Laurent is a senior international development and sustainability professional with 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, with a strong track record in formulating and implementing complex sustainability strategies and managing large scale multi-partner development programmes.
Laurent brings a deep understanding of development issues and of the political landscape in Africa, including key stakeholders in the public (UNECA, ECOWAS, EAC…) and private sector (especially extractive industry), as well as civil society, research institutions and development partners.
Areas of expertise include: extractive sector governance, energy access, market entry and business development, community development, policy formulation, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, partnerships building, fund raising, negotiation skills and management of high-performance teams.
Previously, Laurent served as AngloGold Ashanti’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability in the Continental Africa Region. Before joining the private sector, he worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in East and West Africa for 15 years. Laurent holds a master in Post-graduate degree in Development Studies from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, and Graduate degrees in Political Sciences as well as European and International Law, from the Sorbonne University. He has lived and worked in Africa and speaks fluently English and French.