Vanessa Moungar is Director, Gender, Women and Civil Society of the African Development Bank Group (AFDB) She leads the Group’s strategy on gender and investments in women, aiming to accelerate progress on women’s economic development and thus Africa’s transformation through a more inclusive growth. She is also in charge of the Bank’s engagement with the Civil Society, ensuring access in delivering programs to all members of society, as well as enhancing citizen participation, accountability and transparency in the Bank’s work.
Previously, she held the position of Senior Manager for Africa at the World Economic Forum between 2013 and 2017, where she led large-scale public-private collaboration efforts, including engaging leaders of African governments, the private sector and civil society and ensuring partnerships across multiple industries – from health and education to extractives, infrastructure, agriculture and energy.
She started her career at AV Consulting, France, which she co-founded in 2004 to support small and medium enterprises in Africa and the Middle East. She holds degrees from INSEEC Paris and Harvard University, and was a WEF Global Leadership Fellow. Moungar is also a Youth Champion for Africa 2.0, and sits on President Emmanuel Macron’s Presidential Council for Africa.
As Senior Manager, responsible for Africa, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland since 2013, Moungar led large-scale public-private collaboration efforts. She engaged leaders of African governments, the private sector and civil society in partnerships across multiple industries – from health and education to extractives, infrastructure, agriculture and energy. She guided the adaptation of global projects to the continent and supported the development of policy reforms to catalyse investment to the region.
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In addition, she championed the Demographic Dividend agenda, leading a multi-stakeholder group of global experts, mandated to create thought leadership and shape public policy for investment in women and youth.
Between 2011 and 2013, Moungar advised the Liberian Energy network to establish strategic partnerships with Government agencies, civil society organisations and the private sector. From 2006 to 2013, she worked in various capacities including as Director of Sales & Marketing at Terrafina – USA, an Agro-business, where she developed and led the execution of the company’s sales and marketing strategy, including budget planning, staff management and overall strategic guidance.
Moungar is a Global Leadership Fellow and holds a Master’s in Advanced Global Leadership conferred by the World Economic Forum in partnership with Columbia University, New-york, USA; The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; China Europe International Business School; London Business School, UK and European Institute of Business Administration (Institut Européen d’administration des Affaires (INSEAD).
