Josanne Leonard has 25+ years combined experience in Media, Strategic Communications, Government Relations, Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs.
She has a keen understanding of development and economic diversification issues for Caribbean economies with specific knowledge of market access and regulatory issues in a few sectors including the cultural | creative industries, telecommunications, copyright, broadcast. Josanne has extensive advocacy experience with international agencies, governments, academia, civil society and networks of industry professionals and firms.
She is also an experienced broadcaster and radio | TV producer who has worked with clients and affiliates in the Caribbean, USA, Africa and Europe including the BBC.
Pierre is an infrastructure finance and transport specialist with over 10 years of experience in project financing. He spent four years as a technical advisor on PPP projects before joining AFD's office in Sri Lanka to manage the infrastructure portfolio. Now based in Nairobi, Pierre is a Task Team Leader with AFD's Transport Practice. He oversees AFD's transport sector financings in the Indian Ocean and East Africa region, including maritime transport projects in Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion Island.
Eni Lestari is the chairperson of International Migrants Alliance, the first ever global alliance of grassroots migrants, immigrants, refugees and other displaced people. After escaping her abusive employer, she transformed herself from victim into organizer for domestic workers in particular and migrant workers in general. For nearly two decades, she has been active in migrant’s empowerment and held important positions in various organizations, alliances and formations working on the issue of migration, trafficking and women.
Eni is an Indonesian domestic worker in Hong Kong and migrant right’s activist. She is an active resource person in forums organized by academics, interfaith groups, civil societies, trade unions and many others at national, regional and international arenas She has actively participated in United Nations assemblies/conferences on development and migrant’s rights and chosen as a speaker at the opening of the UN General Assembly on Large Movement of Migrants and Refugees in 2016 in New York City, USA. She was also honored with nominations and awards such as Inspirational Women by BBC 100 Women, Public Hero Award by RCTI, Indonesian Club Award, and Non Profit Leader of Women of Influence by American Chamber Hong Kong, and Changemaker of Cathay Pacific.
Polo Leteka, Chairman and Founder, IDF Capital, Managing Partner and co-Founder AlitheaIDF Managers and Founder – I’M IN Accelerator.
She is a highly accomplished and experienced entrepreneur a private equity investor. As the Chairman and Founder of IDF Capital, a South African based entrepreneurial financier and advisory firm she has contributed towards channeling investments into women-owned SMEs across South Africa. In 2015, she co-founded Alitheia IDF Managers to continue investing in high growth businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa that are women owned and led. She was also part of South Africa’s version of the Dragons Den show and is co-Author of a book called “.....and for all these reasons, I’M IN.....”,which seeks to assist entrepreneurs to become investor ready.
Studies
Law and Political Sciences
Career
1985
Parliamentary assistant to CVP Member of Parliament Paul Breyne and in the office of the Flemish minister Paul Deprez
1987-1989
Employed at the Court of Auditors
1989
National Vice-Secretary of the CVP
1991
National Secretary of the CVP
1992
Administrator at the European Union
2001
Head of the CD&V fraction in the Chamber of Representatives
2003
President of the CD&V
2004
Minister-President of the Flemish government
2007
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Budget, Mobility, Institutional Reforms and the North Sea
2008
Prime Minister
2009
Minister of Foreign Affairs and subsequently Prime Minister
2011
Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD
The Honourable Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe is the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology of Botswana, and a Member of Parliament for Tati East Constituency. Honourable Letsholathebe was appointed to head MoTE at the beginning of November 2019.
Hon Dr. Letsholathebe is a seasoned scholar whose experience and offerings cover secondary as well as tertiary education. He holds a PhD in Physics acquired from the University of Botswana. He also holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Education, both obtained from the University of Botswana. The Hon Minister was a prolific researcher who published extensively and internationally in the area of Material Science, with special expertise in Thin Film Fabrication. He has also played various roles associated with a researcher of his caliber in the peer review and mentorship space.
Helena Leurent is Director General of Consumers International, the membership organisation for 200+ consumer advocacy groups around the world in more than 100 countries.
Consumers International works with members and partners to empower consumers, to ensure consumers are treated safely, fairly and honestly worldwide, and to drive change in the marketplace on global consumer issues including digital access and rights, product safety and sustainability.
Prior to joining Consumers International, Helena worked for the World Economic Forum developing global partnerships and programmes with government, business, civil society and academia on issues such as advanced manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and humanitarian assistance.
Helena has also worked for Tesco Stores Plc, Unilever, McKinsey & Co and The LEK Partnership. Helena holds an MA from the University of Oxford and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Mr. Yves Leyss possess in-depth working knowledge of various investment strategies and strong knowledge of favourable and unfavourable market environments as well as a firm understanding of investment and operational risks. He is a visionary leader who offers strong expertise in international investment, business development, corporate finance, fund management, shipping, trading, renewable energy, Oil & Gas and real estate.
Caroline Lhuillery is an agronomist, graduated from Institut Agro Montpellier, with extensive international experience in project management and sustainability.
After working on agricultural projects in Madagascar and Ecuador, she joined the Economic Department of the French Embassies in Argentina and Thailand, promoting trade in agri-food and consumer goods. She later pursued an executive master's degree in public policy and sustainable development at AgroParisTech, furthering her expertise on biodiversity through experience at the French Development Agency.
For the past 10 years, Caroline has worked at AFNOR, the French national standardization body, on the development of national, European and international standards (EN, ISO), particularly in air and soil quality, and for the last 5 years, she has served as Committee Manager of ISO/TC 331 on biodiversity, coordinating global initiatives and best practices with stakeholders.
Yuefen Li is currently Special Advisor on Economics and Development Finance at the South Centre, Geneva, and Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights to the UN Human Rights Council.
She worked at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 1990 to 2014 where she last was Head of the Debt and Development Finance Branch in the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies. She was also guest professor at Tsinghua University and two other universities in China. She has published books, papers and articles in professional journals and newspapers, and contributed extensively to UNCTAD and South Centre publications and documents.
She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Foreign Studies of China and Master's degree from the American Graduate School of International Management in the United States.