3rd AfSAE Africa Association Summit

Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.

Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements, providing new export markets in fast growing and dynamic markets in East and West Africa.

Prior to assuming this position, Wamkele was Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law.

Wamkele has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).

Ben Asoro B.Comm (UoN, MBA(UoN). Former Conference Manager KICC, Kenya, Former Director of Conference CICC, Nigeria, ICCA Africa Chapter 2016 - 2017. Senior Manager UN Agency, IAEA, Vienna, Austria. Director/Co-owner DOTCompsl.co.ke, a Printing Solutions Ltd (Printers of Conference materials)

Larissa currently serves as the Regional Chair of the Africa Region WAGGGS. Larissa is a communication expert with international experience gained while working across various geographies and among multicultural teams, Larissa is one of the co-founders of 3hi Africa, a consultancy firm.

Larissa is a qualified Communications, Marketing and Management Expert with Strategic Planning and Monitoring-Evaluation experience and her competencies are about organizational and durable development, strategic planning through innovation, leadership and skills development and building human and organisational capital.

Larissa has a keen interest in the Sustainable Development Goals and the impacts of helping organizations realize their intended goals by changing NGOS environment. Larissa has supported many organisations on their Strategic Planning journey and she has a vast experience in implementing, monitoring and evaluating various projects and programmes Larissa carries her unique skills and insights with her passion for working to improve lives as a change maker. One of Larissa’s passion remains towards empowering the youth by offering them skills development opportunities, she enjoys helping young people and women reach their full potential. Larissa is a result-oriented, efficient and fast learner. She believes that advancement in women leadership is a powerful resource and body for change in the world. And her daily desire is to affect lives positively by being a change-maker.

While still serving as the Chairperson of Africa Region WAGGGS, Larissa envisions to give a better life to all girls and young women in Africa by continuing to foster a learning environment; while facilitating the development of personal and collective skills within the Member Organisations and Africa region in general. Larissa is always keen to take part in the development and growth of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in Africa.

Rene Frank studied Economics, Media Sciences. He has a master’s in civil engineering from DTU and a MBA from INSEAD

His unique & creative approach to developing strategic content effectively translates messaging through interactive technologies, smart experiences, branded content, different shows and community experiences that have been featured across the Globe.

He also developed his own intellectual properties that focus on water, environmental & climate change issues, including W12 concept and the first framework for a best practice major city water recovery plan.

He is a regular speaker in event, industry meetings and conferences.

ICCA is one of the most prominent organisations in the world of international meetings. It is the only association that comprises a membership representing the main specialists in handling, transporting and accommodating international events.
ICCA’s area of expertise is in the international association meetings market, but it also assists members to share knowledge on the other segments.
The association market covers a wide range of meeting types and categories: medical meetings (the largest segment); scientific; other academic; trade organisations; professional bodies; social groupings. In terms of size, budget, duration and complexity there are massive variations between and also within categories. However, some similarities can be identified:
• Almost every ‘specialty’ has an association which holds one or more meetings.
• Most associations have meetings that are repeated at regular intervals.
• The destinations rotate, rarely return to the same destination within a short time-span.
• The initiative to host a meeting often comes from the local counterpart, e.g. the national association. If that body is difficult to motivate to organise the meeting, the chances are high that the meeting will be scheduled elsewhere.
• Association meetings have a long lead-time; 5 years is not unusual.

It is estimated that there are approximately 24,000 different association meetings organised on a regular basis.The ICCA Association Database has collected information on approximately 90% of them.

Marco van Itterzon, a qualified English teacher aged 56, joined ICCA in 1990. As Director Research he heads a team of 10 full-time researchers in Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur and Montevideo.
“The work gives me the opportunity to try to improve the exchange of information between ICCA members. The balancing act trying to maintain both quality and quantity in our database is a never-ending challenge.”

Derrick Johnson is Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Event Strategy at Talley Management Group. He connects organizations' diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with a sustainable vision of liberating experience for all. As a first-generation college graduate having completed undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, Derrick holds a Master of Science in Business Leadership and Management from Western Governors University. In addition, he has a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from MIT, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workforce Certificate from USF, the Digital Event Strategist (DES) credential from PCMA, and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). 

Derrick joined the PCMA Board of Directors in 2019 and facilitated its Digital Event Strategist Certification Course in 2020, guiding thousands of business event professionals through an evolved digital mindset in the eye of COVID-19.

Derrick's expertise in producing and consulting on event strategy drives TMG to effectively provide innovative educational experiences, community building, and maximize revenue potential for global communities.

Kevan Jones is the Executive Director of the Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA), a SAQA-recognised professional body covering the media and entertainment industry. He has held leadership positions in several Associations across Africa and the Middle East. He is a fellow of the Institute of Association Leadership in the UK and holds CAE designations from both the American and Canadian Societies of Association Executives. He holds an MA degree from Regents University London School of Psychotherapy and Psychology.

A Professional Engineer, Project Manager, Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Star Learning Solutions Ltd, President Elect of Federation of Africa Engineering Organizations and Chairman of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations’ Committee on Anti-Corruption, Immediate Past President of the Institution of Engineers Rwanda with practical experiences in leadership, advocacy, mediation and arbitration.

Passionately he stands to inspire and transform the new generation into market leaders and entrepreneurs full of integrity and best practices. He is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC) as well as an Accredited Mediator.

Charlotte Kemp is the Futures Alchemist, a futurist keynote speaker who helps people and organisations find new ways to think about the future.

Charlotte is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) as well as the President of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA) and the newly appointed Vice President of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF).

Charlotte is also the author of a number of books, including ‘Futures Alchemist’ which presents a narrative of how to use her Map, Compass and Guide model to navigate unknown futures.

For research and insight, Charlotte hosts a podcast series called ‘Futures Facets’ and interviews people around the world to gain an understanding of how we see the future from our different points of view.

Mbogo is the Sales Director – East Africa at Glue Up. He is part of an amazing team that is on a mission to transform the way professional communities enable and enrich relationships by creating a world where every person and organization uses Glue Up’s technology to create opportunities for success.

He has 15 years of multi-industry sales leadership experience managing teams, clients, and project portfolios with a presence in East, Central, and Southern Africa. He has served in some of the leading commercial organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa including Standard Bank, Cellulant, KenCall, and Oxygen 8.

His passion is centered on being an active contributor to the success stories within the African continent.

Maunda Land, MBA, CMP, CAE, is President and CEO of LAND Consultants, LLC a firm dedicated to assisting association and non-profit organizations achieve their strategic objectives in various areas including membership and student engagement, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Maunda has over 15 years of leadership experience in association and non-profit management, including roles as the Chief Member Engagement Officer at the Florida Institute of CPAs, the Director of Membership Engagement, Diversity & Student Programs at The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and Vice President, Professional Development at the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents.

Maunda is also the co-owner of the Orlando Travel Guide, a company that provides travel solutions and guidance for individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maunda began helping others develop multiple streams of income and build wealth portfolios through trading, investing in cryptocurrencies, and acquiring hard assets. She’s a serial entrepreneur and has a passion for helping others to manifest financial freedom.

Maunda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies and Applications from Michigan State University and an Executive MBA degree from the University of Central Florida. She is a Certified Meeting Professional, a Certified Association Executive and a 2013-2015 Diversity Executive Leadership Program Scholar with the American Society of Association Executives. Outside of work, Maunda enjoys traveling around the world with her husband Bill.

Maunda Land, MBA, CMP, CAE
Social Media: @MaundaLand

Patson Malisa is a Diplomat and Advocate, currently serving as Deputy Presiding Officer of the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC). Patson is the youngest Deputy Presiding Officer to be elected to the ECOSOCC Bureau.

He is also President of the Organisation of African Youth,
and the Vice President of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA).

Prior to his election, Patson served as Head of Strategic Planning and Partnerships, as well as Acting Secretary for the Infrastructure and Energy Cluster of ECOSOCC.

He has experience as Chairman for South Africa at the Organisation of African Youth, Country Coordinator
for the Network of African Youth for Development, as well as the Chairman for South Africa at the International Youth Council. He has also served as Organising Secretary, Secretary for Information and Publicity for the Continental Youth Executive Committee at the Organisation of African Youth.
He has also served on the Civil Society steering group, and as a member of the Investors Group of the Global Finance Facility responsible for the production and inception of the Global Youth Engagement Strategy.

Patson also heads the Patson Malisa Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering and creating meaningful collaboration between African governments and their people towards attaining sustainable development.

Patson Malisa is a Tomorrow’s Leader Nominee for the class of 2014 at the Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention which is hosted annually in South Africa.

He was also featured in the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans list of 2015 in the Politics and Governance category. He was named in the Avance Media 2017 list of 100 Most Influential Young South Africans.

Mr. Jeffers Miruka is a business events and associations expert from Kenya. He has a 12 years’ experience in the MICE and Associations industry. He is a founder and president of the African Society of Association Executives (AfSAE), a pan-African professional community of association executives that serves as the professional community of association executives and voice for those within the industry in Africa. He is also the CEO of the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE. Jeffers serves as a co-founder and director of the Africa Association Management Company (AFAMCO), a premier Association Management Company (AMC) in Africa. He is a board member at the Association for Kenya Business Events (AKBE. He is internationally recognized in his numerous speaking roles in association forums, and as a contributor to various MICE and association webinars. Mr. Miruka is a 2019-2021 scholarship recipient of the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) at the Center for Association Leadership (ASAE) in Washington DC.

Frank Murangwa is currently the Director of Destination Marketing at Rwanda Convention Bureau before this position, he served as the Acting CEO of Rwanda Convention Bureau from January 2016 to November 2017.
Mr. Murangwa’s core mandate is to drive the growth of Rwanda’s MICE industry. He has experience in tourism marketing and tourism quality assurance. Rwanda Convention Bureau is a destination Marketing Organization that is charged with marketing and promoting Rwanda as a premier MICE Destination.

Frank Murangwa has a strong tourism educational background and practical experience in the tourism sector, and has also gained significant expertise in developing strategies for tourism destinations.
Graduated in Tourism Management, his marketing skills are reinforced by a strong tourism background. Frank Murangwa holds a Bachelor of Degree in Tourism Management from Makerere University of Uganda and a Master’s degree ( Disntiction) in Tourism Destination Management from Breda University of Applied Science (NHTV) Netherlands. Frank is fluent in English and Kinyarwanda.
Frank is passionate about travelling to different destinations to experience new cultures, explore beautiful sceneries and enjoys sports as well.

Mungai NFI is the co-founder of the I am a Cameroon movement and a Board member at AfSAE. He has previously served as the Global Policy and Government Relations Director for Africa, at the Global Citizen. He is also the founder BnM Consulting, Managing Partner at Indux Global and Consultant at Africa Plans. He is also a seasoned consultant with African Association Management Company (AFAMCO) on leadership and strategic planning. He is also former Growth and Development Director for Africa and the Middle East at Junior Chamber International (JCI)

Memberships
1. Board member and Treasurer at AfSAE
2. Co-Founder of the I am Cameroon movement - http://iamcameroon.org/index.php
3. Lead I am Africa Campaign- https://iamafricacampaign.org
4. Facilitator - Junior Chamber International – www.jci.cc

Mungai has a Ms Education: Political Science and International Relations.

Sharon is an award-winning association leader who partners as an organizational consultant and executive coach supporting her clients' transformation goals. Sharon also serves as adjunct faculty at Georgetown University's Institute of Transformational Leadership.

Sharon previously served as an association executive for nearly 12 years including as Executive Director and Interim CEO. In her early career, Sharon was a documentary television/film producer and actor for over a decade, including television series for The History Channel, Discovery Channel, and Animal Planet. As a volunteer, Sharon serves on the Global Policy Think Tank for the Institute for Association Leadership, theForesightWorks Advisory Council for the American Society for Association Executives, and is a Board member for Safe and Sound Schools.

Sharon has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, an Executive Certificate from Georgetown University in Organizational Consulting and Change Leadership, and her B.F.A. from the State University of New York, Purchase College, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Sharon was awarded a Leader of Distinction by digitalNow and is a proud ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program alumnus.

Felix O. Okatch is the current Chairman of the Association of Professional Societies in East Africa (APSEA). Professionally he is a member of Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) and Institute of Directors (IOD), Kenya chapter.

Mr. Okatch is a widely multilateral trade expert . He has published many articles on corporate governance and finance. His latest book on marketing is “Marketing Management, Integrated Perspectives,” (2017) published by Kenya Literature Bureau.

He serves in the board of Kenya Reinsurance Corporation.

Currently he is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) student, research stage, at Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He holds an MBA from Assam Don Bosco University and B.Comm (Hons) from University of Nairobi.

Gregg founded TMG in 1987 with his father after prior experience in association and event management along with destination marketing experience. For the past 33 years TMG has provided association management services and consulting to national and international associations. In addition, TMG provides major event and citywide convention planning for clients across the US and around the globe working as a core PCO.

In 2016, Gregg helped launch the African Society of Association Executives as a Management Advisor and provides training and education across the continent to African association leaders on a pro bono basis.

In 2018, Gregg launched association management company joint ventures in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya and India, based in Delhi. He is a frequent traveler to Kenya where he has family.

Gregg also consults with destinations globally at the city and national level on business event strategy and national association development to align with strategic growth sectors.

Gregg serves on many destination and national advisory boards and is active in speaking and writing about industry issues. He is a past National Chair of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and is currently Treasurer on the Board of the International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA).

Lara is the Managing Director and Partner of Paragon Africa. She has over a decade of experience in the conference and events industry in South Africa and the UK, with a core focus on association business.

Before joining Paragon Africa, Lara ran her own successful PCO company. Prior to that, she worked with other well-known PCO’s in Cape Town, as well as for a large association in the UK managing their events