng is a leadership consultant, author and speaker with over 25 years of entrepreneurship and business development experience in the corporate, public, and non-profit sectors. Pete qualified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States and served as the Africa Director for Oikocredit, an international financial intermediary based in the Netherlands. From 2003-2006, he served as the CEO of the East Africa office of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Pete later worked as the East Africa Regional Director for Millennium Promise, a New York based organization that develops commercial strategies for uplifting the region’s poorest communities.

Dr. Onkutlwile Othata

Professor, Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Botswana

Dr. Onkutlwile Othata is an academic at the University of Botswana. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Master’s Degree and Ph.D., all in accounting and financial management. He also holds a Post- Graduate Diploma in Social Research Methods. In addition, he has attended several short courses in a variety of areas including corporate governance and risk management. His teaching, research and consulting activities focus on accounting, financial risk management, financial analysis and corporate governance. Othata also serves as external examiner to several Universities. At a national level, he has and continues to serve in various committees and boards of organizations including the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Insurance Council of Botswana.

Dr. Quinetta M. Roberson

Professor of Management, Villanova University School of Business

Dr. Quinetta M. Roberson is the Fred J. Springer Endowed Chair in Business Leadership in the Villanova School of Business at Villanova University. Prior to her current position, she served on the faculty of Cornell University and has been visiting faculty at the University of Maryland at College Park, Melbourne Business School in Melbourne, Australia and Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. In addition to earning a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Maryland, Professor Roberson holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware in Finance and Accounting and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in Finance and Strategic Planning. Her research interests focus on organizational justice, particularly fairness in work teams and human resource management, and on strategic diversity management. She teaches courses on the management of people at the executive and graduate levels.

Professor Robert Rugimbana

Professor Robert Rugimbana is a Professor of Marketing at Tshwane University of Technology, Faculty of Management Sciences. He has taught in several Australian Universities in Business/Marketing/entrepreneurship areas. Robert has been a senior consultant for large Australian Organizations including the Australian-New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), The South Australian Association of Credit Unions and One Steel. He is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, and a member of the Australian New Zealand Academy of Marketing, the Academy of Marketing (UK) and the Australian South African Business Council. His main research interests lie in Consumer Psychology, Cross-Cultural Marketing, Poverty & Entrepreneurship, Marketing Education, Corporate Social Responsibility as well as general Management covering African, South East Asian, and selected countries in the West. He holds an MBA from the University of Newcastle and a Ph.D. from Macquarie University.

Dr. Krisztina Tihanyi

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Krisztina Tihanyi divides her time between the 'real world' and academia. At Market Matters Inc. she is Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, she coordinates the organization’s agribusiness training portfolio and publication activities. She is also in charge of grant writing and administration, as well as fundraising and financial management. At Cornell University she holds visiting appointments at the Institute for African Development and the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development. Her background includes degrees in Psychology, International Peace Studies, and Anthropology. A Ph.D. graduate of Cornell University, Kriszta has a keen interest in developing educational programs that lead to social and economic transformation. She has written the book Blending in the Rainbow Nation (an account of post-Apartheid reconciliation and racial integration in South Africa) and co-edited the volume Case Studies of Emerging Farmers and Agribusinesses in South Africa.

Dr. Norbert Wilson

Assistant Professor of Agribusiness Management in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Auburn University, Alabama.

Dr. Norbert Wilson is a professor of Agricultural Economics at Auburn University, where he has been on faculty since 1999. He received a BS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia. He went on to earn an MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of London, Wye College. He attended the University of California, Davis, where he completed his doctorate in Agricultural and Resource Economics. He has worked at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, where he analyzed international trade and food safety and structural adjustment. As a faculty member at Auburn, he teaches courses in the area of agribusiness: international trade, price analysis, and food and agricultural policy. His research portfolio includes agricultural trade, behavioral economics and hunger, domestically and abroad.

Dr. Akin Adesina

Vice President (Policy and Partnerships), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

Dr. Akin Adesina has over 20 years of experience in African agriculture, development policy and rural development. Dr Adesina was a lead organizer of the Africa Fertilizer Summit for African heads of state in 2006. He was instrumental in framing the soil health policies adopted there by over 40 African governments, the African Union the New Partnership of African Development (NEPAD), and other leading global development institutions. Dr Adesina, a Nigerian citizen, previously worked in senior research leadership positions at IITA, WARDA and ICRISAT. In July 2007, he received the YARA Prize for the African Green Revolution in Oslo for his pioneering work with agricultural inputs and agro-dealer networks in Africa. In 2008, he was honored with Purdue University’s College of Agriculture Distinguished Agricultural Alumni Award, for his inspiring leadership in spearheading transformative change in African agriculture. Dr Adesina holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University (USA).

Sarah Bimbona

Sarah Bimbona is an academic and market research consultant. She holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Monash University, Australia, an M.Sc. in Marketing and Bachelors of Commerce from Makerere University, Uganda. With over 7 years of teaching and lecturing experience, Sarah has worked as a Marketing Research officer in the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development, a project funded by the government of Uganda to add value and industrialize cooking bananas commonly known in Uganda as matooke. As a faculty member at Makerere University, she teaches courses in the areas of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Research Methodology and Management. Her research portfolio includes: collaborative innovation, export performance, knowledge management, learning orientation and supply chain capabilities in the agricultural sector.

Dr. Sebastian Chakeredza

Dr. Sebastian Chakeredza is a Lecturer in Animal Production at Africa University in Zimbabwe and has worked for national research systems and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Since 2009 he has been the Network Manager of the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) based in Nairobi, Kenya. ANAFE is implementing two African Agribusiness Education programmes called SASACID (Strengthening Africa’s Strategic Agricultural Capacity for Impact on Development) and UniBRAIN (Linking Universities with Business and Research in Agricultural Innovations). Sebastian holds a BSc and MSc in Animal Science from the University of Zimbabwe, and a PhD in Animal Nutrition from Gottingen University, Germany. He has a strong passion for development work which benefits smallholder farmers.

Gracian Chimwaza

Gracian Chimwaza is the founding director for ITOCA-Information Training & Outreach Centre for Africa www.itoca.org He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Thames Valley University, UK and has an electronic engineering background. He is a PhD candidate at the Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria. In the last fifteen years, Gracian has led extensive information capability building and research projects in many African countries focusing on ICTs, e-resources access, digital libraries, information literacy and entrepreneurship programs. He serves as board member on the Research4Life Executive Council, the IAALD Africa Executive Board and is current Chair of the International Advisory Group for Global Open Knowledge Hub (GOKH) at the Institute for Development Studies (UK). He has been an invited speaker in many international and regional-level policy meetings that address ICTs business, knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives in Africa.

Joyce Chitja

Joyce Chitja is an academic and a change agent with over 15 years of experience in agricultural development and food security. Joyce’s work focuses on measuring and tracking the socio-economic aspects of food security and livelihoods through collaboration with national and international research institutions, teaching and capacity building programs, and engaging stakeholders, in particular, policy makers. She has held senior management positions in government as Director of Operations in Land Affairs. She is currently the (acting) leader of the African Centre for Food Security at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. Her business experience includes prior ownership and operation of a food franchise in Pietermaritzburg. She is currently involved in work that promotes inclusive agribusiness development among smallholder farmers. Joyce has served on numerous boards of directors.

Ceiwyn Craig-Moore

Ceiwyn Craig-Moore holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy from Temple University and is completing an MBA at Villanova University. In her role as the Assistant Director of Professional Development for the Villanova University School of Business, she develops and implements strategies that advance the college’s emphasis on internship participation as a critical component of the overall academic experience and process of bridging theory to practice. She also teaches professional development, providing holistic preparation for success and leadership for future business professionals.

Dr. Johan van Deventer

Managing Director, Freshmark (South Africa)

Dr. Johan van Deventer has extensive knowledge and experience of the Fresh Produce Markets and the Fresh Produce Industry. In 1987 he was appointed a full time member of the Commission for Fresh Produce Markets in South Africa. Thereafter he became the Deputy Director of the Johannesburg Market. He completed his doctorate at the University of Pretoria on “The Marketing of Fresh Produce in the Republic of South Africa”. Moving into the private sector, he was appointed Manager of the Johannesburg Branch of Freshmark. He later started the Procurement Department at Freshmark. In 2000 he became the Managing Director of Freshmark and today also serves on the Board of Directors of the Shoprite Group. He is a member of the Fresh Produce Marketing Association in South Africa and the Produce Marketing Association in the United States of America.

Professor Joseph Diescho

Director and Head of International Relations and Partnerships UNISA (South Africa)

Professor Joseph Diescho was born in the Kavango Region,Namibia. He studied Law and Political Science at the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, where he was involved in student politics and was imprisoned in Peddie and East London. He obtained a B.A (Law), B.A. (Hons.) and M.A. and was the youngest recipient of a Doctor of Philosophy and Literature in the history of Fort Hare in 1987. While at Fort Hare, he received a German Academic Exchange Scholarship and studied African Politics and Political Economy at Hamburg University in (then) West Germany. As a Fulbright scholar he attended Columbia University in New York where he obtained two more masters degrees and a second doctorate in Political Science/ International Relations. He also studied education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Theology at the Union Theological Seminary, New York.

Upon his return to Africa, he joined the University of South Africa (UNISA) as the head of Public Relations and Development and served as an Extraordinary Professor of Politics at the University of Pretoria. During 1997-8, he was the founder and presenter of ‘The Big Picture’, a weekly economic and political analysis programme on SABC 2. He has lectured on Leadership, Diversity Management and Strategic Thinking and Black Economic Empowerment at the UNISA School for Leadership and to various South African companies, and presented papers on Africa internationally. He is well known as one of the most independent and insightful political analysts in Africa. He is the author of numerous publications and more than seven books, including two novels. He has served from time to time as an expert speechwriter for both Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. Currently he is Director and Head of International Relations and Partnerships at UNISA in Pretoria.

Rechi Dlamini

Rechi Dlamini earned a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and Biology, with a Minor in Mathematics, and began her career as a high-school teacher of chemistry and mathematics. In 1994 she switched fields to study Agricultural Economics at the University of Natal, where she was awarded the HI Behrmann Prize for best independent work in 1996. Upon completing her studies, she began working in the sugar industry as a project accountant. In 2010 she completed her MBA at the Milpark Business School. She has extensive experience of working with emerging farmers, and she currently works at the Agribusiness Development Agency, where she manages the agro-processing portfolio, with projects ranging from fruits to processed milk and a tannery.

Dr. Dilip Gokhale

Senior Advisor, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Dilip Gokhale is Senior Advisor, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. Dilip has a degree in Economics from the University of Poona, India and M.B.A. equivalent from I.I.M., Ahmedabad in India. He has attended short management courses at the Columbia University, New York and the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago. Dilip has worked in development banking, seeds and crop protection fields. He was Head of Syngenta’s seeds business in India from 1987 to 1998. In 1999 he moved to Syngenta’s Headquarter in Basel, Switzerland as Head Field Crop Seeds and in 2002 to Bangkok as Head of the Asia Pacific Region for Seeds. In 2007 he assumed the responsibility of Global Head, Biofuels Development, Syngenta International AG and in 2009 the additional responsibility as Senior Advisor, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. Dilip has been Chairman of the Board of Syngenta Seed companies in Korea and Thailand and on Boards of Syngenta companies in China, Japan and India. He is also a member, Board of Management of the Management School of the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok.

Stephen Hobson

Stephen Hobson has over 25 years’ experience in agribusiness, finance, agricultural economics and rural development. This includes a diverse range of clients, businesses and sub sectors throughout the value chain. Currently a director and co-founder of Agrifusion (Pty) Ltd, based in Stellenbosch (see www.agrifusion.co.za). Agrifusion provides advisory services to the wider agricultural and agro-processing value chain. Key services include: Strategy; Transaction support; Transformation; Performance; Research and Compliance. Stephen’s focus is on BEE advisory & transactions; Private Equity & Valuations; Business plans and Financial analysis and Deal structuring & Capital raising. Previously established and operated Stephen Hobson Business Advisory from 2005 to 2013. Prior to that was employed at NewFarmers, a private equity investor in agribusiness and BEE (1995 to 2005) and as an agricultural economist and rural development planner at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) from 1989 to 1995.

Cecilia Khupe

Cecilia Khupe is Programs Director (Africa) at the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP). Before joining AFAP she worked for USAID as a Senior Regional Program Manager/Agriculture Advisor for over 12 years. Prior to joining USAID she worked for South Africa Breweries Botswana Branch as a Brewery Manager. She also worked for the Ministry of Agriculture Botswana as a Senior Agriculture Economist responsible for all bilateral and multilateral trade arrangements for the Government of Botswana in the Agriculture Sector as well as project planning and management for the Ministry. Cecilia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Botswana, an honors degree from the University of Colorado in Economic Policy, and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics (Marketing and Trade) from New Mexico State University, USA.

Mr. Han Kim

Information Technology Consultant, Cisco Systems (USA)

Mr. Han Kim has over 17 years of leadership expertise in management consulting, business process improvement, and strategy development in business and IT for Global 500 companies. Prior to joining Cisco Systems, Han held several senior management positions with IBM, Deloitte & Touche, and KPMG Peat Marwick’s consulting organizations. He advised and consulted companies such as Hewlett Packard, Apple Computer, Hitachi Data Systems, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Pacific Bell and others. At Cisco, Han has been leading a number of IT & Business Strategy groups. Currently within the Emerging Markets organization, Han is one of the key leaders in the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute, focusing on Strategic Partnership Alliances and Business Strategy Architecture.

Ms. Venete Klein

Executive Director, ABSA Bank (South Africa)

Read about Venete Klein here kleininc.co.za/documents/about.html

Moshisi Lehlongwane

Moshisi Lehlongwane Moshisi is the Supplier Development Manager for Massmart. He joined Massmart from the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) where he was a Business & Research Analyst. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy, specialising in policy analysis, negotiations and diplomacy, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore; BA (Hon) in Law and International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand, worked as English Teacher in Japan and briefly as a researcher at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. Moshisi is a South African Lee Kuan Yew Scholar. He hails from Hammanskraal.

Professor Leapetswe Malete

Professor Leapetswe Malete is the Director of International Education and Partnerships and Associate Professor of Sport Psychology at the University of Botswana. He has a Masters and Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from Michigan State University in the USA. His teaching and research interests are in physical activity, nutrition and health, youth psychosocial development through sport, self-efficacy and athletic performance. He has been part of international multidisciplinary research teams conducting research on nutrition, physical activity and health. Malete has served as a visiting research fellow at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus Jamaica in 2000/2001. As an international higher education administrator he has championed the development and implementation of collaborative partnerships for international research, staff and students exchanges between UB and various universities across the globe. He has contributed to scholarship in international education and sport psychology and particularly provided African perspectives through his publications and conference papers. He has served as team psychologist for various national teams including the Botswana National Football Team.

George Marechera

George Marechera is the Business Development Manager for the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). He is responsible for the development of business strategies to enhance agribusiness development in Sub-Saharan Africa through strategic public-private partnership. Before joining AATF he worked as General Manager for Saltlakes Holdings (Zimbabwe) spearheading tobacco contract farming. George has worked in the agricultural industry and has wide-ranging experience in project management and agri-business, business development and strategy, agricultural technology identification and transfer, and agricultural market access and linkages. He holds an MBA from Wolverhampton University (UK), a BSc Honours in Economics degree from University of Zimbabwe and several professional management qualifications.

Mr. Strive Masiyiva

CEO, Econet (Zimbabwe)

Mr. Strive Masiyiva — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Econet Wireless International, Johannesburg, South Africa; Trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation. In 2002, Mr Masiyiwa was named to Time Magazine’s Global Business Influentials List.

Dr. Margaret Matanda

Professor, Department of Marketing, Monash University (Australia)

Dr. Margaret Jekanyika Matanda is an Associate Professor and holds a PhD from Monash University (Australia) and an MBA from West Virginia University (USA). Margaret has been the Director of the Masters of Marketing Program at Monash University and an Acting Director for the Business Education at the University of Sydney Business School. She has over 25 years tertiary education and executive training experience in Africa, Asia, USA and Australia. Before becoming an academic Associate Professor Matanda worked as a development consultant and executive trainer on entrepreneurship development, marketing strategy, supply chain management, food retailing in both developed and developing countries for organisations such as USAID, UNICEF, Kellogg and Ford Foundations. Margaret has been a Junior Fulbright Fellow, British Commonwealth Fellow, USAID as well as a Kellogg Fellow.

Mr. Zhann Meyer

Regional Head for Commodity Traders and Agriculture for Africa, Standard Chartered Bank (South Africa)

Mr. Zhann Meyer is the Regional Head for Commodity Traders and Agriculture for Africa with a mandate to promote and expand the Bank’s Agricultural Strategy on the continent. Zhann joined the Bank in 2006 as Director of Agriculture for Standard Chartered Bank’s Wholesale Banking Division. Zhann brings invaluable knowledge and experience to this critical sector, having structured financial products for participants across the supply chain in the agricultural and soft commodity arena, for over 13 years. Zhann was instrumental in structuring and implementing an innovative Agricultural Input Finance Model during his employment with Absa Bank in 1997. Zhann has presented and introduced the model to agricultural producers and cooperatives as far afield as Sao Paulo, Panama and Alabama in the USA. Since joining Standard Chartered, Zhann has successfully implemented and exponentially expanded this model for cereals, fruit and even livestock in a number of African countries, with over 400,000 hectares of commercial farmland now being cultivated through this innovative structure. Zhann is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has served his articles as an Audit Manager at KPMG in South Africa. He is registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Thulasizwe Mkhabela

Thulasizwe Mkhabela is an Agricultural Economist with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Stellenbosch University. He is currently acting as the Chief Executive Officer for Agribusiness Development Agency in KwaZulu-Natal. Thulasizwe has over 20 years of experience in the Agricultural and Land Reform sectors and has published and presented more than 34 papers on agriculture, economics, nutrition, the effect of HIV/AIDS on the growing economy, plant sciences and soil science. With extensive knowledge in agribusiness, value chain analysis, and market identification he has assisted farmers throughout KwaZulu-Natal to grow their farms, linking them to value chain processes. He has held positions at the National Agricultural Marketing Council (Linking Farmers to Markets program) and at Stellenbosch University as a lecturer in Market Analysis and Econometrics. He is a member of numerous professional associations and is a Referee/Reviewer for several scientific journals and publications.

Emelda Dikeledi Mosime

Emelda Dikeledi Mosime is an accomplished businesswoman with experience in the corporate and small business sectors. She holds a BA degree in Economics and Political Science, and an Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She has also received diplomas in Marketing and Advertising and other business-related areas. She has General Management experience in manufacturing and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). She has worked for Oceana Fishing Company, and the Foschini and Edgars Group, among others. She is now a full time entrepreneur, owning a promotional packaging business called TIN-PAC. Her vision for the business is to become a market leader for all promotional packaging in metal in the Southern African market and later growing into the rest of Africa.

Dr. Emelly Mutambatsere

Senior Research Associate, African Development Bank

Dr. Emelly Mutambatsere is a Senior Research Economist in the Development Research Department. Prior to joining the African Development Bank, she worked as a Post-Doctoral Associate with the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She holds a PhD in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. Her research background is in the areas of commodity markets and international trade.

Eunice K. Mwongera

Eunice K. Mwongera is the Owner/Director of Hillside Green Growers and Exporters Ltd. Established in 1998, the company currently has 25 permanent employees; it also provides income to 150 part-time workers, many of them from low-income communities around Nairobi. Hillside partners with rural smallholder farmers to grow vegetables and fruits: at present the company works with 500-800 farmer groups and individual agents who grow peas, avocados, and mangoes. Hillside also supports farmers’ access to inputs, including certified seeds, and access to finance through a partnership with Equity Bank. The company facilitates training, seminars, and workshops on good agricultural practices and GlobalGAP certification. Eunice holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nairobi University and a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on strategic management from the University of Nairobi.

Mr. Christo Nel

Founder and director, Village Leadership Consulting (South Africa)

Mr. Christo Nel has been active in the fields of strategy, organisational transformation, leadership development, and change management since the mid – 1980’s. He has been involved in various national and organisational initiatives during this period, including:

• Project Free – Enterprise: He was project leader of this national initiative which involved more than 3000 managers from more than 100 leading South African organisations. It culminated in a framework for facilitating political and economical transformation in South Africa.
• Vrye Weekblad: Together with Max du Preez, Christo was a co-founder of this Afrikaans Weekly Newspaper.
• Consultative Business Movement (CBM): Christo was founder of CBM, a nation-wide business movement supporting the goal of business in South Africa’s transformation into a market-based democracy. CBM became the secretariat for South Africa’s national negotiations.

Christo has authored several local and international articles. He is the author and co-author of several books including Economic Participation in South Africa – Strategies for Survival and Success, The Broederstroom Encounter, which describes the processes that led to the formation of the Consultative Business Movement, and The Age of Participation. His most recent work is (R)evolution – How to Create a High Performance Organisation explores how to drive integrated transformation in organisations. He has also published a volume of poetry called In the Image of Africa.

Christo led the Centre for Leadership Studies at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and continues to be the USB’s lead lecturer in the field of leadership development and Organization Development. He is the founder of The Village Leadership Consulting, a firm specialising in leadership development and organisational change.

Dr. Rosa Rolle

Agricultural Industries Officer, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (Thailand)

Dr. Rosa Rolle is an Agricultural Industries Officer in the Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Since joining FAO in 1995, she has worked internationally in the areas of food processing, coconut water preservation, post-harvest systems development and food packaging. Rosa is currently actively involved with the development, design and implementation of training programs on horticultural chain management in Asia and in Africa. Prior to joining FAO, Rosa conducted post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA and worked as a consultant to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Rosa holds MSc and Ph.D degrees in food science and a Higher National Diploma in applied chemistry. In 2003, she was recognized as an outstanding international alumnus of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

Mr. Shepherd Shoniwa

Managing Director, Easigas Pty (Ltd.) (South Africa)

Mr. Shepherd Shoniwa started his working career as an Industrial Relations Officer in the sugar industry in mid 1970s. Thereafter he rose rapidly through the HR function ranks to hold directorships in large firms in Zimbabwe in sectors including petroleum, agro-industry and diversified manufacturing as well as senior marketing and general management posts in the motor industry. In 1992 he moved to become General manager of Ford motors Swaziland.

He emigrated to South Africa in 1994 where he was in the pioneer team which set up the Minerals and Energy Policy Centre. In 1995 he was amongst the first executive team of McDonald’s in South Africa, where he actively contributed to the establishment of the company and the opening of the first 40 restaurants in its first three years. In 1998 he became Chief Operating Officer of Times Media group (now Johnnic publishing), with oversight over the Sunday Times, Financial mail, Business Day, Sunday World, EP Herald, Daily Despatch and over 30 consumer, trade and medical magazines. Summit TV was launched during his stewardship of the Group.

In 2001, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Tepco Petroleum (Pty) Ltd and in 2003 transferred to Easigas Pty Ltd as Managing Director, both of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Shell SA Marketing (Pty) Ltd. SSAM is jointly owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Thebe Investment Corporation, its BEE partner. Easigas has operations in South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Namibia.He was the first black chairman of the Institute of Directors Southern Africa from 2003 to 2005 and 2007/8. He is a director and chair of the Remuneration & Nominations committee of Metcash Trading Africa as well as Jaggers Trading Zimbabwe. He is also director of MetBee investments and chairman of TransAfrica Investment Holdings.

Apart from being a keen golfer, Shepherd is also a published author in service excellence, change management and cross-cultural African leadership. He is a true African citizen who avidly promotes African socio-economic revival and democracy. He holds a MBA degree, Honours in Industrial Psychology, B Admin degree, diplomas in Social Science and HR development.

Lulama Ndibongo-Traub

Lulama Ndibongo-Traub has a BA in Economics from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia and an MSC degree in Agricultural Economics with an emphasis in International Development from Michigan State University. Her current work focuses on research, outreach, and capacity building programs in collaboration with South African universities and government agencies, mainly focusing on staple food marketing and trade policies and their effects on sustainable and equitable development.

Dr. Aissétou Dramé Yayé

Dr. Aissétou Dramé Yayé is a Lecturer in Forestry and Agroforestry at the Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey, Niger. She has worked for various sub-regional and regional African Agricultural education and development organizations such as the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the AGRHYMET Centre in Niger. Since 2007 she has been the Executive Secretary of the African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) based in Nairobi, Kenya. She holds a BSc in Forestry from the Agriculture Academia of Krakow (Poland), an MSc in Animal Biology from the University of Dakar (Senegal), a distance-learning Masters in Using ICTs in Education from the University of Strasbourg (France), and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Ghana.