Our AECIT team comprises of reputable academic experts, industry leaders, and policy influencers.
Executive Director
The executive director is responsible for the daily management of Centre. The first executive director of AECIT is Dr Stefan Schepers, visiting professor European Studies at Henley Business School (UK).
Professor Dr. Stefan Schepers
Stefan Schepers is executive director of the independent tripartite High-Level Groups on Policy Innovation (www.highlevelgroup.eu), one of which is focusing on more inclusive and sustainable trade policy making and the partnership between the AU and EU. He is visiting professor at Henley Business School (Reading, UK) and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
He was director general of the European Institute of Public Administration (Maastricht, NL) and chairman of EPPA (www.eppa.com). His work in recent years focused on policy innovation, governance modernization and European-African interdependence.
His recent publications are:
Revolutionising EU Innovation Policy, 2016 (co-editor Klaus Gretschmann), Innovation, Governance and Entrepreneurship in Middle Income Countries, 2017 (co-editor Sefer Sener).
Faculty
AECIT works with faculty from Henley Business Schools in Europe and Africa, and with invited faculty from other centres of research and learning in both continents. It invites experienced practitioners to share their knowledge from governance and business.
AEAC
Dr. Adeyinka Adewale is a Lecturer and the Deputy Director of Studies in the department of Leadership Organisations and Behaviour at the Henley Business School. He is the convenor of the Africa Social Innovators Roundtable, an initiative that aims to connect key innovation ecosystem stakeholders with a new generation of African innovators to build sustainable enterprises that will ensure the economic growth and welfare of Africans. His research is primarily Africa focused looking into innovative leadership models and approaches to business ethics in entrepreneurship on the continent. Adeyinka has published his works in renowned management textbooks, journals and practitioner platforms such as Forbes. He regularly consults to private, public and social sector stakeholders across Africa.
Dr. Adeyinka Adewale
Lead faculty for entrepreneurship and capacity acceleration
Professor of International Business and Strategy at the Henley Business School (UK)
He is also Guest Professor at CIRCLE (Lund University, Sweden) and a Research Fellow of Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano (Italy). His publications have appeared in leading journals. He has been involved in a number of international collaborative research projects and acted as an advisor to the European Commission and other international organizations. Davide is also Director of Postgraduate Research Studies within the International Business and Strategy unit. He is a member of the independent tripartite High-Level Group on Trade Policy Innovation (Brussels, B).
Dr. Davide Castellani
Lead faculty for entrepreneurship and capacity acceleration
Academic Director for the Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship (UK), Professor of Management and Business History, Programme Director for the MSc Entrepreneurship and Management Andrew Godley is Head of the School of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour. He joined the University of Reading in 1991 after completing his PhD at the London School of Economics (UK). His research focusses on the economics of entrepreneurship and innovation. He has been a consultant to several leading firms and government departments and is a frequent commentator in the broadcast and written media on industry trends.
Dr. Andrew Godley
Dr Yemisi Bolade-Ogunfodun is a Fellow in the Department of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour at the Henley Business School (UK). Her research focuses on a cultural understanding of diverse and multinational organisational contexts as well as implications for organisational performance. This is a major aspect for the functioning of the future AfCFTA and for a future Partnership with the EU.
Her collaborative research projects have examined the role of culture in African entrepreneurship and management. As Academic Director of the Henley’s Open Online Programme (Managing People) and the Programme Director of the Post Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (PGCBA, Pharmacy), she contributes to building capacity in organisational leaders and members, towards creating enabling environments for a productive and engaged collaborators.
Dr Yemisi Bolade-Ogunfodun
Member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) and before of the President’s BEE Advisory Council, with special responsibility for rural and township economies and for small business strategies.
Chairman of the South African Finance Exchange (SAFE). Former director of the Centre for Small Business Development at the University of Johannesburg, former professor of entrepreneurship at the Universities of Fort Hare and Western Cape.
Thami Mazwai studied at the Universities of Pretoria (SA), Oxford (UK) and Harvard (USA) and has an MBA from Henley Business School (UK). He was twice imprisoned for his opposition to apartheid. He worked as a journalist and set up his own publishing company. He was one of three founders of African Renaissance in 1998, involving African intellectuals from the continent and the diaspora. His expertise is wide but focussed on helping SME and township start-ups. He is a board member of the Sukuma Relief Fund to deal with the covid-crisis economic consequences.
Dr. Thami Mazwai
Research Assistant
Research assistant for the project; 'A new narrative about interactions Africa-Europe', a project of the independent tripartite High Level Group on Partnership Africa-Europe, in view of the Summit in 2022, which was attributed to AECIT'
Oladiran Oladesu
