Roberta Annan ( born 2 December 1982) is a

Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...

businesswoman and the founder of the African Fashion Foundation. She is also an

investor An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future Return on capital, return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital the investor usually purchases some species of pr ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

, and a

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

Goodwill Ambassador. Annan was the youngest African to be inducted into the African Leadership Hall of Fame. A graduate of

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

, Annan began her career with an

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used to practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and g ...

at the U.N. headquarters in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Annan is the owner of Annan Capital Partners, an investment company in

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

, and ALDG, a

portfolio Portfolio may refer to: Objects * Portfolio (briefcase), a type of briefcase Collections * Portfolio (finance), a collection of assets held by an institution or a private individual * Artist's portfolio, a sample of an artist's work or a ...

of assets in sustainable hospitality,

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

, and sustainable luxury in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Education

Annan attended the SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College. She graduated ''

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' in

Biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

from

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and earned a master's degree in

Biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

from

Career

Annan, who speaks both

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and the Akan dialect, worked as a Research Analyst Intern at the

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the German-speaking world. It is named afte ...

and with multi-nationals like Athgo International and

MAP International MAP International is a Christian nonprofit organization based out of Brunswick, Georgia. Their mission is to provide medicines and health supplies to those in need around the world. History Establishment MAP International was founded in 1954 ...

between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, Annan joined the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

as an intern and later became a consultant for the UN, mobilising funds and resources for UN projects worldwide. In 2012, she founded Roberta Annan Consulting, re-branded to Annan Capital Partners in 2016 after two years with LJ Africa Advisors. In 2017, Annan was appointed the Senior Market Liaison for Fieldstone Africa where she led on

business strategy In the field of management, strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by an organization's managers on behalf of stakeholders, based on consideration of resources and an assessment of ...

and

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

. She has served on boards including The Frallain Group, Industrie Africa, Women's Empowerment and Investment Group, and Ghana

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Business Club. She was an adviser to The Rose of Sharon Foundation, by

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

business magnate,

Folorunsho Alakija Folorunso Alakija (born 15 July 1951) is a Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist. She is currently the group managing director of The Rose of Sharon Group and also serves as executive vice chairman of Famfa Oil Limited. Early life Alakij ...

and The

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

Devco Steering Committee for the International Colloquium for the Creative Economy. In 2011, Annan founded the Africa Fashion Foundation (AFF) to support Africa's growing fashion industry. She is the co-founder of the Impact Fund for African Creatives (IFFAC), a €100 million

impact investment Impact investing refers to investments "made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return". At its core, impact investing is about an a ...

fund aimed at supporting Africa's creative and lifestyle industries. Roberta Annan Consulting was also a franchise owner of the

Miss Universe Pageant Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

from 2011 to 2015, but handed this over to new management after allegations that the contest had not been fairly run.

Fund raising and philanthropy

Annan has been recognised for fundraising projects including the €100 Million Funds for African Creatives in partnership with UN-ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative. Annan Capital also raised funds through engagement with

High-net-worth individual In the financial services industry, a high-net-worth individual (HNWI) is a person who maintains liquid assets at or above a certain threshold. Typically the criterion is that the person's financial assets (excluding their primary residence) are ...

s, corporations and foundations for both

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

and for-profit initiatives projects from $6MM to $100MM. Under the African Foundation

Kayayei Kayayei or Kaya Yei is a Ghanaian term for a female Porter (carrier), porter or bearer. Many of these women have migrated from a rural community to any of Ghana's urban cities in search of work. They generally Head-carrying, carry their burdens on ...

Initiative, Annan and other Ghanaian women including Ophelia Crossland, Torlowei and Velma Owusu-Bempah trained head porters known as Kayayei in fashion and millinery. During the peak of the

COVID-19 outbreak The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Soon after, ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

, WEIG in partnership with Annan Capital Partners and GUBA, launched the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Stimulus Fund, offering financial prizes to support and invest in female-led enterprises in Ghana.

Awards and recognitions

Annan is a member of the Young President Organization (YPO) and currently the

UNEP The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

Goodwill Ambassador for the Creative Economy, '20 under 40 Influential Business Leaders in Ghana', the "40 under 40 Influential Business Leaders in Consulting" and the "100 Young Influential Africans", "Youngest African ever to be inducted into the African Leadership Hall of Fame". Annan spoke at the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the United Nations General Assembl ...

round table panel discussion with

Isabelle Durant Isabelle Annie J. Durant (born 4 September 1954) is a Belgian politician of the Ecolo party who served as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 2017 to 2021 and as acting Secretary-Genera ...

, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD;

Mahendra Siregar Mahendra Siregar (born 17 October 1962 in Jakarta) is the chief of the Financial Services Authority (Indonesia), Financial Services Authority (OJK) of Indonesia. He previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister and was formerly the Indonesian Amba ...

, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and Marisa Henderson, Head of UNCTAD Creative Economy. Annan is an advisory council member of the prestigious Condé Nast College of Fashion and Design. She works alongside

Edward Enninful Edward Kobina Enninful (born 22 February 1972) is a Ghanaian-born British editor and stylist who was editor-in-chief of British Vogue, British ''Vogue'' and European editorial director of Condé Nast. He was appointed fashion director of the ...

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...

Naomi Campbell Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of '' Vogue ...

and Sarah Mower.

Awards

* Global Style Icon Awards 2020 - Fashionpreneur of the year * The Business Executive Award - She Achiever Award 2020 * 40 Influential Business Leaders Award 2018 * 20 under 40 Influential Business Leaders Award 2017 * Ghana Feminine Awards * Africa Leadership Hall of Fame (NYC) * World Fashion 4 Development Program (WF4D) Leadership Award * Women Leadership Award Woman 2.1 * 2013 Game Changer Honors *2019 - ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Personal life

Annan lives with her mother and her son Allain in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, Ghana.

References

External links

Roberta Annan speaks at TEDX East Legon

Roberta Annan on Investing in Africa's Creative

Roberta Annan at UNEP

Change Agents: Using Technology, Funds to Leapfrog Luxury in Africa

Annan Capital Partners: What We Do
{{DEFAULTSORT:Annan, Roberta Akan people 1982 births A 21st-century Ghanaian businesswomen 21st-century Ghanaian businesspeople Living people Georgetown University alumni Ghanaian chief executives People from Accra