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GUY M’BENGUE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF APEX-CI
Guy M’BENGUE is
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of APEX-CI, the
Export Promotion Board of Côte
d’Ivoire, a private agency jointly created by
the World Bank, the private sector and the Government
to enhance the private sector export capacity and enable
private Ivoirian companies to capture new foreign markets
more efficiently and effectively. Recruited
by the World Bank to head the institution, Guy
M’BENGUE is in charge of :
managing
a technical and financial assistance scheme meant to
foster and boost export activities of Ivorian companies. He
is also charged which the responsibity of incepting and
conducting a scheme of negociations between the private
sector and the Government to improve the export business
climate. His
responsability also spans to managing a Business Information
Center which provides the business community with timely
information to enable them access export markets through
the use of New Technologies of information and communication (NTIC).
APEX-CI,
as an institution, is the Executing Agency for the two
matching grant Funds set up by the World Bank and the
Ivoirian private sector both of wich respectively are
dedicated to the Development of Export promotion (FADEX
), and the improvement of the Export Business climate
(FAMEX).
Guy
M’BENGUE has
initiated and put to work the concept of Foreign
Trade Council in Côte d’Ivoire charged with the
mission of lobbying for Côte d’Ivoire trade expansion. As
a member of the Board of Directors, he’s been Executive
Director “Délégué Général du Réseau National des
Conseillers du Commerce Exterieur de Cote d’Ivoire” (RENACCE-CI),
a lobby group committed to Côte d’Ivoire trade
expansion.
In
August 2001, he has set up a USA
Desk office within APEX-CI which was transformed
in "Comité de Negociation AGOA" in december
2001 to lobby on behalf of the Ivorian private sector
on AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) issues
for Côte d’Ivoire eligibility. Côte d'Ivoire was
declared eligible on may 2002. He was general coordinator
of this Task Force.
Since
June 2002, he is "Délégué Général" of AGOA
Commission which objective is to carry out capacity
building program for Ivoirian companies within AGOA
frameworks.
Before
he took over the current position, Guy
M’BENGUE worked
as Director for Africa with the Paris, France-based Bernard
Krief Consulting Group, one of the major European consulting
firms in international development strategy. As such,
he was in charge of advising European companies in their
international development strategy and implementation
process in Africa both in the areas of direct investments
and export operations.
He
has a track record of fifteen years experience with first
rate European multinational corporations especially with
RENAULT SA, a global car manufacturer where he held various
executive positions in the international department both
at headquarters and African affiliates like RENAULT -
Côte d’Ivoire where he served as Chief Executive Officer
(CEO). He has also been AIR Liquide S.A. Deputy Director
for Africa and the Middle-East in Paris.
During
the various positions he held, Guy M’BENGUE was exposed to the
fierce realities of the rules of game in the international
business environment and implemented successfully strategies
and policies to gain market shares and secure acceptable
levels of profitability for foreign operations and
profit-oriented centers under his management. By
virtue of his
international long standing practice, he secured for
himself a high level of expertise in negotiations with
multinational corporations, international donor agencies,
governments and NGOS and in lobby operations at the
international level.
Guy M’BENGUE is an
Ivoirian and graduated from the « Ecole Supérieure
de Commerce et d’Administration des Entreprises de
Lille » (ESCAE). He
holds an MBA degree in International Business Administration from INSEAD (European
Institute of Business Administration) Fontainebleau in
France. He is married to MAGGY, an economist and has
a daughter named Marine. He was awarded of the National
order of merits (Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la
Côte d'Ivoire) and awarded by "Economia", a
monthly magazine in its April 30, 2003 issue as one of
the two African lobbyists of the year from the 2003 list
of key leading men and women changing Africa.
E-mail: mbengue@apexci.org |
