Advisory Board Members

Professor Landry Signé is a world-renowned professor and leading practitioner who has won over seventy prestigious awards and distinctions globally for his academic, policy, business, and leadership accomplishments. He has received the fastest reported tenure and promotion to the highest rank of full professor in the history of the U.S. universities in his discipline. He is the Managing Director and Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Senior Fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program and the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution, Distinguished Fellow at Stanford University’s Centre for African Studies, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Agile Governance, and the World Economic Forum’s Regional Action Group for Africa, among others. He is also chairman of the Global Network for Africa’s Prosperity, senior adviser to top global leaders (presidential, ministerial, and C-suite levels), and author of numerous books, including Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential (Brookings Institution Press), Innovating Development Strategies in Africa: The Role of International, Regional and National Actors (Cambridge University Press), African Development, African Transformation: How Institutions Shape Development Strategy, (Cambridge University Press). Professor Signé’s achievements have been recognized internationally with dozens of distinctions for his accomplishments as an extraordinary professor, prolific author, cutting-edge scholar, influential public intellectual, exemplary and dedicated academic leader, innovative entrepreneur, sought-after strategic thinker, problem-solver, board member, and keynote speaker. He was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader for “finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues,” an Andrew Carnegie Fellow for being one of the “most creative thinkers,” a Desmond Tutu Fellow for driving “the transformation of Africa,” a Woodrow Wilson Public Policy Fellow for “preeminent scholarship uniting the world of ideas to the world of policy,” and one of JCI’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the World for “extraordinary achievements and dedication exemplifying the best attributes and leadership in academia.” He has won numerous academic awards, including the American Political Science Association Campus Teaching Award, the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Academic Research and Creative Activity, and over a dozen of teaching awards. As a pioneer in Silicon Valley, he is the first to have taught at Stanford an award-winning course presenting Africa as a continent of economic opportunities (Emerging African Markets: Strategies, Investments and Government Affairs), and received the Stanford Center for African Studies Distinguished Leadership Award for “innovative teaching, outstanding mentorship and exceptional service to the community.” In addition, he has been on numerous global boards and councils, and has been a visiting scholar or has taught globally, including at the universities of Oxford, Stanford, Georgetown, Montreal, Ottawa, Witwatersrand, among others. He often engages with global policymakers and business leaders to bridge the world of ideas and practice, has testified before the U.S. Senate and the U.S. International Trade Commission, as well as briefed top global leaders. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, CNBC, Forbes, the Hill, and Harvard International Review, among others. Professor Landry Signé was born in Cameroon, and grew up in Cameroon, France, and Canada before coming to the United States. He also spent time in the United Kingdom, and has traveled all over the world, which led him to explore many of the most innovative and diverse countries, shaping his vision of the world. Professor Signé was educated in Cameroon (with honors and distinction; Vogt College), in France (valedictorian and salutatorian; University of Lyon 3, Sciences Po Paris, Sandar Institute), in Canada (received a series of awards and fellowships for the best doctoral performance; University of Montreal and McGill University), earned his PhD from the University of Montreal (awarded the Best International PhD Dissertation), and completed his postdoctoral studies at Stanford University (Banting fellowship for best and brightest researchers internationally). He has also completed executive business and leadership programs at the University of Oxford Saïd School of Business and Harvard Kennedy School. His adventurous life experiences have also transcended into his love for thrill-seeking hobbies from walking safaris with gorillas and cheetahs to skydiving, shark diving and more.