Zuzana Brixiova Schwidrowski, is Director of the ECA Office for North Africa. Her previous experience includes VP & Senior Analyst covering Southern Africa sovereigns and several African MDBs at Moody’s Investors Service, Lead Advisor to the Chief Economist & Vice President at the AfDB and IMF Resident Representative in Belarus and Lithuania. She was Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town and Fulbright Scholar at the Addis Ababa University.

Jerome Vacher, is a senior economist in the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, covering Saudi Arabia. Before that, he was an IMF resident representative in Tunisia (2019-22) and Ukraine (2013-17), and a senior economist on Turkey and Spain. Prior to joining the IMF in 2002, he was a public finance economist for Dexia Credit Local in Paris and a financial attaché at the French Embassy in Warsaw. He is a graduate of Sciences Po in Paris, Université Paris 1 Panthéon–Sorbonne, and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany.

Cecilia Bjerborn Murai, is a Senior Specialist, Capital Markets, FSD Africa, with 25 years of experience, focusing on sustainable business and finance, establishing impactful strategies and partnerships, including over 15 years within UN and the WBG. She contributed to implementing the first ESG equity indices in Brazil, MENA. She developed programs on debt sustainability and sustainable investment mobilization for UNECA and the African Union. Cecilia holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College UK, and holds a certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, USA.

Mohamed El Moctar Mohamed El Hacene, Head of the UN ESCWA Shared Economic Prosperity Cluster. El Hacene has high-level experience in economic development and institutional development, capacity building, regional cooperation and conflict resolution. A former Mauritania minister of Petroleum and Mines, El Hacene has worked for the UN, the World Bank and AfDB

Sonia Essobmadje, leads the Innovative Finance and Capital Markets Section at the UNECA. Prior to this position, she was an investment banker for nearly 15 years, specializing in sustainable financing solutions and capital markets. Sonia holds a MSc in Trading and Asset Management from ESLSCA Business School and MSc in Corporate Finance from California State University and the University of Cergy Pontoise. She is a CFA charter holder.

Khaled Hussein, Chief of Section at ECA with 28 years of experience, provided technical support to policy makers in 25 developing countries in Africa and Asia on macroeconomic issues. Worked with academic, regional, and international organizations including University of Kent, University of East London, UNCTAD, USAID, IsDB, ESCWA. Published in refereed journals including Journal of Development Economics, Journal of International Money and Finance, Economic Letters, Journal of Development Studies, Applied Economics.

Zoubir Benhamouche, is an Economist at UNECA North Africa Office, has a diverse background, including many years of experience in financial markets with PwC and Hiram Finance in France, and economist at the forecasting directorate of the French Ministry of Economy and Finance. He also taught economics in several universities in France. His work at UNECA focuses on productivity, governance, structural transformation, and climate change. He holds advanced degrees in Economics and Statistics, an Executive MBA, and a PhD focusing on inequality, institutions, and development.

Amandine Nakumuryango, is an Economist at the Subregional office for North Africa at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. In this role, she contributes to policy-oriented research and policy dialogue to build resilient and inclusive North African economies. Amandine holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Pretoria. Her research interests include macroeconomic policy, renewable energy policy, private sector development and public debt management.