People

Mohamed M. Awale is the former Director of Planning and Development at the Ministry of Trade and Investment, he is an entrepreneur turned into a public servant with an extensive experience in Somaliland foreign affairs, governance and state-building. His political career started as council member of the ruling party Kulmiye during which he served as assistant to Foreign Affairs Spokesperson of the party between 2007 and 2010. After the presidential elections in 2010, Mr. Awale held several positions including, Director of protocol department, PA and advisor to the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister. In his diplomatic services at the Ministry of Foreign affairs, he served as the focal point for Development Assistance Projects in the delivery of Nation Development Plans. Mr. Awale specialized in management, he has attained BBA in his first decree. He has recently acheived MSc in Security Sector Management at Cranfield University focusing on state-society relationships in transitioning states. He has attended different conferences in Doing business reforms, investment promotion, Entrepreneurship and Security.

Osman Warsame completed his Ph.D. at Imperial College, an MSc from Durham University and his undergraduate studies South Bank University. Subsequently, he had obtained Master of Arts in Education Policy and Research from Metropolitan University, UK. His research interests lie in the area of social development and population studies, ranging from theory to design to implementation. He has collaborated actively with researchers in several other disciplines of social science, particularly focusing on health and education problems.

Nasir is an all-round experienced management professional with ample experience in marketing research, strategy and project & people management. He has gathered over 10 years of experience in managing research programs and businesses.
Nasir began his career in the marketing research industry as a research manager for Ipsos in Amsterdam. In this position he was responsible for the design, implementation, overall management and reporting of international research projects for top-tier firms. After 5 years Ipsos, Nasir continued his career at Xerox Services as Business Improvement Manager. Within the first year at Xerox, Nasir made a career switch to management, and became the manager of a Xerox business unit with over 300 employees. In this role he was awarded as the most attractive employer of the Netherlands in 2017 in the customer care industry, by an independent research company. In addition, Nasir has been active as a social entrepreneur/investor in the Horn of Africa, where he is in the management team of different businesses. Nasir holds a MSc in Marketing from the Vrije University in Amsterdam, and a BSc in Economics from the holland University of Applied Sciences.

Omar is a Financial Management Specialist who holds Master of Business Administration (MBA Finance) from Oklahoma City University, USA & Bachelor of Commerce Degree (accounting & Auditing) from Pune University. Omar has over 25 year of working experience gained from both the private and public sectors, including development partners and Investment Banks.

Based in Hargeisa Omar was part of the core team that produced the draft World Bank Somaliland Public Expenditure Report 2014 which analyzed how Somaliland Ministries / Agencies spend, allocate and prioritize their budgets, their budget cycle process and payment authorization process. They message of the report was presented at the Somaliland Economic Conference on Growth, Poverty and Fiscal affairs in Hargeisa in January 2014. He was part of the core team hosting the event, which included Ministers and representatives from civil society, private sector and media.

On Public Financial Management, Omar provided vital coordination role for the Ministry of Finance by supporting the Ministry in liaising with international PFM experts undertaking an independent assessment on the quality of PFM systems in Somaliland. He was involved in stakeholder coordination on PFM reform processes and the review of PFM bills with the stakeholders before being passed to cabinet. He served as the liaison between the Ministry of Finance and partners (World Bank & DFID) on PFM related issues, such as Revenue Management and Budgetary process. He was the focal point for the USAID funded project to Ministry of Finance.

Investment Banking: Omar is a former investment Banker worked world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund Abu Investment Authority as a Senior Investment Analyst.

A highly-qualified and experienced Country Director with strong technical and advocacy background coupled with proven track record of leadership. Dr. Hussein has more than 20 years of professional experience including the last 11+ years in which he has been increasingly taking up senior management positions, particularly within the demanding humanitarian and development context of Somalia and the wider East Africa region with high levels of responsibility in the areas of developing and delivering successfully complex country programs while managing field operations and strategic relationships with implementing partners and donors alike. For many years, Dr. Hussein has been serving as Country (Program) Director for international aid agencies with excellent leadership, representation and coordination skills. Since late 2014, Dr. Hussein has been also working as independent consultant serving international and local institutions both in the private and in the public sectors with interdisciplinary research, facilitation, training and advisory services. Dr. Hussein has an in-depth knowledge of the political, social and economic dimensions of the complex operational context of Somalia as well as an extensive professional network in the country.

Wahiba Ismail is a dedicated professional with more than two years’ experience in the research field. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Mathematics. She also graduated with honors from Abaarso Tech University for her Master’s degree in Public Health. She worked with both International and Local organizations as a research assistant. She is experienced in collecting and analyzing data and does not fail to produce high quality deliverables. She is fluent in both English and Somali. She is a committed team player that gets along well with her colleges and supervisors.

Mohamed Yusuf has over a decade of experience in Management of Program/Projects, Operations of Humanitarian emergency relief, development assistant programs, in both conflict and post-conflict countries (i.e. Somalia, Somaliland, Iraq, Central African Republic) and closely worked with the donor countries (including Norway, Sweden, UK (NORAD, SIDA, DFID)). Mohamed Yusuf is a highly skilled and dynamic person, and has both the capacity and ability to undertake challenging operational and developmental matters in the Horn of Africa region. His specific expertise lies within the field of development and humanitarian emergency response, institutional capacity building and organizational development, program partnership, monitoring and evaluation. Likewise, Mohamed Yusuf has carried out many consultancies and undertook various studies in the areas of development, migration, education, piracy as well as the changing dynamics of the socio-economic and political landscape of Somaliland. Throughout his career, Mohamed Yusuf has demonstrated an excellent ability to blend technical knowledge with pragmatic, operation and developmental management skills. He has established extensive networks throughout the region, and proved to be a reliable team member, who brings a strong entrepreneurial outlook to all of the programs that he worked on and provided advised.

Mariam Dahir is a graduate of University of Hargeisa. She obtained her medical degree 2010, earned her a postgraduate diploma in Public Health Research and later received her Msc in Health management. Mariam Dahir is a highly experienced researcher. She has extensive knowledge of activities and program managements and worked with various international organizations including the World Health Organization where she worked as Data Manager and Analyst for its HIV program across Somalia. Mariam Dahir further worked on the routine Antenatal Sentinel Surveillance and key population survey as well as providing the result analysis of the studies in the various areas within the programs. She also advises medical students on thesis writing and other health related areas as part of her role at the medical faculty. Mariam Dahir worked previously in the Health System Strengthen Program that part of the Medical Education and Health Sector Regulation Program. Mariam Dahir further held senior roles with various health oriented institutions including the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) that was funded by DFID and with the Ministry of Health as a National AIDS program Manager for Somaliland, which was funded by Global Fund TB, AIDS, Malaria (GFTAM) program.

Ahmed Daad is the Founder and Executive Director of Green Development Centre (GDC); a training, research and consultancy centre promoting: trade and investment, business networking, job creation, entrepreneurship, and access to local, regional and international markets for SMEs in the Horn of Africa. GDC has provided support to over 100 SMEs including women, youth and diaspora owned businesses in Somaliland/Somalia and Ethiopia on developing their businesses with better performance. He has a BA degree in Accounting from Haramaya University, Faculty of Business and Economics in Ethiopia and currently studies International Trade Specialist Accreditation Programme of the UK Institute of Export at Electronic Business School International (eBSI Export Academy) in Ireland. Mr. Ahmed has 11 years of experience in Private Sector and NGOs and has skills in multiple Value Chains where he practically carried out assignments playing professional and technical role. Major expertise segments include Wild Crops and Agriculture, Fisheries, Health, Tourism, Logistics, Retail and wholesale businesses, Merchandise and Trade.

In late 2014 and early this 2015 Mr. Ahmed was one of three team members who carried out an assessment on the private health sector in Somaliland, Puntland and South Central commissioned by DFID to contribute DFID Somalia’s post 2016 health programming. He has effectively provided advice and guidance to diaspora entrepreneurs from the Netherland’s Migrant Diaspora Entrepreneurship Programme with Spark and in this course assessed a number market areas. He worked as a Value Chain Development consultant and Senior Marketing Expert at a World Bank Private Sector Development Programme in Somalia on Value Chain Development of Gums and Resins in 2013 and 2014. During this period he visited several countries and produced various reports on the sector including Market Analysis for Somaliland’s gums and resins in the markets of Yemen, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Other reports for the gums and resins made by the expert included grading and classifications for export of gums and resins, stocktaking of gums and resins market operators, Logistics Organization for export of gums and resins from Somaliland and also participated development of a number of technical documents for the sector.