Witney Schneidman

Has 40 years of experience working across Sub-Saharan Africa and is the current senior international advisor for Africa at Covington & Burling LLP. Witney was the co-chair of the Africa Experts Group and a member of the Presidential Transition Team. During the Clinton Administration, Witney served as deputy assistant secretary of state for African Affairs responsible for economic and commercial issues in Sub-Saharan Africa as his responsibilities included the passage and implementation of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, coordinating the US-SADC forum, the US-Angola Bilateral Consultative Commission and the US-Nigeria Joint Economic Forum. Witney is on the trade Advisory Committee on Africa Office of the US Trade Representative, Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee, US Export- Import Bank and Africa Program Advisory Board at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

US economic diplomacy in Africa Development Finance for Africa has been strategic under the Trump Administration; will it change under the Biden Administration? – Reading more about your background, I read you graduated with an M.A. in international relations from the University of Dar es Salam Tanzania, what led you there?