Natznet Tesfay, Executive Director, Africa Analysis, Economics and Country Risk, IHS Markit

Ms. Natznet Tesfay is executive director of research and analysis on country risk at IHS Markit, focused on Africa. Her areas of specialization include analysis of political developments affecting the offshore energy sector in West Africa, particularly Nigeria; commercial developments, especially in mining, energy, and infrastructure in East Africa; and piracy risks in the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Guinea. Ms. Tesfay leads development of the Africa 'All Source' Open Source (OSINT) inputs and risk indicator and horizon scanning infrastructure, drawing on a range of indicators and analytics methodologies, such as geospatial analysis and scenario modeling techniques. She works closely with clients on tailored country entry and risk management projects in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Previously, while working at Exclusive Analysis, she had advised on the development of free trade zones, foreign policy and the mining sector in the Horn of Africa. Ms. Tesfay's degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African Studies from Harvard University in the United States, and a Master of Science in Urbanization and Development from the London School of Economics (LSE), United Kingdom.