Dr. Andrew E. Temu (PhD) is a retired Professor from The Department of Agricultural Economics and Agri-business, Sokoine University of Agriculture, where he taught for 32 years. Andrew has in the past served as a trainer at The Horticulture Research Institute, Tengeru, Tanzania during late 1980s; as a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for African Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign-USA in 1998/99 and as a Visiting Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, USA from 2003 to 2005. He has also been a manager for the SADC Food Security Training Programme component that addressed Extension Workers human resource development in the 14 member countries. Andrew has extensive knowledge in the appraisal of agri-business projects and in agricultural finance, privatisation, divestiture of agricultural parastatals, private sector development and in the design, analysis and evaluation of agricultural policies and strategies. Andrew also has substantial experience in developing and directing rural development and policy management courses.
Andrew has researched, published and provided consultancy services in a wide range of areas related to agricultural production, marketing, trade and rural development. Key thematic areas include: private agriculture sector development, performance of rural and agricultural financial institutions, agricultural marketing and value chain analyses, assessment of the emergence and trade performance of high value agricultural products in sub-Sahara Africa, innovations for linking farmers to markets and Aid for Trade in agriculture. Considering the significant role that aid plays in developing agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, Andrew has developed a special interest in research on the effectiveness of donor funded agricultural development programmes.
Andrew is the Founding Chairman of Diligent Consulting Ltd. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Private Agricultural Sector Support (PASS) Trust, a board member of the Africa Guarantee Fund, a Board member of the Africa Agribusiness Academy, a board of the CRDB Microfinance Services Co, a subsidiary of CRDB Bank PLC Ltd. Andrew has a BSc. in Agriculture from Sokoine University of Agriculture-Tanzania, a MSc. in Agricultural Economics from Reading University-UK, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from The London University-UK.
Mr. Benson Mahenya is a director of PASS and chairs the Board Audit Committee.
Mr. Benson Mahenya is a Tanzanian Certified Public Accountant in Public Practise (ACPA – PP) with more than twenty years of experience in audit, banking, finance, management and accounting. Benson has worked in different capacities with various local and international organisations.
Benson trained for his articles with PricewaterhouseCoopers, before joining the banking industry. He started off his banking career with Standard Chartered Bank as a Management Accountant before joining Bank ABC as Director of Finance and Administration and later on as Deputy Director of Finance with National Microfinance Bank. Prior to establishing his private practise in 2008 Benson worked with T-MARC, an international health NGO as their first Director of Finance and Administration.
Benson is a member of the Institute of Directors Tanzania. He also holds a M.Sc. in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland and an MBA in Marketing as well as B.Com. Finance (Hons - 1st Class) from the University of Dar es Salaam. Benson was the winner of the National Junior Mathematics Contest for the year 1986.
Currently Benson is the Managing Partner of BM Associates overseeing both auditing and advisory services with a diverse clientele base covering both private and public sectors.
Born in Mwanza, Tanzania on 6th September 1952, Mr Gedi holds a Bsc. Agriculture and Msc. Food Technology degrees. He has also attended a number of short professional courses in post-harvest, food quality and safety, business development and on leadership.
Mr. Gedi has vast experience in Agro- industry and more so in post- harvest food technologies. He started as a tutor in the field in 1976 at Ilonga Agriculture Training Institute, which he headed in 1980-81 before turning into a consultant in 1982. For the Over 40 years as a consultant/advisor he carried out various assignments ranging from planning of primary production of crops, handling, storage, processing and marketing. He has also taken job as receiver manager of companies for liquidation/divestiture. Appraisal and evaluations studies done have covered commodities such as cotton, cashew and sisal, oil seeds, food grains, fruits and vegetables, beverages, fishery, dairy and meat products. From 1996- September 2012 he was working as national expert food technology, assisting in training and support of entrepreneurs (SMEs) in food processing, safety and quality management. The job involved helping trainees to set-up own enterprises and on achieving quality production under cleaner environment. He has also provided capacity building services to SMEs in food processing in Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Malawi. Gedi is also served as chairman of CODEX -Tanzania Committee; and currently to the National Food Fortification Alliance; Tanzania Honey Council and is Member of the Board of Trustees of Private Agriculture Sector Support Trust. He is director and chairman of Traceability Tanzania Limited.
Peter Shao is a freelance consultant in Innovative Finance with bias in Agriculture and Rural Development. He retired from public service in 2011 having worked with the banking sector for 35 years. After retirement he had short term consultancies with Enclude and CABI International in assessing performance of Community Banks in Tanzania and information need of smallholder farmers respectively. He is currently doing consultancy work with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) deep diving in Innovative Finance and Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers
With his first degree in Agriculture from the University of Dar es Salaam, (now SUA) and Masters in Agriculture and Rural Development he spent all his time linking the agricultural sector with the banking sector through developing financial products and services to meet the unique agricultural sector value chain gaps. He worked with the restructured National Bank of Commerce promoting financing to the agricultural sector from the level of production to marketing, processing and export at various capacities, up to the level of Zonal Director. At the National Microfinance Bank, he gained the touch of microfinance approach and led the rolling out of the products as Zonal Manager in Northern and Southern Highlands Zones before moving to Head Office as Senior Manager of Microfinance and SACCOS department.
Jennifer Baarn is currently the Deputy CEO of the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor (SAGCOT) Centre Ltd. The SAGCOT Public Private Partnership has close to 100 partners, who jointly pledged over USD 1 billion in inclusive public and private investments in Tanzanian’s Southern Corridor. SAGCOT Partners target to bring 350,000 Ha into profitable production and lift 2 million people out of poverty by building inclusive and sustainable agriculture value chains. Jennifer Baarn is an experienced professional in the development and facilitation of international public-private partnerships (PPPs), with a particular focus on the role of partnerships in agriculture as drivers of economic growth. Prior to joining the SAGCOT Centre, Jennifer was an Associate Director at the World Economic Forum (WEF) where she helped develop the WEF’s New Vision for Agriculture initiative. Jennifer spent a number of years in financial services at Rabobank International, identifying growth opportunities in food and agribusiness and developing key insights into the agricultural sector. A South American who has lived in Europe and holds a passion for Africa, Jennifer brings knowledge and experience from around the globe to apply in furthering the objectives of SAGCOT. At the SAGCOT Centre Ltd, she is responsible for Communication, Operation & Events and the management and facilitation of SAGCOT Partners.
Ms. Lucy Henry Sondo, who is one of the top notch lawyers in Tanzania, is the founding Partner of Abenry & Company, Advocates. Lucy has got extensive experience in commercial law, project finance, banking and securitization, capital markets, mergers & acquisition, private public partnerships, energy, mining and telecommunication law. Her exposure in project finance, banking and regulatory matters and practice is an added advantage to PASS.
Lucy Sondo is recognised as a lawyer with "plenty of hands-on experience," and has been rated in Chambers Global "The World's Leading Lawyers for Business", for a number of years. In Chambers Global 2013 Lucy was described as "very dedicated to her work" and "knows the marketplace well," and is especially well regarded for her knowledge of electricity and infrastructure matters. She has also been described in Chambers Global 2014 as "very commercially minded and responsive", and in Chambers Global 2015 as a person who is "widely praised for her "strong commitment to delivery for clients, and valuable experience" in energy, regulatory and capital markets matters. Market commentators say: "Lucy is an excellent navigator of the intricacies of local practices and always cheerful and pleasurable to work with."
Mr. Benson Mahenya is a Tanzanian Certified Public Accountant in Public Practise (ACPA – PP) with more than twenty years of experience in audit, banking, finance, management and accounting. Benson has worked in different capacities with various local and international organisations.
Benson trained for his articles with PricewaterhouseCoopers, before joining the banking industry. He started off his banking career with Standard Chartered Bank as a Management Accountant before joining Bank ABC as Director of Finance and Administration and later on as Deputy Director of Finance with National Microfinance Bank. Prior to establishing his private practise in 2008 Benson worked with T-MARC, an international health NGO as their first Director of Finance and Administration.
Benson is a member of the Institute of Directors Tanzania. He also holds a M.Sc. in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland and an MBA in Marketing as well as B.Com. Finance (Hons - 1st Class) from the University of Dar es Salaam. Benson was the winner of the National Junior Mathematics Contest for the year 1986.
Currently Benson is the Managing Partner of BM Associates overseeing both auditing and advisory services with a diverse clientele base covering both private and public sectors.
Anna Chonjo-Mariki is a Partner at Rex Attorneys (“the Firm” or “Rex”), one of the leading Law Firms in Tanzania. At the Firm, Anna heads the Labour and Employment Department and is one of the team leaders in the Corporate Commercial Department.
Anna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, LL.B from University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – December, 2007; and a Master’s Degree (LL.M) from University of South Wales (formerly University of Glamorgan) – September, 2010. She undertook her bar exam and was admitted to the bar of Tanzania mainland as an advocate by the Chief Justice of Tanzania on the 10th of August, 2011.
Anna has vast experience in transactional work as she predominantly focuses on corporate commercial transactions, labour and employment, competition, telecommunication, legislation reviews and reforms, mergers and acquisitions. In the course of her legal practice, Anna advised on multimillion dollar transactions for corporate entities such as Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company, Airtel Tanzania, Helios Towers Tanzania Limited, HTT Infaco Tanzania Limited, CRDB Bank PLC Tanzania, The Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS). Others include, ECOBANK Tanzania, LETSHEGO Bank, FUCHS Petrolube to mention a few.
Anna is also an investment advisor for Epitome Group – VICOBA Investment Scheme that was established in 2017. Her role includes researching, analyzing and proposing investment opportunities for the group and its members.
For leisure, Anna enjoys travel and discovering world cuisine.
