Arkebe Oqubay is an Ethiopian Senior Minister, Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg, and an Overseas Development Institute Distinguished Fellow. He has been at the centre of policymaking for over 25 years. He is the former mayor of Addis Ababa, winner of the Best African Mayor of 2005, and finalist in the World Mayor Award 2005, for transforming the city. He is a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star presented by the Emperor of Japan. He currently serves as board chair of several leading public organizations and international advisory boards. He is an ODI Distinguished Fellow and a research associate at the Centre of African Studies in the University of London, and holds a PhD in development studies from SOAS, University of London. He was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2016, and a 'leading thinker on Africa's strategic development' by the NewAfrican, for his work, both theoretical and practical, on industrial policies.
Fiona Tregenna holds the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Industrial Development and is a Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge. Fiona is a part-time Member of the Competition Tribunal where she adjudicates competition (anti-trust) cases, and serves on a number of boards, advisory panels and councils, including the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. She consults to various research institutes and international organizations such as UNIDO, UNCTAD, and the ILO. Her primary research interest is in issues of structural change, deindustrialization, and industrial development.
Imraan Valodia is Professor of Economics and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand. His research interests include inequality, competition policy, employment, the informal economy, gender and economic policy, and industrial development. He has led the initiative at Wits to establish the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies - a multi-disciplinary, cross-country initiative to promote research and policy change to promote greater equality in the global South. Imraan also leads the SCIS. He has led and participated in a number of large national and international studies. He is recognised nationally and internationally for his research expertise in economic development. He is a part-time member of the Competition Tribunal in South Africa, a commissioner of National Minimum Wage Commission, and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf) Standing Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality.