Bebe Akinboade

THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION GETS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Spread the love

 The Board of
Trustees of the Tony Elumelu Foundation has announced the appointment of
Professor Reid E. Whitlock as Chief Executive of the Foundation. The
appointment took effect from Sunday, February 15. Professor Whitlock’s
appointment, according to a statement, follows Dr Wiebe Boer, the inaugural
Chief Executive of the Foundation, becoming Director of Strategy at Heirs
Holdings, ‎Mr. Elumelu’s pan-African proprietary investment company.
Founded in 2010 by
serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu, C.O.N., the Foundation
is Africa’s leading advocate for entrepreneurship, responsible for programmes
designed to ensure that entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship become the primary
driver of Africa’s economic growth and social transformation.
Professor Whitlock
brings 30 years of experience as a business school rector, diplomat,
entrepreneur, strategy consultant and advisor to leaders in Africa, Asia and
the Middle East on economic development. He received his Ph.D. and law degree
from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He also
holds a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and is
a cum laude graduate of Princeton University.

Speaking on his
appointment, Professor Whitlock stated : “I am honoured by the opportunity the
Board of Trustees has given me. I am excited to join such a dynamic
institution, with a truly pan-African focus and an ambitious agenda. I look
forward to leveraging my extensive experience and networks to further help the
Foundation achieve its important goals.”
Dr. Whitlock will
focus on supervising the Foundation’s four key projects and programmes:
• The $100 million
pan-African Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme – Africa’s largest direct
intervention in support of entrepreneurship.
• The
Africapitalism Institute, the Foundation’s policy and research arm, which
provides a rigorous programme of research and advocacy, in support of the
Foundation’s goals.
• The Elumelu
Nigeria Empowerment Fund, directly assisting, through private sector
strategies, conflict affected and disadvantaged communities across Nigeria.
• The Tony &
Awele Elumelu Prize, which champions academic excellence on the African
continent.
bebeakinboade