Claire Akamanzi

Clare Akamanzi
in 2011
Born1979 (age 45–46)
Uganda
NationalityRwandan
CitizenshipRwandan
Alma materMakerere University
(Bachelor of Laws)
Law Development Centre
(Diploma in Legal Practice)
University of Pretoria
(Master of Laws)
Harvard University
(Master of Public Administration)
Concordia University
Honorary Degree in Laws
Occupation(s)Politician, lawyer
Years active2004–present
Known forThe Law, Politics
TitleFormer CEO of RDB ,( Rwanda Development Board )

Clare Akamanzi is a Rwandan lawyer, public administrator, businesswoman and politician, who served as the executive director and chief executive officer of the Rwanda Development Board From February 2017 to September 2023.[1][2] The position is a cabinet-level appointment by the President of Rwanda.[3] She has been appointed as the new chief executive officer for NBA Africa,[4] following a resignation by the former CEO Victor Williams.[5][6]

Background and education

Akamanzi was born in Uganda to Rwandan refugee parents in 1979.[7] She is the fourth-born in a family of six siblings. She attained pre-university education in various parts of Uganda. The family moved a lot, because her parents were refugees in Uganda.[8][6]

She is married and is a mother to two children. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, awarded by Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. She also holds the Diploma in Legal Practice, obtained from the Law Development Centre, also in Kampala.[8][9]

Her Master of Laws in trade and investment law was obtained from the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration, obtained from Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States.[9] She received an honorary degree in Laws from Concordia University in June 2018.[10]

Career

She began her career in 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters. The government of Rwanda appointed her as a diplomat/special trade negotiator at the WTO. Later, she transferred to the Rwandan embassy in London, the United Kingdom as the commercial diplomat (commercial attaché).[8]

She returned to Rwanda in 2006 and was appointed Deputy Director General of the then Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA) "before RDB was merged with other institutions in 2008".[8] In 2008, Akamanzi became the Deputy chief executive officer responsible for Business Operations and Services, at RDB.[11] She later transitioned to being the chief operating officer of the Rwanda Development Board.[11] She then took study leave to pursue graduate studies in the United States.[1] When she returned, she served as "Head of Strategy and Policy" in the President's Office.[1]

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Akamanzi was one of the founding board members of the WHO Foundation.[12]

On 27 December 2023, it was announced that Akamanzi will hold the position of the CEO of NBA Africa starting from 23 January 2024.

Other activities

Publications

  • In the Trenches: Open for Business[14]
  • RWANDA'S PUSH FOR FIVE-STAR DEVELOPMENT: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CEO OF THE RWANDA DEVELOPMENT BOARD ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF RWANDAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT[15]
  • DEVELOPMENT AT CROSSROADS: THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES ON TRADE IN SERVICES

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Aine, Kim (14 February 2017). "Clare Akamanzi Named Rwanda Development Board Boss". Kampala: Chimpreports Uganda. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  2. ^ Office of the PM | Rwanda. "Itangazo riturutse mu Biro bya Minisitiri w'Intebe | Communiqué from the Office of the Prime Minister". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. ^ Aviation, Travel and Conservation News (5 February 2017). "Clare Akamanzi returns to the Rwanda Development Board as CEO". Kampala/Entebbe: Wolfgang Thome Wordpress. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  4. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (27 December 2023). "Rwanda's Akamanzi appointed NBA Africa CEO". The New Times. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (24 November 2023). "Victor Williams to step down as NBA Africa chief". The New Times. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b "NBA picks top Rwandan lawyer to head Africa business". The East African. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ Mfonobong Nsehe, and Farai Gundan (4 December 2013). "The 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013: Claire Akamanzi, Rwandan. Chief Operating Officer, Rwanda Development Board". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d TDMR (2015). "Clare Akamanzi Being part of Team Rwanda". Kigali: The Diva Magazine Rwanda (TDMR). Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b WEF (2017). "Clare Akamanzi: Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board (RDB)". Geneva: World Economic Forum (WEF). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  10. ^ Concordia University (June 2018). "Honorary degree citation – Clare Akamanzi". Portland, Oregon, United States: Concordia University. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  11. ^ a b JBSUOC (2016), University of Cambridge:Judge Business School:Student & Alumni Business Network: Clare Akamanzi, Chief Operating Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge (JBSUOC), archived from the original on 4 September 2017, retrieved 4 September 2017
  12. ^ "WHO Foundation Established to Support Critical Global Health Needs". World Health Organization (see also: "WHO dot int", and "whofoundationproject dot org" ). 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020. Founding Board Members are: Mr. Bob Carter, Ms. Clare Akamanzi and Professor Thomas Zeltner.
  13. ^ High-Level Group of Personalities on Africa-Europe Relations Archived 11 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Africa Europe Foundation (AEF).
  14. ^ Akamanzi, Clare (30 May 2019). "In The Trenches: Open for Business". Finance & Development. 0056 (2). doi:10.5089/9781498316514.022.
  15. ^ AKAMANZI, CLARE; FLORES, ESTEBAN; YARROW, RICHARD (2017). "Rwanda's Push for Five-Star Development". Harvard International Review. 38 (4): 54–58. ISSN 0739-1854. JSTOR 26528708.
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