Team


Vanessa Adams Trade Hub Project Director In over six years overseeing business development at the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, Vanessa Adams has presided over a significant growth in exports that has created thousands of jobs for West Africans and demonstrated the potential to create many more – fulfilling the Trade Hub’s mission of making trade happen. From 2007 to today, the Trade Hub facilitated over $100 million in exports from the region and trained more than 7,000 people in business skills, far surpassing the project’s targets. Ms. Adams joined the Trade Hub in late 2004 as director of business development, managing a team that continues even today working directly with exporters in six nontraditional sectors. She established a dynamic vision for export development that has invigorated work in specialty foods, cashew, shea, home décor and manufactured apparel. Broadly representative and internationally respected industry alliances in the cashew (2006) and shea (2010) sectors have fostered collaboration and focused companies on issues that are part of a “triple-bottom line” – people, planet and profit. Six internationally respected brands have emanated from the West Africa Trade Hub, with partner contributions, modeled on Ms. Adams’ understanding of the market opportunities. Stakeholder collaboration in access to finance and transport have seen similar important progress since Ms. Adams took over the Director position in early 2009. The USAID Trade Hub will facilitate almost $5 million in loans in FY2011 – a sum that is remarkable compared to last year. In transport, Ms. Adams’ leadership has led to the Borderless Alliance, which brings the world’s preeminent transport and logistics companies together with exporters to address the systemic issues affecting transport and trade across West Africa. Ms. Adams’ prior background of over eight years consulting with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and initiating innovative programs in the non-profit and non-governmental worlds in Africa and Europe has given her experience that is both broad and deep. Unflinching leadership, bold innovativeness and vision have allowed her to cast the USAID Trade Hub as a center of excellence in trade and development.
Niels Rasmussen Transport Infrastructure Director Niels Rasmussen joined the Trade Hub in July 2009 as Director of the Transport Infrastructure program. Prior to joining the Trade Hub Rasmussen worked eight years for the United Nations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as an expert in Trade and Transport Facilitation, and more than 20 years with the Canada Ports Corporation in a variety of senior port management positions. Rasmussen worked on the development of international standards for electronic business as an official representative for the Canadian transport industry.
Roger Brou Business and Finance Director Roger T. Brou joined the Trade Hub as the Business & Finance Director. Brou began his career as a teacher in his home town of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, he taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences. He continued his education in the U.S., earning a a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and an MBA with a concentration in finance. Roger has worked since as a project director for the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington as a financial analyst for HSBC Equator Bank in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He continued as an investment officer and then regional manager for HSBC in West Africa and was based in Abidjan. Roger brings the Trade Hub expertise in agribusiness financing, project finance and bank-to-bank finance. Before joining the Trade Hub, Roger was running his own agribusiness and transportation company.
AGNES OTOO-YEBOAH Operations Manager A chartered accountant, project management professional and administrator with more than 13 years experience working in top management positions in the fields of accounting, management and administration. Has immense knowledge with regard to internal control, financial accounting systems, cash flow management, resource planning gained from working with small and medium sized international organizations, and also as a result of a solid foundation gained from training with a leading firm of chartered accountants. Agnes was recently employed as the Export Business Development Operations Manger with Chemonics International, a management consulting firm that implemented USAID’s TIPCEE project. The TIPCEE project was a $33 million dollar project with the objective of improving competitiveness of the Ghana’s private sector in world markets. Currently Agnes heads the Operations component of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, a Trade and Investment Project managed by Carana Corporation, based in Washington, USA. The West Africa Trade Hub exists to provide technical assistance to the private sector to increase volume and value of exports from West Africa.
Joe Lamport Communications Manager Mr. Lamport, a journalist by training, was the assistant director of a housing law services organization in New York City before joining the Trade Hub in May 2008. He also wrote about housing issues and lectured in communications in New York City. Mr. Lamport has produced a documentary film and informational films, produced and hosted radio programs, and worked as a reporter and editor for daily and monthly newspapers. Lamport lived and worked in Togo as a Peace Corps Volunteer and independent development consultant from 1995 to 2001. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and originally hails from Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Lamport is fluent in French and native in English.
Abou Fall AGOA Services Manager Mr. Fall joined the West Africa Trade Hub in August 2005. Previously, he managed the USAID-funded Global Trade & Technology Network (GTN) in Senegal, the main goal of which was to promote business linkages and technology transfer. He also helped design and coordinate projects for the Digital Freedom Initiative, aimed at promoting economic growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs through information and communication technologies. A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Fall holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in the US and a master's degree in globalization and development from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is fluent in English, French and Wolof and speaks conversational Spanish.
Makhtar Thiam Enterprise Development Advisor for Fish and Seafood Makhtar Thiam joined the West Africa Trade Hub in November 2007. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fish and seafood trade and export of African specialty foods, including managing his own company, which specialized in fish and seafood exports to Europe, and conducting delegations to international trade shows in Europe and Africa. For 17 years, Mr. Thiam managed and coordinated UPAMES (Fishmongers and Fish Exporters Association of Senegal). A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Thiam holds a master’s degree in physics and chemistry with a specialization on water and air pollution from the University of Paris-Jussieu in France and received training in business management and food quality systems including HACCP. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Wolof and Pular.
AWUDU HAMIDU ZINGOMAH Accountant Awudu Hamidu Zingomah joined the Trade Hub Team in 2008 as an Accountant. He formerly worked in the Inspectorate Unit for the Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT) and also as a Field Officer for the Internal Revenue Service-Ghana(IRS). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Coast(UCC) and he speaks English, Hausa, Mossi and Bissa.
Hanna Amichia Enterprise Development Coordinator Hanna Stiles-Amichia joined the West Africa Trade Hub in June 2004 as the Enterprise Development Coordinator, focusing on the apparel and specialty foods sectors. Ms. Amichia came to the Trade Hub with more than 15 years experience coordinating management services, most recently as a Senior Administrative Assistant at Coca-Cola West Africa in Cote d'Ivoire where she led teams that organized trainings and assisted in developing and preparing training programs and presentations. She has also worked for companies like Exim Bank of India, Mobil, and Toyota, all in Cote d'Ivoire. She speaks French, English and a few West African languages fluently.
EMMANUEL ODONKOR Export Development-Technical Assistant Emmanuel Odonkor joined the West Africa Trade on April 14, 2009. He graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, with a combined major in French and Political Science and has also studied at the National Banking College. He holds an advanced certificate in Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. Emmanuel has worked with the Kanematsu Corporation as a senior project officer, responsible for sourcing for viable projects with the various government ministries in West Africa. He was the Marketing Manager at African Connections, a company promoting trade between West Africa and the United States of America. He liaised with the various chambers of commerce in the sub-region through their embassies in Ghana to ensure maximum participation in conferences and tradeshows organized in Ghana as well as in the U.S.A. He has also worked at Equator Logistics as the administrator and Barclays Bank as a lead generator. He is fluent in English, French and Ga.

Vanessa Adams

Trade Hub Project Director

In over six years overseeing business development at the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, Vanessa Adams has presided over a significant growth in exports that has created thousands of jobs for West Africans and demonstrated the potential to create many more – fulfilling the Trade Hub’s mission of making trade happen.

From 2007 to today, the Trade Hub facilitated over $100 million in exports from the region and trained more than 7,000 people in business skills, far surpassing the project’s targets. Ms. Adams joined the Trade Hub in late 2004 as director of business development, managing a team that continues even today working directly with exporters in six nontraditional sectors. She established a dynamic vision for export development that has invigorated work in specialty foods, cashew, shea, home décor and manufactured apparel. Broadly representative and internationally respected industry alliances in the cashew (2006) and shea (2010) sectors have fostered collaboration and focused companies on issues that are part of a “triple-bottom line” – people, planet and profit. Six internationally respected brands have emanated from the West Africa Trade Hub, with partner contributions, modeled on Ms. Adams’ understanding of the market opportunities.

Stakeholder collaboration in access to finance and transport have seen similar important progress since Ms. Adams took over the Director position in early 2009. The USAID Trade Hub will facilitate almost $5 million in loans in FY2011 – a sum that is remarkable compared to last year. In transport, Ms. Adams’ leadership has led to the Borderless Alliance, which brings the world’s preeminent transport and logistics companies together with exporters to address the systemic issues affecting transport and trade across West Africa.

Ms. Adams’ prior background of over eight years consulting with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. and initiating innovative programs in the non-profit and non-governmental worlds in Africa and Europe has given her experience that is both broad and deep. Unflinching leadership, bold innovativeness and vision have allowed her to cast the USAID Trade Hub as a center of excellence in trade and development.

Niels Rasmussen

Transport Infrastructure Director

Niels Rasmussen joined the Trade Hub in July 2009 as Director of the Transport Infrastructure program. Prior to joining the Trade Hub Rasmussen worked eight years for the United Nations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as an expert in Trade and Transport Facilitation, and more than 20 years with the Canada Ports Corporation in a variety of senior port management positions. Rasmussen worked on the development of international standards for electronic business as an official representative for the Canadian transport industry.

Roger Brou

Business and Finance Director

Roger T. Brou joined the Trade Hub as the Business & Finance Director. Brou began his career as a teacher in his home town of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, he taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences. He continued his education in the U.S., earning a a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and an MBA with a concentration in finance. Roger has worked since as a project director for the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington as a financial analyst for HSBC Equator Bank in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He continued as an investment officer and then regional manager for HSBC in West Africa and was based in Abidjan. Roger brings the Trade Hub expertise in agribusiness financing, project finance and bank-to-bank finance. Before joining the Trade Hub, Roger was running his own agribusiness and transportation company.

AGNES OTOO-YEBOAH

Operations Manager

A chartered accountant, project management professional and administrator with more than 13 years experience working in top management positions in the fields of accounting, management and administration. Has immense knowledge with regard to internal control, financial accounting systems, cash flow management, resource planning gained from working with small and medium sized international organizations, and also as a result of a solid foundation gained from training with a leading firm of chartered accountants.

Agnes was recently employed as the Export Business Development Operations Manger with Chemonics International, a management consulting firm that implemented USAID’s TIPCEE project. The TIPCEE project was a $33 million dollar project with the objective of improving competitiveness of the Ghana’s private sector in world markets.

Currently Agnes heads the Operations component of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, a Trade and Investment Project managed by Carana Corporation, based in Washington, USA. The West Africa Trade Hub exists to provide technical assistance to the private sector to increase volume and value of exports from West Africa.

Joe Lamport

Communications Manager

Joe Lamport Mr. Lamport, a journalist by training, was the assistant director of a housing law services organization in New York City before joining the Trade Hub in May 2008. He also wrote about housing issues and lectured in communications in New York City. Mr. Lamport has produced a documentary film and informational films, produced and hosted radio programs, and worked as a reporter and editor for daily and monthly newspapers. Lamport lived and worked in Togo as a Peace Corps Volunteer and independent development consultant from 1995 to 2001. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and originally hails from Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Lamport is fluent in French and native in English.

Abou Fall

AGOA Services Manager

Abou Fall Mr. Fall joined the West Africa Trade Hub in August 2005. Previously, he managed the USAID-funded Global Trade & Technology Network (GTN) in Senegal, the main goal of which was to promote business linkages and technology transfer. He also helped design and coordinate projects for the Digital Freedom Initiative, aimed at promoting economic growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs through information and communication technologies. A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Fall holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in the US and a master's degree in globalization and development from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is fluent in English, French and Wolof and speaks conversational Spanish.

Makhtar Thiam

Enterprise Development Advisor for Fish and Seafood

Makhtar Thiam joined the West Africa Trade Hub in November 2007. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fish and seafood trade and export of African specialty foods, including managing his own company, which specialized in fish and seafood exports to Europe, and conducting delegations to international trade shows in Europe and Africa. For 17 years, Mr. Thiam managed and coordinated UPAMES (Fishmongers and Fish Exporters Association of Senegal). A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Thiam holds a master’s degree in physics and chemistry with a specialization on water and air pollution from the University of Paris-Jussieu in France and received training in business management and food quality systems including HACCP. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Wolof and Pular.

AWUDU HAMIDU ZINGOMAH

Accountant

Awudu Hamidu Zingomah joined the Trade Hub Team in 2008 as an Accountant. He formerly worked in the Inspectorate Unit for the Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT) and also as a Field Officer for the Internal Revenue Service-Ghana(IRS). He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Coast(UCC) and he speaks English, Hausa, Mossi and Bissa.

Hanna Amichia

Enterprise Development Coordinator

Hanna Amichia Hanna Stiles-Amichia joined the West Africa Trade Hub in June 2004 as the Enterprise Development Coordinator, focusing on the apparel and specialty foods sectors. Ms. Amichia came to the Trade Hub with more than 15 years experience coordinating management services, most recently as a Senior Administrative Assistant at Coca-Cola West Africa in Cote d'Ivoire where she led teams that organized trainings and assisted in developing and preparing training programs and presentations. She has also worked for companies like Exim Bank of India, Mobil, and Toyota, all in Cote d'Ivoire. She speaks French, English and a few West African languages fluently.

EMMANUEL ODONKOR

Export Development-Technical Assistant

Emmanuel Odonkor joined the West Africa Trade on April 14, 2009. He graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, with a combined major in French and Political Science and has also studied at the National Banking College. He holds an advanced certificate in Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.

Emmanuel has worked with the Kanematsu Corporation as a senior project officer, responsible for sourcing for viable projects with the various government ministries in West Africa. He was the Marketing Manager at African Connections, a company promoting trade between West Africa and the United States of America. He liaised with the various chambers of commerce in the sub-region through their embassies in Ghana to ensure maximum participation in conferences and tradeshows organized in Ghana as well as in the U.S.A. He has also worked at Equator Logistics as the administrator and Barclays Bank as a lead generator. He is fluent in English, French and Ga.