Dr. Kevit Desai

Dr. Desai is the Principal Secretary for East African Community (EAC) having served in the same capacity at the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training (VTT).

He is the Chairman of the Social and Political Pillar of the Vision 2030 Board Committee (2018) and a Trustee of KENET Board of Trustees (2018). He is also the Chairman of the Permanent Working Group on TVET in Kenya (PWG). He is championing private sector, TVET, government and development partner linkages, towards transformation of Kenya’s technical and vocational training platform. 

He is the founder of Centurion Systems Limited and former Managing Director, Dr. Desai holds a PhD in Robotics Systems Engineering. 

Dr. Kevit Desai is also the founding chairman of Linking Industry with Academia (LIWA). He was the Chairman of Council, Technical University of Mombasa and Chairman of The Board of Governors – Karen Technical Training Institute for the Deaf. He is Chairman of the Board of young Scientists Kenya. He also serves as the Chairman of Board of trustees at the United States International University Africa (USIU).

Dr. Desai stepped down from Centurion Systems, LIWA, TUM and KTTID after his appointment to the ministry of Education in February 2018.

He is a member of the Steering Committee in JICA master’s degree and internship program of the Africa Business Education (ABE) initiative for the youths. 

Prof. Dr. Rianne Letschert

Since 1 November 2021, Professor Rianne Letschert is President and Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University.

Professor Rianne Letschert (1976) studied Dutch Law and International Law at Tilburg University, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Montpellier and received her PhD in 2005.

Her research focuses on the impact of international tribunals on societies and people who are confronted with serious violations of human rights and international crimes.

She is member of the Supervisory Board of Catharina Hospital Eindhoven and the Bonnefanten museum Maastricht. She is member of the Board of Trustees of Redress the Netherlands. She is also member of the National Growth Fund.

In 2019, she was awarded the title Topwoman of the year in the Netherlands.

One of her main tasks as the administrative leader of a national programme by the VSNU is to implement the position paper 'Room for Everyone's Talent' , not only in Maastricht but in the entire sector.

Hoda Mansour

Hoda Mansour is SAP Head of Business Process Intelligence (BPI), EMEA South.

Hoda worked for leading multinational software companies including SAP, Oracle & Microsoft in regional and global capacities, where she lived and worked in three different continents (Europe, Asia and Africa).

Hoda joined SAP in Dubai in 2013 where she held various positions last of which was the Managing Director for SAP Egypt & Frontier Countries before being promoted in September 2021 as the Head of Business Process Intelligence (BPI) for Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, a region that covers 75 countries.

Given her impact in transforming SAP business, Forbes acknowledged her leadership by recognizing her as one of Forbes Top 50 Power Businesswomen for 2021 which was on the back of the previous selection by Forbes as one of Top 100 Power Businesswomen in the Middle East in 2020 & Forbes Top 100 most Influential Women in the Middle East for 2018. 

Hoda is a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce since June 2021 and the elected vice-president and board member of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce since September 2020.

Hoda holds a B.Sc. with Distinction & Honors in Engineering from Alexandria University in addition to Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction from Maastricht School of Management.