Steering Committee
The Steering Committee provides advice and direction to the activities of the network and has oversight of the implementation of the strategy and programmes by the Secretariat.
Chair
Dr Ngugi holds a PhD from the Business School Birmingham University, UK, specialising in Financial Markets, and a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She was a Senior Advisor in the Office of Executive Director, Africa Group 1 of the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. Dr Ngugi has been a member of the Central Bank of Kenya and has vast teaching experience at the University of Nairobi-School of Economics.
Steering Committee Members
Dr. Foretia is the Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute in Cameroon and Co-Chair of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation. A received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University and completed surgical training at Emory University. He also holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Bloomberg School of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Carey School of Business also at the Johns Hopkins University.
Nouzha Chekrouni is a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) from Morocco. She has extensive experience in academia, diplomacy, and political leadership, including serving as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Canada between 2009-2016. Her experience also includes being Minister for the Moroccan Community Living Abroad (2002-2007), a Member of Parliament (2002-2007), and the Minister for Women and Social Issues (1998-2002).
Dr Jai Asundi is the Executive Director of CSTEP. He joined the organisation in 2009 . His initial work was in the field of emergency and disaster management. He mentored teams across areas spanning climate, energy, and urban development. He spearheaded the establishment of AI for Social Impact as a sector of work and the creation of the Centre for Air Pollution Studies (CAPS) at CSTEP.
Fernando Masi is the founder and Senior Researcher of Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya (CADEP). He has previously worked as Lead Adviser of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Paraguay, as well as Lead Adviser of the Ministry of Finance of Paraguay. His expertise includes economics, trade, and international relations.
Anton Rizki is the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies. He has previously served as managing director of consulting companies and as head of communications in the agro-food sector. His expertise includes public policy, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, corporate responsibility, and sustainability.
Margarita is the Director of the Center for Research and Statistics at FUSADES. Her current interests are women´’s economic empowerment, labour market, youth, and social programs’ evaluation.
Lorena Alcázar is a Senior Researcher at the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE). She has previously worked at the World Bank and the Brookings Institution and was an advisor to the Ministry of Economy in Peru. Her research focuses on development economics, education, and social programs.
The Steering Committee renovates partially every three years. Past members include:
- Debapriya Bhattacharya (Founding Chair, CPD-Bangladesh)
- Ibrahima Hathie (IPAR – Senegal)
- Khalida Ghaus (SPDC – Pakistan)
- Martin Benavides (GRADE – Peru)
- Julia Pomares (CIPPEC – Argentina)
- Bitrina Diyamett (STIPRO -Tanzania)
- Karin Fernando (CEPA- Sri Lanka)
- Pablo Hurtado (ASIES – Guatemala)
- Tausi Mbaga Kida (ESRF – Tanzania)
- Chukwuka Onyekwena (CSEA – Nigeria)
- Vaqar Ahmed (SDPI – Pakistan)
- Gala Díaz Langou (CIPPEC – Argentina)
