Have you booked your ticket for our End of Year 2023 Career and Business Meetup in Kronberg im Taunus Germany? Meet the Speakers, Panelists, Moderators and the Facilitators of the event. >>Click here to book for your ticket now!
Key Note Speakers |
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EDITH OTIENDE-LAWANI (KEY NOTE SPEAKER)
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Topic: Unlocking the Potentials of Africans and Diaspora Organisations in Diaspora |
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Edith Otiende-Lawani is a legal practitioner originating from Kenya. Her passion for defending human rights led her in 2006 to Germany, where she later joined Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich in to study law. After qualifying as a Lawyer, she did her legal internship „Referendariat“ with the Higher Regional Court „Oberlandesgericht“ Munich and various administrative authorities. Since 2011, she´s been working with legal firms majorly in the field of compliance, criminal law, immigration law, corporate law, employment law and administrative law. Through her social engagements with NGOs and public sectors active in development cooperation, she was inspired to found the association « Giving Africa a New Face e.V. » in 2017, which aims at promoting sustainable partnerships between Germany and Africa, as well as inclusive socio-political structures in Germany. The demand for promoting German-African B2B Partnership prompted the foundation of her company „The Bridge Consulting“, which brings Start-Ups and SMEs with Investors together, within Germany and between Germany and Africa. GAaNF is also a beneficiary of the PMD funding programmes from the German organisation funding Vereine to do projects back home. Ms Otiende-Lawani is also very active in politics where she holds various positions within her Party, and aspires to create reforms especially as regarding development, refugee and migration policies. |
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THOMAS KALUNGE (KEYNOTE SPEAKER)
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Topic: Transforming Remittances & Exploring Transational Entrepreneurship for Sustainabile Development |
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Remittances can be turned from consumption to investment resources that generate income and create long-term benefits for remittance-receiving households and their communities. Thomas is an expert in innovation management, entrepreneurship, and certified design thinking. He, in the past, adopted a user-centric approach to help governmental agencies implement digital strategies for strategic communication, such as migration and policy. Thomas has also worked with multinational corporations to optimize processes, harmonize operations, opportunity exploration and manage digital transformation projects. Thomas is a highly skilled professional who currently works as an expert in Service/Product Innovation and Business Strategy at Infosys Consulting. In his role, he provides valuable guidance to clients seeking to revamp their product/service portfolio or business strategy. He strives to create new and innovative customer value propositions that align with sustainable practices, ensuring that his clients are able to stay ahead of the curve in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Thomas believes that although remittances are mostly used for consumption, they can be turned into investment resources that generate income and create long-term benefits for remittance-receiving households and their communities. Thomas holds a Masters in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship Business/Managerial Economics. from Technical University in Berlin. |
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NATALIE SCHROGL (KEY NOTE SPEAKER) Lead Management Consultant |
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Overcoming Barriers and Leveraging Strengths for Leadership Success as an African in Germany |
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| Natalie Schrogl is a recognized expert in human-centered leadership, with over 10 years of experience successfully leading diverse teams in the banking and finance sector. Having held the position of the Branch Manager for Targo Bank for over 10 year in Germany, Natalie is now leverageing her extensive knowledge of how technology has transformed work and leadership to help organizations optimize productivity and efficiency while prioritizing the needs and experiences of their employees. Natalie is the Founder of the Interface Leadership (www.interface-leadership.com) Natalie is a graduate from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management. |
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KIZITO ODHIAMBO (KEY NOTE SPEAKER)CEO & Founder of agriBORA www.agribora.com
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Transforming Farming in African countries through Technology |
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| Kizito Odhiambo is the CEO & Founder of agriBORA. Based in Europe and Kenya, agriBORA is an agri-fin-tech balancing the use of technology and human touch to de-risk smallholder agriculture systems, improve farm productivity and facilitate effective trading in collaboration with our partners in Europe, the US, and Africa. Kizito studied Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. “We are building an end-to-end ecosystem around farmers bringing farming inputs, financial services and output market closer to them in a way that makes the process affordable, convenient and reliable for not only the farmers, but their business partners. I dream of an African continent, that can feed itself and be self-sufficient during my generation". Kizito Odhiambo |
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RACHAEL OKONG'O (KEY NOTE SPEAKER)
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Unveiling the journey of a migrant child and embracing diversity within the German Education System
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Rachael Okongo is a passionate educator and a teacher based in Berlin who came to Germany in the late 90s to for studies and wears several hats. She did her Studienkolleg, degrees in pharmacy and later Biology and specialised in Evolution Biodiversity at the Freie Universität Berlin. While studying Biology she started working as a student assistant for her professor, who then employed her as a mentor for the incoming foreign students. After graduation she worked for several years as a research scientist first with her professor, and later other workgroups before she followed the call to teach younger children as she wanted to understand why most young women who landed at the university failed to succeed in their studies because of the aversion to mathematics. She currently works as a teacher at primary school and at the university of Potsdam as a mentor for Education students. In her free time she is an activist fighting to get the BIPOC children get their rights in schools and does projects on this with the University of San Fransisco amongst others. Her books targeting black children readers and parents will be available for sale by December 2023. |
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Panelists |
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KEVIN MACHINE (PANELIST)My Career Path in Finance in USA and in Germany |
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Mr. Machine has extensive experience in investment management distribution and operations within the financial services industry. He currently works at Allianz Global Investors in Frankfurt, Germany. He previously worked in the asset and wealth management divisions of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, New York Life Insurance Company, Dreman Value Management and Deutsche Bank in New York, USA.
Mr. Machine is also a co-founder and President of Swahili Cultural Institute Inc., a language and culture non-profit organization that promotes Swahili and African culture and heritage.Before relocating abroad, he was a lecturer where he taught German Language in various institutions in Nairobi. He has previously been retained as a Swahili Linguist by a US federal contractor. Mr. Machine holds a FinTech Certificate from Columbia Engineering, an MBA in International Management from Nürtingen-Geislingen University in Germany and a B.Ed. (Arts) degree in German as a Foreign Language from Kenyatta University. He is a recipient of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarship. He has a passion for golf, chess, arts, languages and different cultures.
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DR. ANNE MBIRI SALAKO (PANELIST)
My career path in Germany: PhD Analytical Chemistry |
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Dr. Mbiri is an Analytical chemist currently working at Agrolab Gmbh. I came to Germany for a PhD in Chemistry through DAAD Bi-nationally supervised program. After completion, went back to Kenya and continued teaching at Technical University of Mombasa. Then moved back to Germany last year to pursue my interest in the area of environmental pollution remediation and energy production. Am passionate about Science especially Chemistry, making new friends and mentoring upcoming young scientists.
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CHEGE KURIA (Panelist)
My career path in Germany: Biotechnologist, Vaccinologist & PhD Candidate in Immunogenetics |
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| Chege is a biotechnologist by training and holds a postgraduate diploma in Health Research Methods, along with a master's degree in Vaccinology and Drug Development. Three years ago, he relocated to Germany to pursue his doctoral training in immunology. His specific interest lies in the intersection of wetlab science and vaccine development. Chege firmly believes in the human capital present on the African continent and aims to apply his expertise to enhance biomedical research, with a particular focus on advancing vaccine and drug development in the region. |
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SAMUEL KANYI (PANELIST)My Career Path in Finance in Germany |
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| Sam is a finance professional working in Volkswagen Group’s mergers and acquisitions department. Having worked 4 years in Kenya in various finance roles, he decided to move to Germany to study a Master of Finance Course at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in 2016. He thereafter served in investment banking at Duff & Phelps, before taking on multiple roles at Carl Zeiss AG’s corporate development department. He is passionate about finance, learning about different cultures, and exchanging experiences with Kenyans abroad. |
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Noel SanyaMy Career Path from Kenya to Germany as a Mechatronic Engineer |
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| Noel Sanya is a mechatronic engineer and a robotics enthusiast. He works in machine building as an automation programmer. Noel is also a writer and editor and works for the Nairobi based Enkare Review. |
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JAMES DENIS KIPKOSGEI (PANELIST)My Career Path in Finance in Germany |
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| James is a holder of M. Sc. degree in Business mathematics (Actuarial Science+management ). He did a three-month attachment at National Bank of Kenya. For a duration of 1 year 9 months gathered work experience working as a student at CEVA logistic Frankfurt in Finance department. James later joined Ernst & Young an an intern and is now full ime at the Insurance Risk and Actuarial services at Ernst and Young. |
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PETER NYATENG (PANELIST)My Career Path from an agronomist to Senior Account Manager, weaving success from Kenya to GermanyPeter is a renowned sustainable food system expert who has crafted prosperity in Controlled Environment Agriculture for farmers, NGOs, and the private sector. Peter's passion lies in constructing Africa's thriving Agribusiness ventures and fostering formidable partnership geared towards driving SDGs—Zero Hunger, No Poverty, and Climate Action. Through collaborative initiatives, he sprouts thousands of sustainable agribusinesses in Africa. He is an Afrika Kommt alumni at SAP SE, where he worked as a business developer for Agribusiness solutions. Peter now commands key accounts at Vali Consulting GmbH. |
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HILLARY BETT (PANELIST)My Career Path in Finance in Germany |
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| Having graduated with a Bachelor in Actuarial Science from University of Eldoret in Kenya, Hillary successfully secured a scholarship Nasdaq OMX for a master degree course in Finance at Central European University, Budapest in Hungary. After graduating, he joined Exxonmobil in accounting and reporting where he got the first experience in Europe as a Financial Controller. Later I joined BASF and currently working at KWS Berlin Berlin. | |
Facilitators, Moderators & Kids corner |
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Caroline Mwangi |
George Gacheru |
Susan Dettmer |
Boniface Mwangi |
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| Joy Wendo | Collins Ronoh | Cyrus Robiro | Akinyi Bittner |
About AG-Career Hub
AG-Career Hub founded by Kenyan Professionals based in Germany is an information and consulting platform with a key focus of establishing linkages to facilitate partnerships and collaborations with companies, universities and diaspora communities in Germany and in Africa.
The organisation was founded in 2018 and it is the largest network for Kenyan Professionals in Germany. Together with our team and a pool of experts and mentors we create linkage in academia and business between Germany and Kenya, mentor, coach, train young professionals and share career and business opportunities in Germany and in Africa. The community is made up of companies, students and professionals who studied, trained, worked in Germany or are in self employment and some have relocated back to their countries of origin. Read more about our work here: https://www.ag-careerhub.com/about-us/our-profile