The Executive Board
"We want to change the paradigm of the Africa of aid; we want to promote the Africa we know, one of Trade, Investment and Business." The Board.
Amb. Robert C. Perry
Diplomat
Senior Board Member
With over 30 years of experience in international affairs focused on public policy and business development in emerging markets, Ambassador Robert C. Perry (ret.) is well qualified to advise companies on market opportunities and how to partner for business success. During his State Department career, Bob managed political relationships at U.S. Embassies in Latin American and Africa, managed the counter-narcotics assistance program for Latin America, and facilitated trade and investment. As Vice President at Corporate Council on Africa, he planned business conferences that provided business leaders access to senior American and African government officials for insights on public policy. He also led trade missions to West Africa that facilitated contacts with local business leaders for partnerships in agribusiness, infrastructure development, and power generation. As Principal of RCP & Associates, he currently assists project developers and links investors to business opportunities.
Bob served as U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Mauritius and Bolivia, Ambassador to the Central African Republic, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs. He earned a M.A. in International Affairs from American University, a B.A. in Political Science from Wittenberg University, and attended the National Defense University. Bob speaks Spanish and French. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Association of Black American Ambassadors, Ambassador Perry serves on the Board of the South Africa Washington International Program (SAWIP).
Carl-Gustav Bjertnes
Expert in regional development strategies
Senior Board Member
Carl-Gustav Bjertnes is charged with advising on the strategic direction, business development, and operations of the company. For the past 35 years, he has been at the forefront of managing corporate operations and private equity investments in emerging markets i.e. Russia and the Middle East, and managing both onshore and offshore holdings. Carl had joint enterprises with such industrial icons as Mercedes-Benz and Lukoil and advised local governments in the UAE on development issues and matters of defense procurements. He has held several board positions in cooperatives and other organizations worldwide. Educated at Babson College in the USA, Carl is fluent in English and French and is active in several organizations; professional, educational, religious and social. Contact: cgb@seedsgroupe.com
Vital Sounouvou
IT Entrepreneur
Founder and CEO
Marc L. Sage
Counsel
Senior Board Member
Marc L. Sage is of counsel to Dentons' New York office. He is admitted in both Paris and New York, and has practiced law in various countries on three continents, including in the US, France and Africa, for more than 27 years. Marc has extensive experience in advising French companies on their investments in the US and in the representation of US companies with their investments in France. He assists French and European clients in developing their operations in the United States and in other countries from their US base. He is an active member of Dentons' Africa practice, with a focus on Francophone countries.
Marc is primarily involved in the field of foreign investments. His experience includes commercial contracts, cross-border transactions, legal assistance to governments, privatizations, infrastructure projects, international litigation and arbitration. He is also engaged in public-related work, including the promotion of private investments in developing countries in collaboration with international organizations. Marc has developed a strong infrastructure practice, including the telecommunications sector, in emerging markets, primarily Africa. He has assisted in drafting telecoms legislation, agreements and public service requirements, as well as advising on litigation risks with foreign investors on major investment contracts.
Ngozi Agbapu
Trade Regulations Expert
Senior Board Member
Madam Agbapu is the Deputy General Manager of the United Bank for Africa Plc Group. She has built a world class experience in the International regulations framework. She Headed Human Resources and human capital development at Zenith Bank- Nigeria from February 1999 to September 2002, and later on became a Branch Manager at the Surulere branch of the bank, before being promoted as the Senior Manager of the bank's overall Trade Services. September 2011 – August 2013, she was the General Manager of the NIGERIA EXPORT PROCESSING ZONES AUTHORITY - NEPZA where she headed the Zones administration and monitoring. Since July 2013, she heads the Trade Services and Structured Finance of the United Bank for Africa Plc Group.
Ademola Oduwole
Strategy Development Expert
Advisor
A SIMPLE – GRACE PROPELLED & UNLIKELY JOURNEY
As a 29 year old strategy development advisor, Ademola was engaged by one of the UKs 4 clearing high street institutions - Lloyds Bank, to support the integration of the service delivery pre-merger of Lloyds Banks take over of Scottish Bank TSB in 1995, to become LloydsTSB Bank.
An early believer in the African Renaissance, in 1997, he moved to Ghana with a boutique strategy firm focused on West Africa, to advise the African operations of US and EU companies ahead of the new wave of globalization driven consolidation. Clients included Barclays Bank [strategy for the first VISA Card in Anglo West Africa], SC Johnson, Mercedes Benz, Lonrho Hotels, Sheraton Hotel, L'Oreal and Societe General Bank, all at the CEO level. The epitome of his work was designing the delivery of the processes for Queen Elizabeth II’s three days state to Ghana in 1998. The Government of Ghana entrusted him at age 32, with that delicate project.
He returned to the US in 2005 to lead a new Strategy boutique advisory on International Trade & Tourism, crafting solutions for Tanzania Tourism and Fiji Tourism. The epitome of his work was leading a citizens advisory to the head of the 7th largest economy in the world – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. He advised him of the dangers of China in Africa at the expense of US Tech companies starting with CISCO, most of which were in California, and the potential revenue loss to the state. Ademola coined the phrase the “Chinafication of Africa” back in 2007, now used in global media.
Late in 2007, he became an alternate trade advisor to then candidate Barack Obama, with his focus being on how to revamp the US Auto Industry. The initiative then headed by VP Joe Biden, continued for a limited period, at the start of the Obama Administration in 2008. Ademola took his biggest leap of faith yet in 2013, giving up his job to support his then 10 year old daughter, who asked for his help as she embarked on an unlikey journey of speaking up for Girls Education in Africa, and telling Africa's positive story to the world.
US Secretary of State John Kerry in January 2017, honored then 14 year old Zuriel Oduwole in Washington DC, calling her the worlds most powerful girl, for her strong advocacy and fight for girls across Africa, and her ability to sit down one-on-one with 24 Presidents, to talk about pressing global issues.
Vital Sounouvou holds a Bachelor degree in Telecommunications and Software Engineering from the UIT de Calais in France, and a Business certificate from the University of Texas at Austin. Listed on Forbes Africa's 30 under 30 list of 2016, His professional life spans from the Annual Investment Meeting of the United Arab Emirates government where he managed African relations, to the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington D.C, and Microsoft’s Johannesburg offices. Fellow of President Obama’s Initiative for Young African Leaders (YALI) and of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program; awarded Ambassador of the Global Youth Innovation Network by IFAD, he is member of numerous leadership networks and he is active at numerous events and trade shows in West and Central Africa, USA, Russia and United Arab Emirates. Vital has an extensive experience doing trade between sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, through independent trade representation deals with several manufacturing companies. He is fluent in English, French and several local languages.