CTD is governed by an independent Board of Directors and supported by an International Advisory Board of senior leaders from across Africa and the globe. The board of directors is still under development and will include regional and gender representation at close.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mamo Mihretu
Mamo Mihretu is an economist and financial sector leader who reformed Ethiopia’s central bank, built its sovereign wealth fund, and drove trade and investment policy. As National Bank Governor he introduced a market based exchange rate, quadrupled reserves, opened banking to foreign firms and expanded digital financial inclusion to over 222 million accounts. He also founded and led Ethiopian Investment Holdings, shaping the Homegrown Economic Reform Program and securing $10.5 billion in development financing. He brings to CTD's board a rare combination of executive leadership at the highest levels of public finance, direct experience in trade negotiation and regional integration, and a demonstrated capacity to translate complex policy reform into measurable economic outcomes.
Fred Zake
Fred Zake is a seasoned international finance and trade lawyer with over 30 years of experience driving institutional reform across 40+ countries. During a distinguished 16-year tenure at the World Bank Group, he spearheaded the $1.8 billion Horn of Africa Initiative and led the award-winning Somalia Investment Climate Reform Program, establishing the legal and governance foundations for economic re-engagement in frontier markets. From founding HortiFresh Association Uganda to advising the African Development Bank on complex investment climates, Mr. Zake combines deep technical expertise in trade facilitation with a proven ability to build high-stakes economic institutions from the ground up. He brings to the CTD board an unparalleled track record of large-scale trade and investment initiatives into measurable private sector growth across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Ambassador Alfred Ombudo K'Ombudo
Ambassador Alfred Ombudo K'Ombudo is a multi-award-winning advisor of African governments offering solutions to their most complex development challenges, with direct experience in 14 African countries. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the President of Kenya on Trade at State House, Nairobi. He is also a member of the President's Council of Economic Advisors — positions that place him at the intersection of Kenya's highest-level economic policy formulation and its international trade diplomacy. Through senior assignments at Government of Kenya, World Bank Group, International Trade Center and UNDP, Amb. K’Ombudo has designed and implemented ground-breaking economic development, finance, trade and investment programs. He has also served as Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade where he negotiated the Kenya – EU EPA and the Kenya – UAE CEPA, markets that cover 20% of global GDP. He brings an unrivalled ability to navigate the nexus of trade diplomacy, investment policy and economic transformation.
Domingos Mazivila
Domingos Mazivila is a development economist and senior multilateral practitioner with over 20 years of experience shaping macroeconomic policy and trade-linked investment across Sub-Saharan Africa. Having spent two decades in leadership roles at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he has served as Senior Economic Advisor across several countries including Mozambique, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia, where he pioneered Integrated National Financing Frameworks and advised governments on the structural complexities of LDC graduation. From his early career at Mozambique’s Ministry of Planning and Finance to his work on USAID-funded trade and investment reform, Mr. Mazivila has consistently bridged the gap between national development planning and international resource mobilization. Fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, he brings to CTD’s board deep operational expertise in navigating diverse economic landscapes in Lusophone, Francophone and Anglophone Africa, leveraging his unique trilingual capability.
CTD's International Advisory Board will comprise Africa's leadership, senior multilateral leaders, business executives, and leading trade economists from across Africa and globally. They provide strategic guidance on program relevance, research quality, and institutional positioning.
Advisory Board Members will be announced as confirmed.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES
Practical
Experience
Our team brings hands-on experience in trade negotiations and policy implementation, not solely academic or theoretical backgrounds.
Diverse Institutional
Origins
We recruit from government, multilateral bodies, private sector, and academia to prevent groupthink.
Global Knowledge,
African Application
We learn from advanced and emerging economies globally — then rigorously adapt to African contexts.
Pan-African
Composition
Team members span Africa's regions and language communities, reflecting our continental mandate.
Multidisciplinary
Capacity
Modern trade policy requires economists, lawyers, negotiators, researchers, data specialists, and managers. We integrate all perspectives.