Mr. Abera Endeshaw Abebe, Senior Advisor to the Minster and & Lead International Affairs, FDRE, Ministry of Water & Energy

Abera Endeshaw Abebe, Senior Advisor to the Minster and Lead International Affairs at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water and Energy has 18 years of experience in advisory, project formulation, advocacy, influencing policy and practice, leadership, research, and facilitation work in the areas of water, energy, climate change, capacity development, and policy. The Ministry with its newly revised policy and institutional set has the ambition to realise universal access for WASH and energy needs of the people of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is currently developing the biggest hydropower dams in Africa, which will generate more than 5,000 megawatts. Mr. Endeshaw, joined the Ministry back in 2017 as Technical Advisor to the Minster and before he worked at the Coffey International Development Ltd. (A Tetra Tech Company) as Project Technical Manager for a national program on Water. He has worked for WaterAid, a UK Based International Non-Governmental organisation based in Addis Ababa for eight years as Senior Policy and Influencing Expert.

Ms. Omega Collocott, Director of Corporate Ratings, S&P Global

Omega Collocott joined S&P Global in September 2017 as Director of Corporate Ratings, based in the Johannesburg office. Omega’s portfolio includes companies in the utilities, mining and metals, telecommunications and building materials sectors, amongst others, based in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining S&P Global, Omega spent 11 years analysing financial institutions, having worked as sector head for Financial Institution Ratings at Global Credit Ratings, overseeing ratings across the African continent, as well as SCMB Securities and Deutsche Securities. She headed Standard Bank’s CIS and Africa Credit Research team from 2005-2009, while based in Russia. In addition to analytical roles, Omega provided audit and consulting services to financial institutions for over eight years.

Amadou DIALLO, Counsellor to the Water Minister, Senegal

Mr. Diallo is an Economist-Planner with nearly 18 years' experience in the water and sanitation sector in Senegal and Africa, in the design, planning and implementation of development policies, institutional reforms, programs and projects. Mr. Diallo managed the Millennium Drinking Water and Sanitation Program (PEPAM), which enabled Senegal to achieve the MDG water target, among other results. He is currently the Departmental Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and Coordinator of the Unit in charge of Sector planning, Monitoring and Programs Management. On behalf of the Ministry, Mr. Diallo is in charge of the management of a portfolio of projects financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, USAID, Luxembourg Cooperation and technical assistance from AFD and the EU. He also acted as Sherpa for Senegal on the High-Level Panel on Water set up by the World Bank and the United Nations. Mr. Diallo was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the urban water company SEN'EAU, and continues to represent the Ministry on the Board of Directors of this company as an Administrator.

Dr. Nomita Halder NDC, Managing Director, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation

Dr. Nomita Halder ndc, Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), has been a career bureaucrat. Prior to assuming the office of the chief executive of PKSF, she had an illustrious career as a public servant. During her 31-year-long career in the service of the Republic, she performed her roles efficiently both at the implementation and the policy-making levels. Dr. Halder was the Secretary in the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment. Prior to that, she served as the Private Secretary to Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She was also an Honorary Member of National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh, and a Professorial Fellow at North South University of Bangladesh.

Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director, Water Global Practice (GP), The World Bank.

Mr. Jha leads the Global Practice senior management team, which drives the policy direction of the Practice, oversees a portfolio of $27 billion in water-related investments, analytical work, multi-donor trust funds and global partnerships. Before this appointment, Mr. Jha was World Bank’s Regional Director of the Middle East Department based in Beirut (Lebanon), Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Global Practice at the World Bank Group, the World Bank’s Regional Director for Central Asia based in Almaty. In addition, Mr. Jha served as the Bank’s Global Manager for the Disaster Risk Management Practice and as Head of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), which he founded in 2006.

Andrew Johnstone, Director and CEO, Climate Fund Managers

Andrew Johnstone has overall responsibility for the delivery of all fund management services. He is one of the co-founders of CFM. Prior to CFM, he was the CEO of African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), a joint venture of infrastructure investors Macquarie and Old Mutual, and the Chairman of Macquarie Africa. He is an experienced professional in the African infrastructure sector and has been involved in the structuring, raising and deployment of five unlisted infrastructure fund vehicles in Africa, prior to his involvement in CFM.

Eng. Clement Kivegalo, Director-General of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Tanzania

Clement Kivegalo is a professional engineer who has worked for 23 years in the water sector in Tanzania. He is currently the Director General of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) since September 2019. As the Director General, he is responsible for overseeing daily operations of the Agency. He has practical experience in civil and water resources engineering ranging from planning, carrying out reconnaissance surveys, feasibility studies, detailed design, supervision of construction works, and project management. He is the founding Managing Director of Kahama Shinyanga Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (KASHWASA), a utility that was established by the Government of Tanzania in 2007 to operate and manage a huge water supply scheme that generates potable water from Lake Victoria and supplies in bulk to other water utilities in rural and urban areas in five regions in Tanzania.

Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President, Eastern and Southern Africa

Victoria Kwakwa, a Ghanaian national, is the Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa. An economist and development expert with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Kwakwa leads the Bank’s engagement with 26 countries. She oversees an active portfolio of 313 operations totaling $58 billion and an extensive program of cutting-edge analytic work, technical assistance, and policy advice. At the core of Ms. Kwakwa’s vision is a stable, integrated, and resilient region with dynamic economies and prosperous societies in which all citizens, notably women, children and youth enjoy equality of opportunity. Under her leadership, the World Bank is providing vital support to countries as they face a series of complex, multifaceted challenges which include climate shocks, food- and energy-fueled inflation, and rising debt levels. Her priorities include promoting private sector jobs and economic transformation, building human capital, strengthening climate resilience, agricultural productivity, and food security, and improving access to critical infrastructure. Reducing the drivers of fragility and conflict, promoting gender equality and regional integration cut across all these areas of work.

Ms. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India

Vini Mahajan, IAS (Punjab: 1987) is the Secretary in the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Prior to this, she was serving as Punjab Chief Secretary and as Additional Chief Secretary of the Departments of Housing & Urban Development, Government of Punjab and Industries & Commerce, IT and Investment Promotion. She was also ACS/ Principal Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare and served as Principal Secretary Department of Medical Education and Research, and Principal Secretary Finance, Punjab.Ms Mahajan served as Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister of India from 2007-2012, and earlier in 2004-05 as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

Ms Yvonne Magawa, Executive Secretary at the Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation Regulators Association, ESAWAS.

Yvonne Magawa has over twenty (20) years of experience in water supply and sanitation regulation, which includes previous work at the Zambian national WSS regulator and development cooperation. She has been spearheading initiatives to strengthen WSS regulation within the Eastern and Southern African region, across the African continent and globally. She has co-published several papers on WSS regulation and sits in several sector institutions’ advisory boards and on the steering committee of the International Water Association (IWA).

Eng Dr. Mugisha, Managing Director, National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC)

Eng Dr. Mugisha is the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). He was previously a Chief Manager in charge of Institutional Development and External Services at the NWSC. Dr. Mugisha has been with NWSC since 1994 and has risen through the ranks of the Corporation. He has worked on external consultancies in various organizations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, India, and Trinidad and Tobago among others.

Ms. Alexandra Serra, Executive Director, Aguas de Portugal

Alexandra Serra has been the Executive Director of Aguas de Portugal since 2023. Formerly she was the Executive President of the Aguas do Tejo Atlantico S.A. Board of Directors. She has held various other positions through out her career. She has a graduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Lisbon.

Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and Chairman of the Ethiopian Somali People’s Democratic Party

Minister Shide is an investment pioneer in Ethiopia. He started his career at the age of 20 immediately after graduating as a valedictorian. At that time, he was a junior economist in the Somali National Regional State. His career took off after he became the Head the Somali Regional Investment Bureau once he completed a successful mission at the Ethio-American Trade and Investment Forum held in the United States in 1999. Since then, Minister Shide took on increased regional responsibilities. He served as the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on rural development, the head of the reform wing and as a senior development advisor to the Somali Regional President. He subsequently moved to a federal post and was serving as the State Minister of Finance and Economic Cooperation and later as Minister of Transport and Government Spokesperson prior to his current role as the Minister of Finance. Minister shide is well reputed for his exceptional participatory management style. He is currently striving to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and neighboring countries to achieve enduring peace and prosperity by fostering regional integration in the Horn. His leadership strength stems from cooperation and communication.

Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Vice President, Operations, MIGA

Junaid Kamal Ahmad is Vice President of Operations at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the Political Risk Insurance and Credit Enhancement arm of the World Bank Group (WBG). He is responsible for advancing and enhancing MIGA’s brand partnering across WBG and with financial institutions, private investors, and development actors to originate and pursue meaningful, impact-driven projects. Junaid also leads the Operations team of the Agency to deliver on MIGA’s mandate of mobilizing private finance for development projects in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). A Bangladeshi national, he was previously the Country Director for the World Bank in India. He joined the Bank in 1991 as a Young Professional and worked on infrastructure development in Africa and Eastern Europe. He has since held several management positions, leading the Bank’s programs in diverse regions including Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia. Junaid served as the Chief of Staff and earlier as Special Assistant to the President of the World Bank Group. During a part of his time at the Bank, he was based in Johannesburg and New Delhi and in 2004, he was a core member of the World Development Report: Making Services Work for Poor People.

Joel Kolker, Global Lead for Water and Finance, World Bank

Joel Kolker is the Global Lead for Water and Finance. Prior to this role, he was the Program Manager of the Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) and brings over 35 years of experience in dealing with a host of issues related to infrastructure finance, including water. He has lived, worked, and led projects in over 30 countries (primarily in Africa and Asia). As the Global Lead for Water and Finance, Joel leads the World Bank Water Practice’s global effort to blend donor and concessional finance with domestic commercial finance to support water and sanitation infrastructure investments. Before joining the Water Practice, he worked with the World Bank Institute and the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility.

Gugulethu Mfuphi, Host, Kaya Bizz

Gugulethu is an award winner and a well-versed orator, with plenty of experience in front of cameras, behind the microphone and addressing many diverse audiences. This skill, together with her sound grasp of the financial markets, economic date and current affairs issues and the impact this has on the business community, makes her the perfect candidate to speak to industry and political leaders from across the African Continent. This forms the basis of her tasks and responsibilities as Presenter of Kaya FM’s prime time, award winning business show, Kaya Bizz and her experience as a Senior Anchor on CNBC Africa. Gugulethu has gained a wealth of experience in financial journalism through radio, TV, print and online media.

Gustavo Saltiel, Global Lead for Water Supply and Sanitation, World Bank

Gustavo Saltiel is the Global Lead for Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) and leads the WSS Global Solutions Group (GSG), which works to achieve universal access to safe, resilient, and sustainable water supply and sanitation services. Gustavo has more than 30 years of experience in the Water and Sustainable Development Sectors. Among his many responsibilities, he was the General Manager of Aguas Bonaerenses (Argentina), the State Owned Water Utility serving 2.5 million inhabitants in 70 localities in the Province of Buenos Aires. Previously, he had been Head of Planning and Regulatory Affairs of Azurix, the water and sewerage services concessionaire in the Province of Buenos Aires and Manager of the Quality of Service Department of ETOSS (Buenos Aires Water and Sewerage Services Regulatory Agency). He joined the World Bank in 2003 as Senior Water Engineer in the Latin America Region. He was then appointed as Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in Mexico and more recently, Program Manager in the Africa Region, leading the Nile Basin and Cooperation in International Waters programs, as well as the Water Program in Kenya and the “mega” Rural Sanitation Program for Results in Egypt.

Ousmane Dione, Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, World Bank

Dr. Ousmane Dione, a Senegalese national, is the Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. Since joining the Bank in 2000 as a water resources management specialist, Dr. Dione has held a number of operational and leadership positions in Africa, South Asia, Latin America. His most recent assignment was Country Director for Vietnam, in the East Asia and the Pacific Region. Dr. Dione has more than 20 years of experience leading water, urban and environment programs in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and East Asia and the Pacific. He holds a Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Lyon 3.

Iain Shuker, Regional Director, Sustainable Development, Eastern and Southern Africa, World Bank

Iain Shuker is the Regional Director for Sustainable Development in the Eastern and Southern Africa Vice Presidency. Most recently he was the Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy Global Practice in East Africa. He is an economist with over 20 years of experience in the World Bank. He has worked in the Bank’s Africa, Eastern Europe, and East Asia regions, in environmental and natural resource management, agriculture, finance, disaster risk management, social development, and land reform. Prior to joining the Bank, he worked for the International Food Policy Research Institute on the links between trade and the environment. A South African national, he has a BSc in Agriculture, as well as a PhD in Applied Economics (Environmental and Agricultural) from the University of Minnesota.