BIOGRAPHIES

Multilingual executive with 17+ years of leadership across education, language services, talent development, HR and operations support.

Brigitte Karekezi Djedj is a Senior Gender Integration and Inclusive Governance Advisor, as well as an experienced trainer and panelist. She transforms policies and programs into powerful drivers of equality by combining gender analysis, transformational leadership, and results-oriented approaches.

Stéphane Wakiri KANON is a seasoned statistician with over 10 years of experience supporting INGOs, international private-sector organizations, and large-scale donor-funded programs, including PEPFAR (U.S. Department of State).

Boko Alexandre KOUASSI is a Senior 360° Marketing and Communications Strategist, Digital Communications Trainer, and Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) expert with over 20 years of experience across strategic advisory, media and public relations, and leadership of communication functions in both the private sector and international development.

Ms. Bénédicte Richmond is a results-driven professional with extensive experience in strategic thinking, planning, and coordination, complemented by a strong track record in proposal development and high-impact communication. Her work is grounded in sound financial acumen, including budgeting, resource allocation, and financial oversight, ensuring that strategies are both ambitious and
operationally feasible.

ANNÉ Ettien Lambert is an experienced professional in training, languages, and educational governance, with more than twenty years of experience in higher education, vocational training, translation, and international conference interpreting.

Lucette Andoh Denoman is an international development professional and consultant with over ten years of experience supporting UN agencies, international NGOs, and development partners across Africa. Her work focuses on programme design and implementation, gender and social inclusion, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity strengthening in sectors including health, education, youth development, and women’s economic empowerment.

Gerard Akindes is a multifaceted professional whose career spans sports, academia, and management. His background as an athlete, coach, sportswear company manager, scholar, and researcher gives him a unique perspective on the sports industry.

Siriki Gbané has lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area for over 20 years. A multidisciplinary educator, researcher, and journalist, he specializes in multicultural relations, foreign affairs, and international relations.

An “outlier” in academic, business, and consulting circles. Example: Promoted academic and business/industry partnerships in curriculum development, internships, research projects, and employment (University of San-Pedro’s logistics program and ARISE, the logistics giant headquartered in Dubai; The Idaho Department of Commerce and the Modern Language Department at Boise State University).

Emily Eichman is an interdisciplinary educator, researcher, and author involved in intercultural teaching contexts. She was a participant (English Language Fellow) with English Language Programs, a program funded by the US Department of State through the Office of English Language Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

Melaine Tapé turns data into decisions—and systems into impact.
A statistician by training and a strategist by instinct, Melaine brings over two decades of mastery in data analysis and more than 14 years at the helm of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) and digital health transformation.

Dr. Raoul Roland KOUASSI is a senior academic, strategic advisor, and development practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, leadership development, and international cultural exchange.

Philip Djè Bi VANIÉ is an administrative and financial management expert with extensive experience supporting donor-funded national and international organizations. He holds a Postgraduate Degree (DESS) in Financial Engineering from the University of Cocody, supported by advanced academic training in management and economics from the University of Bouaké.

Dr. Atta Pascal is an Energy Specialist with over 15 years of experience in Côte d’Ivoire’s power sector, spanning government institutions, the national power utility, and international development organizations.

Samuel Mathey is an international consultant, professor & researcher, author and adviser to various
governments and TV anchor. Samuel has specialized on development economic issues, entrepreneurship, debt and finance. Samuel holds a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Economics from University of Delaware and an MBA and the Ohio State University. He equally owns a Master degree in monetary economics and econometrics and a bachelor in accounting (2000).

K. Marcos N’Goran, MSc, is an inclusive climate and employment policy leader working at the intersection of climate action, jobs, and social equity. He currently serves as National Coordinator of the Social Dimension of the Ecological Transition project at the International Labour Organization (ILO), where he leads national efforts to help countries anticipate climate impacts on labor markets and build resilient, green, and inclusive workforces.

Fabien Zouzou is an international development program specialist with over fifteen years of experience designing, coordinating, and implementing donor-funded projects across West and Central Africa. He has held leadership roles within international organizations and government agencies, spanning governance, infrastructure, energy, education, and public health sectors..

Komenan Koffi is a Senior Energy Specialist based out of Antananarivo, focusing on the Madagascar and Comoros energy sector program.

DIBI Assassi Olivier is a West African infrastructure and rural development expert with over 17 years of experience delivering complex projects in water, energy, transport, and agriculture. An Ivorian rural engineer, he specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable infrastructure that strengthens food security, energy access, and climate resilience across the region.

Allassane Ouattara is a seasoned internal audit and risk management professional with over fifteen years of experience in top-tier audit firms and within a financial institution, where he currently serves as Director of Internal Audit.

Eric Sambaluk is an international business strategist and organizational consultant with more than 15 years of experience advising multinational organizations on strategy, institutional alignment, and sustainable growth. His work spans international trade, digital transformation, financial services, manufacturing, and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on how organizations adapt to regulatory, market, and geopolitical complexity.

Dr. Marius Selay Kouassi, Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., is a distinguished interdisciplinary thinker and practitioner whose career defies conventional boundaries. With a solid foundation in American civilisation and literature, international relations, journalism, and cultural analysis, Dr. Kouassi combines rigorous academic scholarship with fearless investigative reporting and world-class mastery of traditional Chinese martial arts and wellness disciplines.