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Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Committees and Councils : Africa Advisory Council

Africa Advisory Council

 

The Africa Advisory Council supports GF’s Regional Africa Team in the ongoing development and implementation of the Africa Strategy. The Council leverages its geographic and technical experience to provide strategic guidance to the staff, and facilitates the effective implementation of the strategy.

Paul Maritz, Chair

For the past several years, Paul has shared his management and technology expertise as a volunteer member of the Grameen Technology Center’s Advisory Council. His career includes 14 years at Microsoft Corporation where he was a member of the executive management team and was responsible for the company's software business, including the development and marketing of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. Prior to that, he spent five years at Intel Corporation.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Paul attended the Universities of Cape Town and Natal in South Africa. He enjoys spending time in Africa where he sponsors projects in education and rural development in the country of Zambia.

Willene A. Johnson, Vice Chair

Willene A. Johnson is a development economist with experience in Africa and Latin America and an adjunct member of the faculty of Cornell University in the department of applied economics and management. Dr. Johnson serves on the Committee for Development Policy of the United Nations and the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee of the United States Export Import Bank. In early 2005, Dr. Johnson retired from the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, where she served as Adviser in the Division of International Finance. From January 2000 through September 2001, Dr. Johnson was the United States Executive Director at the African Development Bank (AfDB), overseeing policies, programs, and projects aimed at improving the economic and social well being in African countries. Prior to her appointment to the AfDB, Dr. Johnson was a vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where her career included assignments in economic research, foreign exchange, international financial markets, international affairs, and equal employment opportunity. Dr. Johnson’s education includes a Bachelor of arts degree from Radcliffe College, Harvard University, a master of arts in African history from Saint John’s University, and a doctor of philosophy in economics from Columbia University

Lynn McMullen, Member

Ms. McMullen has recently concluded her eight-year term as a Board member of Grameen Foundation. Previous to this she spent a five-year term as the Executive Director of RESULTS, a grassroots citizens' lobby for the end of hunger and poverty. Active in 100 US cities and six other countries, RESULTS advocates for cost-effective programs proven to bring people out of poverty. She has also served as RESULTS National Manager of Development. She is currently living and working in Olympia, WA as a fundraising and public relations consultant to nonprofit organizations.

Jennifer Drogula, Member

Jennifer Drogula is a partner with the international law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. Her practice consists of advising U.S. and international clients in transnational business transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity, and debt financings. Ms. Drogula has participated in acquisitions and financing transactions in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States and has represented private equity funds in direct investments in Latin America and Africa. Ms. Drogula received her B.A. from the University of Texas and her J.D. and LL.M. from Duke University School of Law. She is admitted to the District of Columbia and New York bars.

Dr. Wolday Amha, Member

Dr. Wolday Amha has served as the Executive Director of the Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions (AEMFI) since 1998. Prior to this, he worked as a consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture as National Constraint Analysis Advisor under FAO's Special Program for Food Production and Food Grain Marketing Project (MEDAC he worked /MSU/USAID project )and as a consultant for a number of NGOs helping them to improve their credit and saving operations. Dr. Wolday was Assistant Professor, Economics Department, Addis Ababa University, Teaching International Economics, Transport Economics and Introduction to Economics. Participated in the M.Sc. program of the department as thesis supervisor, Assistant Professor, Awassa College of Agriculture.He is the editor of the Microfinance Development Review and has edited and published various books and articles on food security, agricultural marketing and microfinance. Dr. Wolday was the Vice President of the Ethiopian Economic Association (EEA) for four years and now a days the president of EEA; an executive committee member of the Ethiopia Agricultural Society; and an associate editor of Journal of Ethiopian Agricultural Economics. Dr. was elected to the Board and president of AFMIN in 2000.

Godwin Ehigiamusoe, Member

Godwin Ehigiamusoe is the Executive Director and founder of Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO). He began his involvement in microfinance as a cooperative officer in early 1980's till he founded LAPO to address rural poverty with credit and social empowerment services. A widely traveled professional Godwin has consulted and offered services on microfinance for local and international institutions and programmes as The World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, NAPEP, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Edo and Delta, Central Bank of Nigeria e.t.c He authored Credit, Women and Empowerment, Understanding NGOs and Poverty and Microfinance in Nigeria. Mr. Ehigiamusoe leads a team of highly focused, articulate and versatile microfinance practitioners with 'wealth of experience.'

Malini Tolat, Staff Liaison

Malini is the Regional Coordinator for sub-Saharan Africa with Grameen Foundation. She has a Masters in Public Policy from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in Business Administration specializing in Finance. With over 10 years of work experience in economic development and corporate finance, prior to joining Grameen Foundation she worked as a development consultant in South Asia providing expertise in the areas of strategic planning, financial management, institutional strengthening, project design, monitoring and evaluation with a special interest in gender based initiatives. She has worked on a variety of rural development projects with clients such as Danish International Aid Agency (DANIDA), Department for International Development (DFID), World Health Organization (WHO) and CARE International. She previously worked in the private sector both in India and overseas primarily in corporate financial management with a short stint in the financial services sector.

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Committees and Councils : Africa Advisory Council