Category: New Speakers

Mr. Seeruttun is an active politician in Mauritius. He is a member of the polit-bureau of the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM). He was first elected as the Member of the National Assembly in May 2010 for Constituency No 11 (Old Grand-Port/Rose-Belle). He was re-elected in December 2014 and November 2019 in the same constituency.

He served as a Member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) between July 2010 and October 2014.

After the December 2014 general elections, he was appointed Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security. Since November 2019, he is serving as Minister for Financial Services and Good Governance.

He is a professional Accountant with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from the University of Mauritius.

In 1992, Mr Seeruttun joined the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI). He was the Secretary Accountant of the research institute, heading the Finance and Administration Department. After 13 years, he joined the CIEL Group of companies as Finance Manager until 2014.

Andry Raharinomena has served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar at the St James’ Court in London. Before that, he has been a senior government official with a proven track record of success and extensive responsibility for relations with development partners and international resources mobilisation, during a period of political complexity.

Andry has a high-level expertise in international resources mobilization and investments management as well as International Relations and Diplomacy.

When serving as Acting Secretary General and Director General for Economic and International Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Andry has been actively involved in furthering Madagascar’s diplomatic, economic and political interests and agendas at the international level. From this high level and strategic position, he has acquired first-hand knowledge and experience of multifaceted issues of international relations and diplomacy.

Andry graduated with a Master of Science (MSc.) in International Development from the University of Manchester and was a PhD researcher in Politics and Development Policy at the Effective States and Inclusive Development research Centre of the University of Manchester. Also, he has strengthened his knowledge and skills through Executive Education on Public Financial Management at Harvard University as well as on Extractive Resources Governance at Oxford University.

SHANNON ELIZABETH is a US actress turned conservationist, founding and running the international non-profit, the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation. With non-profit registrations in both the US and South Africa, the Foundation is committed to protecting endangered wildlife, with an intense focus on saving the rhinoceros.
 
Shannon recently launched One Woman’s Legacy, a scholarship fund and mentoring program that helps African women break through the glass ceiling and start a career in the biodiversity economy.
 
Shannon’s foundation also launched a endangered species sanctuary in 2022. The sanctuary was first developed to home a blind and critically endangered black rhino named Munu.
Munu has inspired the development of scientific research to better understand his black rhino subspecies and to play a crucial role in the protection of genetic diversity of the species. With a focus on community engagement, the future goal of the sanctuary is also extend habitat protection through the economic empowerment of impoverished communities in Southern Africa, blending traditional philanthropy with impact investment.
 
As an actress, Shannon first hit the big screen in 2001 with her portrayal of “Nadia” in American Pie.
She immediately realized that her platform was a gift that must be used to the very best of her abilities. So, she founded Animal Avengers, a dog/cat rescue organization in Los Angeles, California, saving countless animals and giving them everything they needed to find their forever homes. Shannon also starred in Scary Movie, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, 13 Ghosts, That 70’s Show, and Love Actually, to name a few.
 
In 2015, Shannon became aware of the poaching crisis in Africa and turned her focus to wildlife and conservation. By 2018 she had rebranded her charity and moved to South Africa to be closer to the issues and learn how she could make the most significant impact.
 
Now looking to combine her mission on the planet with her job, she has a strong focus on
impact entertainment as she launches this initiative with her first docuseries, “Munu—a Rhino Love Story.”
 
Today Shannon splits her time between the USA and South Africa, continuing to act, direct, produce, run her non-profit and do whatever she can to make this world a better place for all who inhabit it.
Details of Shannon’s charity can be found at shannonelizabeth.org.

Jason Nana Yaw Mohan is an Award Winning Executive and Director of the Unichem Group of Companies. He joined the family business in Healthcare Logistics, Manufacturing , Marketing & Distribution just over a decade ago.

The Family group itself was established by his Grandfather, Dr. Mohan in Monrovia, Liberia in the 1960’s . Dr. Mohan played a pivotal role in paving the way for global MNC’s such as Pfizer and Boots, giving them access to emerging markets in West Africa. 

With his Passion for Music, Under guidance of his father , he composed the Official World Cup Anthem for the Ghana National Football Team in 2006 at age 16.

Whilst doing his Masters of Fine Arts Program in Los Angeles, under the stage name Jay Mo , he racked up millions of views on YouTube as an Artist, Director & Executive Producer. A few years later he co-founded a Wellness Brand “ Hollywood Nutritions” ( U.S.A.) and then joined LUEX Healthcare ( U.K.) under guidance of his uncle, before moving back to Africa to join his family business alongside his elder brother . 

Through creativity , groundbreaking leadership & his passion for media & technology , he has elevated brand awareness and shaped public perception for leading pharmaceutical & wellness brands on the market today , fostering trust and credibility.

Today the Unichem Group in collaboration with LUEX Healthcare ( UK) have streamlined hundreds of flagships across all major therapies with direct & indirect presence in more than 10 countries. Despite its growth , The Group is still a 100% family owned & is committed to continue building harmonious partners, creating long-term value for the Medical Fraternity & society as a whole. 

Beyond his professional achievements, Over the years, Nana Yaw has gained a following for his warm and approachable nature. He actively engages in initiatives that support access to healthcare, education, creativity & community development.

Thandeka Nombanjinji-Nzama is a South African 41-year-old award-winning entrepreneur with interests in the real estate, construction and mining sectors.
She is the CEO of Nombanjinji Family Property, a commercial property group with an extensive portfolio that varies from shopping centres, office space and residential apartments. Nombanjinji Family Property also has interests in the petroleum retail sector.
She is also the founder and Managing Director of Mbokodo Building Pty Ltd, a pioneering 100% black female-owned construction entity that specializes in general building and civil engineering. Mbokodo Building was established for the sole motivation of minimizing the gender gaps and ensuring that females form part of an equitable and inclusive part of the construction sector.
Furthermore, she is the MD of Nzama Consulting Pty Ltd, a coal mining entity with mining operations in the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa.
This dynamic entrepreneur has won prestigious awards such as the Build Construction and Engineering awards in the UK, the Top Empowerment awards and the Fabulous Woman awards amongst others.
She believes that “making a difference should not only mean vocalizing an issue over and over again without any action; but being able to stand up fearlessly and doing something about it”

Aisha Shuaibu is an entrepreneur with the experience and skill set for business management and brand development. She is the founder of restaurant business Waffle Way, the managing director of business solutions company, SWA Global, and the president of sports marketing agency, SWA Sports. Aisha is a creative with a gift for ideation and strategic growth, providing value to industries in Nigeria and across the African continent.  

Outside the business world, Aisha is passionate about gender equality and inclusion advocacy. She champions the rights of women and youth by bringing attention to systemic barriers faced by marginalised communities. She is an editorial board member for Nigeria’s leading newspaper, Thisday Newspaper.

Aisha is committed to using her experiences in business and social impact to create a more equitable world, one where all people particularly young women such as herself can thrive and reach their full potential. With her tireless energy and unwavering dedication to her work, Aisha is a force to be reckoned with on her daily mission to live purposefully for the greater good. 

Luke Kincaid is the Managing Director of International for CS Capital, an education-focused finance company with $3B invested across 900 schools. In his role as MD, he leads expansion into new markets and is responsible for CSCs portfolio outside the US.
Luke brings sector-specific expertise in education and a strong understanding of emerging markets. Prior to CSC, he spent a decade building schools in Africa as the Managing Director of the Karibu Foundation where he witnessed the importance of education.
During his 10 years in Kenya, Luke founded the social-venture Organic Savanna to create employment for local women. He also partnered with some of the world’s largest companies to engage leaders in social impact; bringing more than 500 corporate professionals to Africa.
Luke holds a degree in Finance and sits on the advisory boards of Impact Fund Conduit Connect, Edtech company BoxMedia, and the African education fintech company Jackfruit Finance

Dana has been at the forefront of digital media since 1994 when she co-founded Clockwork, a Stockholm based, award winning agency that built the first interactive platforms online and was acquired by a large Norwegian media firm within 6 years.
In 1996 Dana co-founded Yahoo! France, then Yahoo! Europe and built the Yahoo! Europe production team. Dana then moved into Television, managing the launch, programming, rebranding, and positioning of Sky Italia, MBC, ITV, where she specialized in On Air audience retention. She was awarded two World Gold Promax awards by 2005. In 2005 Dana founded LostRecords which produced global tours for musicians such as Chris Stills, Louis Bertignac and Youssou NDour.
In 2007, Dana founded FanFactory Ltd, a tech agency that focuses on finding and converting online consumers into fans and fans into consumers for brands, governments or institutions. FanFactory was awarded the Tech 100 Insider award 2013 as top 100 tech companies.
Dana developed, in 2015, within the aviation sector, data driven algorithms to streamline logistics on aircraft holding times, AOGs, by predicting their needs in advance. In 2017, as a personal project, Dana launched L’Amandier, a luxury hotel resort in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, winning 2019 Best Luxury Resort by Build Magazine.
She is also an appointed Special Advisor/General Consul to Governments including Panama, Monaco, Georgia, Serbia and Morocco.
Dana is the winner of three Lifetime Achievement Awards and is on the boards/advisory boards of Spice VC (blockchain investment fund), Abhi (payroll for emerging markets), BrickMark (real estate and tokenization), Patronus (wealth management).

Robert Alhadeff is the CEO and Co-Founder of Jackfruit Finance, an Education Finance business headquartered in Nairobi. Since its establishment in 2021, the company has rapidly expanded nationwide.

Apart from his role at Jackfruit Finance, Robert shares his expertise as a Board Member at Path to Prosper, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education in Uganda.

Before founding Jackfruit Finance, Rob led the international expansion of a solar business, gaining valuable insights into expanding operations across Africa.

During his time in London, Robert worked in credit risk management, holding director positions and managing large teams.

He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Durham and served for 8 years as a British Army Reserve Soldier.