Dennis Matanda

Dennis Matanda, Ph.D. Chief Executive, Morgenthau Stirling, Inc, & Adj. Professor of American Politics + International Business

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Dennis is Chief Executive of Morgenthau Stirling, Inc., a Washington, DC-based public affairs firm that leverages data-driven insights & strategies to promote U.S. direct investment abroad (USDIA) to Africa. He was one of the first African Staff Directors of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights. Before that, he served as an Advisor on Strategic Communication to the Chief Executive of the Trade & Development Bank (TDB) and International Advisor on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia. Before moving back to Africa, Dennis was Head of Government Affairs at Manchester Trade, Inc. and transitioned to support the African Union, African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), the Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA), USAID, and the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS). Dr. Matanda has worked extensively on trade & investment policy in 40+ developed and developing countries, and is proficient at designing strategic communication and engagement programs. He facilitated AfCFTA negotiations in Niger, the Gambia and Sierra Leone, designed export promotion strategies for COMESA & ECOWAS, and initiated a 2-year multi-stakeholder campaign to ensure AGOA 2.0. passed in 2015. Before relocating to the United States, Dennis was Director of Business Development at InterSwitch and Group General Manager of the TERP Group where he designed Brand Uganda’s Gifted by Nature campaign. Before his pivot to branding, he sold ICT solutions at Celtel/Airtel and Uganda Telecom. A prolific reader, writer, publisher, and researcher, Dennis has under-grad, graduate and post-graduate degrees in International Relations, Diplomatic Studies, American Politics, and International Business. He also has an impressive array of broadcast engineering, copy writing, aerial photography, and audio-visual production skills

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