Senior Partner, SouthBridge Group
Dr. Frannie Léautier is a globally respected development expert with over 25 years of professional experience. She has extensive Africa and global working knowledge from both public and private sectors, including strong managerial experience in complex multilateral institutions. She is currently Senior Partner at SouthBridge Group. Previously, she was Executive Director of Asset Management & Special Advisor at the Trade and Development Bank. She has also served as Senior Vice President at the African Development Bank since May 9, 2016. Dr. Léautier is also the Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founding Partner at Mkoba Private Equity Fund and the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer at Mkoba LLC.
Dr. Léautier has been recognized for her innovative projects in the water and energy sectors and her consolidation of World Bank investments in the transport sector. She serves as a Co-Chair for WEF Africa and is the Director of the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank. She serves on the MIT OpenCourseWare Advisory Board, as a Non-Executive Director at the PTA Bank, and as a member of the Word Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the New Economic Agenda. She is a Founding Board Member of the Nelson Mandela Institute for Science & Technology and the Journal of Infrastructure Systems, a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of African Trade, and a member of the Board at UONGOZI Institute.
Dr. Léautier was the Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) from 2009 to 2013. She founded the Fezembat Group and served as its Managing Partner from 2007 to 2009. She also served as Vice President and the Head of the World Bank Institute from 2001 to 2007. From 2000 to 2001, she was Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President of the World Bank.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Léautier joined and served at the World Bank from 1992 to 1994 as a transport economist in the Infrastructure Division of the Latin American Region, where she received an award for excellence in the design of infrastructure projects in Peru. She was a research economist for development economics at the World Bank Group from 1994 to 1995. She was then promoted to Senior Economist in the Infrastructure Division of the World Bank’s South Asia Division and worked extensively in six Asian countries from 1995 to 1997, where she helped to build a cohesive team to deliver on infrastructure projects. She served as Senior Director of Infrastructure for the Asia Division of the World Bank from 1997 to 1999.
Dr. Léautier received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Dar es Salaam, a master’s degree in transportation from MIT in 1986, and a PhD in infrastructure systems from MIT in 1990. She also graduated from Harvard University’s Executive Program. In 2013 she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from North Central College in Naperville, IL, in recognition of her contribution to Africa’s development.