2008 WABF Executive Committee
2008 WABF Committee
| Lanre Odusote |
Manager Keynote Speaker |
| Isaac Esseku |
Panel Manager: Developing Sustainably, Unleashing the Entrepreneur |
| Pauline Idogho |
Panel Manager: Credit Markets and Funding Sources, Investing in Africa |
| Adedokun Adewole |
Panel Manager: Investing in Africa |
| Brian Kiai |
Panel Manager: Investing in Africa |
| Hichem Omezzine |
Panel Manager: Investing in Africa |
| Brent Taylor |
Panel Manager: Agriculture & Agribusiness |
| Collins Nweke |
Panel Manager: Foreign Partners |
| Sami Eissa |
Panel Manager: Foreign Partners |
| Joseph Okeyo |
Panel Manager: Going Home |
| Anthonia Okoh |
Panel Manager: Media |
| Olutayo Osunkunle |
Panel Manager: Credit Markets and Funding Sources |
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David Kakembo, Conference Co-Chair
David is a Joseph Wharton Scholar majoring in Finance and Strategic Management at the Wharton School. Most recently he spent the summer in New York focusing on alternative energy investments in the Private Equity industry. Prior to joining Wharton, David spent four successful years in infrastructure services development and management in the USA. His long term professional goal is to be at the heart of a globally competitive enterprise based out of Africa.
In addition to his role with WABF, David serves as an Executive director of the Wharton Graduate Association, the Student Government for the 1600 MBA student body. David was born and raised in Uganda.
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Chioma Duru, Conference Co-Chair
Chioma is currently pursuing an MBA as a Howard E. Mitchell Fellow at The Wharton School where she majors in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management. Prior to attending Wharton, Chioma worked as a Broker for Merrill Lynch and an IT Consultant in Financial Services for Accenture. She earned an Economics degree with Honors from Harvard University as an Advanced Standing student and received numerous academic accolades including John Harvard and Gates Millennium Scholar.
A native of Nigeria, Chioma enjoys running in competitive races, traveling to developing countries, and researching topics in personal finance.
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Malick Diop, Fundraising Director
Malick is currently pursuing his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After living in Dakar, Senegal, Malick developed an interest in infrastructure development and venture capital in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to Wharton, Malick analyzed the creditworthiness of international construction and engineering firms for the American International Group. Earlier in his career, Malick worked as a Financial Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of JP Morgan Securities. Malick graduated from Morehouse College with a BA in Finance.
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Lanre Osinusi, Business Plan Competition Director
Lanre Osinusi is a second year MBA student from Nigeria. He is the Director of the 2008 Wharton Africa Business Plan Competition. He has also been responsible for organizing the Prospective Student Panel at this year's conference. Lanre's career interests are in the areas of Development Finance and Investment Banking. Prior to Wharton, Lanre worked as a CPA in public accounting and in the private equity industry. He completed his undergraduate degree in Economics at the University of Maryland.
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Hamet Aguemon, Keynote Speakers Co-Director
Hamet was born in France but raised in Benin, West Africa. As an undergraduate he majored in Econometrics. He also earned a Masters in Finance and worked for four years in Commodity Trading in London, UK before enrolling in Wharton's MBA program. A big believer in the power of Africa, Hamet think that the opportunity is yours if you are willing to reach out to and work for it; Africa is a huge untapped market - but it takes those who understand African market and African risks to take advantage. Hamet is the current president of the Sales and Trading club at Wharton. Hamet recently interned at Goldman Sachs on the Distressed Investments Desk and the EM Africa Desk and is going back to work with them for Full Time.
In his spare time, he enjoys dancing and watching soccer.
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Emeka Iwukemjika, Keynote Speakers Co-Director
Emeka is pursuing an MBA at the Wharton School after successful years in Corporate America. At Wharton, he is majoring in Finance and Strategic Management. With an extensive background in Finance and Strategic management, Emeka was part of successful Strategic Management initiatives at Leading Wall Street firms. His focus was on Investment Banking, Real Estate Private Equity, and Energy Investments.At Bear Stearns, he focused on global advisory and structured financing in the energy sector targeting producers of independent power and natural gas companies. Prior to Bear Stearns, Emeka was a banker at M&T Bank where he led Real Estate syndication transactions. He also worked at Freddie Mac Corporation as a Senior Vice President in the Capital Markets Group working on Mortgage Securitization transactions.He has also held several senior management roles in several fortune 500 firms. He previously received a bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University combining a degree in Business & Management Systems and was also awarded the Promethean Kappa Tau honors for academic excellence at M.S.U. He is currently the External Vice President of the Wharton African Students Association (WASA).
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Franklin Amoo, Panel Director
Franklin is a second year MBA student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he is a Howard E. Mitchell Fellow focusing on Emerging Markets, Finance and Entrepreneurship. Franklin has extensive finance experience, spending the 8 years before Wharton working in Equity Research, Investment Banking and Foreign Exchange for leading Wall Street firms. Most recently, Franklin worked in proprietary trading for Deutsche Bank, aiding principal investments in distressed, illiquid and structured assets. Additionally, he serves as the co-chair of the Economic Development Committee of the United Nations Association of New York where he is currently spearheading a research initiative into infrastructural investments in developing economies. Franklin holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University.
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Tim Parry, Director
As an undergraduate, Tim studied business and French, taking advantage of opportunities to study abroad in France and Morocco. After working in sales, Tim shifted careers and accepted a position as a Small Business Advisor in the hills of Cameroon. While there, he consulted with two Microfinance Institutions to improve their operations, established an organization-wide partnership with a British NGO, and initiated a rural women's business training program. During the two years he spent in Cameroon, Tim became knowledgeable of the business climate of Western Africa and familiar with the many difficulties that come with doing business in the region.
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Armel Kouassi, WASA President
Armel started his career at KPMG Paris where he audited the largest French company during an unfavorable economic environment. He next joined GE Consumer Finance in Germany as Credit Portfolio Manager for revolving products, where he implemented the risk procedures. In December 2005, Armel joined GE Equipment Services Europe headquartered in Amsterdam where he successfully led the European credit scoring project. Armel is a native of Ivory Coast, speaks three European languages, and has a Master in Statistics from ENSEA Abidjan and a Master in Finance from ESCP-EAP Paris. Married, Armel plan to use his business and finance skills to contribute to Africa.
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