Team


Sara Engleka Acting Director Sara Engleka joined the Trade Hub in January 2012 as Deputy Director. A private sector development specialist with more than 12 years of experience in marketing, business management and legal diplomacy, Ms. Engleka has provided technical support to multiple USAID-funded projects implemented by CARANA Corporation in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa across a range of sectors, including agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, forestry, stone and marble, ICT and specialty foods. Prior to joining CARANA, Ms. Engleka served in various marketing and product management capacities in the tourism industry and for the consumer package goods firm Kimberly-Clark, and coordinated international extradition cases through the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice. Her areas of expertise include value chain research and analysis, competitiveness strategy and product marketing. Ms. Engleka holds a Master in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Languages (Spanish and French) from Georgetown University.
Niels Rasmussen Transport Infrastructure Director Niels Rasmussen joined the Trade Hub in July 2009 as Director of the Transport Infrastructure program. Prior to joining the Trade Hub Rasmussen worked eight years for the United Nations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as an expert in Trade and Transport Facilitation, and more than 20 years with the Canada Ports Corporation in a variety of senior port management positions. Rasmussen worked on the development of international standards for electronic business as an official representative for the Canadian transport industry.
Roger Brou Business and Finance Director Roger T. Brou joined the Trade Hub as the Business & Finance Director. Brou began his career as a teacher in his home town of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, he taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences. He continued his education in the U.S., earning a a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and an MBA with a concentration in finance. Roger has worked since as a project director for the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington as a financial analyst for HSBC Equator Bank in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He continued as an investment officer and then regional manager for HSBC in West Africa and was based in Abidjan. Roger brings the Trade Hub expertise in agribusiness financing, project finance and bank-to-bank finance. Before joining the Trade Hub, Roger was running his own agribusiness and transportation company.
Dr. Sola Afolabi Business Environment Director The former director of the ECOWAS Community Computing Center, Dr. Sola Afolabi, has joined the USAID Trade Hub as the director of its Business Environment component. Dr. Afolabi has been collaborating with the USAID Trade Hub for several years and championing the Borderless initiative from within ECOWAS prior to joining our team.
Abou Fall AGOA Services Manager Mr. Fall joined the West Africa Trade Hub in August 2005. Previously, he managed the USAID-funded Global Trade & Technology Network (GTN) in Senegal, the main goal of which was to promote business linkages and technology transfer. He also helped design and coordinate projects for the Digital Freedom Initiative, aimed at promoting economic growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs through information and communication technologies. A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Fall holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in the US and a master's degree in globalization and development from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is fluent in English, French and Wolof and speaks conversational Spanish.
Joe Lamport Communications Manager Mr. Lamport, a journalist by training, was the assistant director of a housing law services organization in New York City before joining the Trade Hub in May 2008. He also wrote about housing issues and lectured in communications in New York City. Mr. Lamport has produced a documentary film and informational films, produced and hosted radio programs, and worked as a reporter and editor for daily and monthly newspapers. Lamport lived and worked in Togo as a Peace Corps Volunteer and independent development consultant from 1995 to 2001. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and originally hails from Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Lamport is fluent in French and native in English.
Makhtar Thiam Enterprise Development Advisor for Fish and Seafood Makhtar Thiam joined the West Africa Trade Hub in November 2007. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fish and seafood trade and export of African specialty foods, including managing his own company, which specialized in fish and seafood exports to Europe, and conducting delegations to international trade shows in Europe and Africa. For 17 years, Mr. Thiam managed and coordinated UPAMES (Fishmongers and Fish Exporters Association of Senegal). A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Thiam holds a master’s degree in physics and chemistry with a specialization on water and air pollution from the University of Paris-Jussieu in France and received training in business management and food quality systems including HACCP. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Wolof and Pular.
Hanna Amichia Enterprise Development Coordinator Hanna Stiles-Amichia joined the West Africa Trade Hub in June 2004 as the Enterprise Development Coordinator, focusing on the apparel and specialty foods sectors. Ms. Amichia came to the Trade Hub with more than 15 years experience coordinating management services, most recently as a Senior Administrative Assistant at Coca-Cola West Africa in Cote d'Ivoire where she led teams that organized trainings and assisted in developing and preparing training programs and presentations. She has also worked for companies like Exim Bank of India, Mobil, and Toyota, all in Cote d'Ivoire. She speaks French, English and a few West African languages fluently.
Noel Kossonou Transport Specialist Noel Yao Kossonou joined the USAID West Africa Trade Hub as a Transport Specialist in November, 2011. Prior to joining, Noel acquired a wealth of experience in Destination Inspection, International Trade and Transport and Logistics Management. He spent 7 years with Cotecna Inspection SA travelling throughout the West Africa sub region with a further three years at SGS Scanning Nigeria. Over the years he has been working with Customs on the benefits of installing scanners at sea ports and airports. He is a graduate of Alliance Française d’Accra and the Graduate School of Governance and Leadership Ghana. He speaks English and French fluently.
Emmanuel Odonkor Export Development-Technical Assistant Emmanuel Odonkor joined the West Africa Trade on April 14, 2009. He graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, with a combined major in French and Political Science and has also studied at the National Banking College. He holds an advanced certificate in Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. Emmanuel has worked with the Kanematsu Corporation as a senior project officer, responsible for sourcing for viable projects with the various government ministries in West Africa. He was the Marketing Manager at African Connections, a company promoting trade between West Africa and the United States of America. He liaised with the various chambers of commerce in the sub-region through their embassies in Ghana to ensure maximum participation in conferences and tradeshows organized in Ghana as well as in the U.S.A. He has also worked at Equator Logistics as the administrator and Barclays Bank as a lead generator. He is fluent in English, French and Ga.

Sara Engleka

Acting Director

Sara Engleka joined the Trade Hub in January 2012 as Deputy Director. A private sector development specialist with more than 12 years of experience in marketing, business management and legal diplomacy, Ms. Engleka has provided technical support to multiple USAID-funded projects implemented by CARANA Corporation in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa across a range of sectors, including agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, forestry, stone and marble, ICT and specialty foods. Prior to joining CARANA, Ms. Engleka served in various marketing and product management capacities in the tourism industry and for the consumer package goods firm Kimberly-Clark, and coordinated international extradition cases through the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice. Her areas of expertise include value chain research and analysis, competitiveness strategy and product marketing. Ms. Engleka holds a Master in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Languages (Spanish and French) from Georgetown University.

Niels Rasmussen

Transport Infrastructure Director

Niels Rasmussen joined the Trade Hub in July 2009 as Director of the Transport Infrastructure program. Prior to joining the Trade Hub Rasmussen worked eight years for the United Nations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East as an expert in Trade and Transport Facilitation, and more than 20 years with the Canada Ports Corporation in a variety of senior port management positions. Rasmussen worked on the development of international standards for electronic business as an official representative for the Canadian transport industry.

Roger Brou

Business and Finance Director

Roger T. Brou joined the Trade Hub as the Business & Finance Director. Brou began his career as a teacher in his home town of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, he taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences. He continued his education in the U.S., earning a a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and an MBA with a concentration in finance. Roger has worked since as a project director for the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington as a financial analyst for HSBC Equator Bank in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He continued as an investment officer and then regional manager for HSBC in West Africa and was based in Abidjan. Roger brings the Trade Hub expertise in agribusiness financing, project finance and bank-to-bank finance. Before joining the Trade Hub, Roger was running his own agribusiness and transportation company.

Dr. Sola Afolabi

Business Environment Director

The former director of the ECOWAS Community Computing Center, Dr. Sola Afolabi, has joined the USAID Trade Hub as the director of its Business Environment component. Dr. Afolabi has been collaborating with the USAID Trade Hub for several years and championing the Borderless initiative from within ECOWAS prior to joining our team.

Abou Fall

AGOA Services Manager

Abou Fall Mr. Fall joined the West Africa Trade Hub in August 2005. Previously, he managed the USAID-funded Global Trade & Technology Network (GTN) in Senegal, the main goal of which was to promote business linkages and technology transfer. He also helped design and coordinate projects for the Digital Freedom Initiative, aimed at promoting economic growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs through information and communication technologies. A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Fall holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in the US and a master's degree in globalization and development from the University of Warwick in the UK. He is fluent in English, French and Wolof and speaks conversational Spanish.

Joe Lamport

Communications Manager

Joe Lamport Mr. Lamport, a journalist by training, was the assistant director of a housing law services organization in New York City before joining the Trade Hub in May 2008. He also wrote about housing issues and lectured in communications in New York City. Mr. Lamport has produced a documentary film and informational films, produced and hosted radio programs, and worked as a reporter and editor for daily and monthly newspapers. Lamport lived and worked in Togo as a Peace Corps Volunteer and independent development consultant from 1995 to 2001. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and originally hails from Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Lamport is fluent in French and native in English.

Makhtar Thiam

Enterprise Development Advisor for Fish and Seafood

Makhtar Thiam joined the West Africa Trade Hub in November 2007. He has more than 20 years of experience in the fish and seafood trade and export of African specialty foods, including managing his own company, which specialized in fish and seafood exports to Europe, and conducting delegations to international trade shows in Europe and Africa. For 17 years, Mr. Thiam managed and coordinated UPAMES (Fishmongers and Fish Exporters Association of Senegal). A Senegalese citizen, Mr. Thiam holds a master’s degree in physics and chemistry with a specialization on water and air pollution from the University of Paris-Jussieu in France and received training in business management and food quality systems including HACCP. He is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Wolof and Pular.

Hanna Amichia

Enterprise Development Coordinator

Hanna Amichia Hanna Stiles-Amichia joined the West Africa Trade Hub in June 2004 as the Enterprise Development Coordinator, focusing on the apparel and specialty foods sectors. Ms. Amichia came to the Trade Hub with more than 15 years experience coordinating management services, most recently as a Senior Administrative Assistant at Coca-Cola West Africa in Cote d'Ivoire where she led teams that organized trainings and assisted in developing and preparing training programs and presentations. She has also worked for companies like Exim Bank of India, Mobil, and Toyota, all in Cote d'Ivoire. She speaks French, English and a few West African languages fluently.

Noel Kossonou

Transport Specialist

Noel Kossonou Noel Yao Kossonou joined the USAID West Africa Trade Hub as a Transport Specialist in November, 2011. Prior to joining, Noel acquired a wealth of experience in Destination Inspection, International Trade and Transport and Logistics Management. He spent 7 years with Cotecna Inspection SA travelling throughout the West Africa sub region with a further three years at SGS Scanning Nigeria. Over the years he has been working with Customs on the benefits of installing scanners at sea ports and airports. He is a graduate of Alliance Française d’Accra and the Graduate School of Governance and Leadership Ghana. He speaks English and French fluently.

Emmanuel Odonkor

Export Development-Technical Assistant

Emmanuel Odonkor joined the West Africa Trade on April 14, 2009. He graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, with a combined major in French and Political Science and has also studied at the National Banking College. He holds an advanced certificate in Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.

Emmanuel has worked with the Kanematsu Corporation as a senior project officer, responsible for sourcing for viable projects with the various government ministries in West Africa. He was the Marketing Manager at African Connections, a company promoting trade between West Africa and the United States of America. He liaised with the various chambers of commerce in the sub-region through their embassies in Ghana to ensure maximum participation in conferences and tradeshows organized in Ghana as well as in the U.S.A. He has also worked at Equator Logistics as the administrator and Barclays Bank as a lead generator. He is fluent in English, French and Ga.