Masterclass in Leadership & Entrepreneurship: Unlocking the Cashew Value Chain

Jean Rostand JIADIAIS KAMGA is a consultant specializing in strategy, management, organizational development, governance, and business development, with more than 25 years of professional experience across West, Central, and East Africa. He holds an MBA in Financial and Strategic Management from EuroAmerican International University, Miami, USA; a Master’s degree in marketing and Strategy from the University of Poitiers (IAE), France; and a degree from the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC). He began his career in financial auditing with Ernst & Young and Baker Tilly Cameroon before moving into senior management positions within leading regional institutions. He served as Deputy Secretary General of INADES-Formation International and subsequently as Director of Operations at CORAF/WECARD for nine years, where he led efforts that mobilized more than USD 500 million from international development partners.

Since 2014, as head of JRK Management & Governance, he has supported executives, cooperatives, SMEs, and institutions in strategic planning, project financial structuring, and the strengthening of leadership and governance capacities. His work has notably included coaching executives of pan-African and regional organizations and institutions, including UEMOA, FIRCA, and MPME, as well as training senior managers and Boards of Directors on their responsibilities and leadership roles during periods of organizational change or crisis.

He has extensive and recognized hands-on expertise in the cashew sector. As a member of the network of Master Trainers for the cashew sector in West Africa, he has trained coordination teams involved in cashew value chain capacity-building, facilitated the validation of the National Cashew Research Programme, and supported the Cotton, Cashew and Shea Council (CCAK-Côte d’Ivoire) on several organizational restructuring and strategic planning assignments. He also supports capacity development for interprofessional organizations and is currently contributing to the development of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.

His experience working with the target audience of this masterclass is well established. He has trained women entrepreneurs in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea in business plan development and financial inclusion and has coached young entrepreneurs and SMEs in preparing bankable financing proposals through assignments supported by COLEAD/COLEACP, USDA/MOCA-CNFA, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.

An experienced facilitator of workshops and international conferences with events involving up to 250 participants from 17 to 50 countries, Jean Rostand JIADIAIS KAMGA is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and is bilingual in French and English.