Focus: Global Trade
JoaquĂn Jácome-Diez
JoaquĂn Jácome-Diez is a Panamanian lawyer and a senior partner at Jácome & Jácome where he practices international law and foreign direct investment and corporate law. Previously, as Minister of Trade and Industry for the Republic of Panama (1999- 2004), he negotiated on a Free Trade Agreement with the United States and successfully shepherded the first four rounds of talks. During his tenure in office, JoaquĂn was also responsible for the negotiation of trade agreements with several other Central American countries, as well as Taiwan and Singapore. He led trade delegations to the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and represented Panama in international trade negotiations before the World…
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Idayat Hassan
Idayat Hassan is Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), an Abuja based policy advocacy and research organization with a focus on deepening democracy and development in West Africa. Her interests span democracy, peace and security, transitional justice, and ICT4D in West Africa. As the Director of the CDD, she oversaw CDD's rise from not being ranked in 2013 to 16th out of 94 think tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2019 University of Pennsylvania Global Go To Think Tank Index Report. Under her leadership, CDD became a mover in the civic tech space. She has subsequently strengthened CDD's position as a civic tech leader with a…
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Emmanuelle Ganne
Emmanuelle Ganne is an international trade expert with extensive experience in international trade, trade policy, global governance, and diplomacy. She currently works as Senior Analyst in the Economic Research Department at the World Trade Organization (WTO) where she leads work on blockchain and SMEs. In 2018, she authored the book Can Blockchain Revolutionize International Trade? and is a regular speaker at blockchain events. She previously held the position of Vice President for Europe with the global strategy consulting firm Allam Advisory Group (AAG), a team of former C-level executives and high-ranking diplomats that specializes in helping businesses expand their operations globally. Prior to joining AAG, Emmanuelle held various positions at…
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Abdouramane Diallo
Abdouramane Diallo is Head of Targeted Interventions at the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), an affiliate of the Islamic Development Bank Group. He oversees ITFC’s efforts to strengthen intra-African exchanges, allowing 27 countries to expand trade with one another while affording vulnerable communities access to basic goods. In his role, he leads program delivery, manages cross-institutional expert teams, and forges alliances with key development partners. Devoted to reducing economic inequalities, he believes that entrepreneurial freedom allows for the greatest social impact. To this end, he co-founded Agrobiotech in 2016 and Paygas in 2017. Agrobiotech specializes in plant cloning in Mali and exports low-cost plantlets in Africa. Paygas utilizes proprietary technology…
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Hiddo Houben
Hiddo Houben is currently a head of division at the European Commission headquarters in Belgium where he is responsible for overseeing trade relations between the European Union and the United States and Canada. Prior to this, he was the Head of the economic department of the EU embassy in Washington DC. He also served in the private office of the UK’s EU Trade Commissioners, Peter Mandelson and Baroness Catherine Ashton in Brussels, working on trade, energy policy and financial markets. Hiddo got his start in trade policy in the Uruguay Round negotiations in the early 1990s. He was later deputy chief of the EU team negotiating China’s terms of accession…
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Nicola Harrington-Buhay
Nicola Harrington-Buhay works as an advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, notably to increase their possibilities for decent jobs in the workplace. She also represents the International Paralympic Committee at UNESCO. Prior to this, Nicola was Deputy Executive Coordinator for the United Nations Volunteers, promoting volunteerism in peace and development. She was instrumental in introducing the United Nations’ first volunteer program for people with disabilities. She was previously Deputy Director of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development which fosters peer exchange between emerging and developing economies on effective approaches to development. Earlier, Nicola spent several years working for the United Nations. She was the United Nations Resident…
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Olivier Cattaneo
Olivier Cattaneo is Head of the policy analysis and strategy unit at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Development Cooperation Directorate. He previously worked as a Senior Trade Specialist at the World Bank, in Washington, D.C, managing the Global Trade and Financial Architecture project and advising developing country governments on trade policy reforms. Earlier, Olivier was responsible for trade policy at the Agence Française de DĂ©veloppement. He also worked as an adviser and speechwriter to French ministers and members of Parliament and as a trade expert in international organizations. Olivier has taught at various institutions, including Yale University, SciencesPo Paris, the University of Paris I PanthĂ©on Sorbonne, and…
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Rahimah “Ima” Abdulrahim
Rahimah "Ima" Abdulrahim is the Director of Public Policy for Southeast Asia (Established Countries) for Facebook Asia Pacific. Prior to this, she served at The Habibie Center, one of Indonesia’s leading think tanks focusing on democracy and human rights, for 19 years, serving as their executive director for 9 years (2010-2019). She has 20 years advocating for peace and democracy in Indonesia and travels extensively to speak about good governance, democratization, and the role of civil society in Southeast Asia. In 2017, Ima co-created, with World Fellows Stephen Shashoua (2015) and Abdul-Rehman Malik (2017), CERITA (Community Empowerment for Raising Inclusivity and Trust through Technology Application), a project using the art…
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Taz Chaponda
Taz Chaponda is the CEO of Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation, a government initiative but private sector-led development finance institution, launched by Malawi President Peter Mutharika. Taz is a development economist with extensive experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, having worked in the major economic centers of Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg. Previously, he was a public financial management specialist at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. and a partner at Genesis-Analytics – a South African economic advisory firm working in emerging markets. Prior to Genesis, Taz was the head of the South African Budget Office, responsible for the national and provincial budget framework. He was also head of infrastructure finance…
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Angela Orozco-Gomez
Angela Orozco-Gomez is Minister of Transportation for the government of Colombia. She was previously a partner at Vali Consultores S.A.S and Before CEO of her own consulting firm – Research & Opportunities, where she worked to strengthen the Colombian export and manufacturer sectors. Angela previously headed the Colombian Flower Exporters Association, Asocolflores, participating actively in the Colombian defense strategy for counteracting the Antidumping Processes and Duties imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1990s, as well as the Colombian Flower Sector lobby before the U.S. Congress between 1995 and 1998. As the country's top trade official, Angela helped design and implement a negotiation strategy in preparation for Free…
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