Hailemariam Desalegn
His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn is a former Prime Minister of Ethiopia. He served in that role from August 2012 following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi until April 2018. Previously, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Social Affairs Minister and Government Chief-Whip. He also served as Governor of the Southern Regional State for six years. Born in 1965, he holds a Civil Engineering degree from Addis Ababa University. In 1990 he won a scholarship to Tampere University of Technology in Finland, earning a Master’s degree in Water and Environmental Engineering. He also earned a second Master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in California, USA in 2006. He was the first leader in modern Ethiopian history to step down voluntarily. With annual economic growth rates averaging over 10% during his tenure as Prime Minister, he viewed his resignation as vital in the bid to conduct reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy. After leaving office, Hailemariam co-founded and is the chairperson of Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, which focuses on mother and child healthcare, prevention of non- communicable diseases, nutrition and climate smart agriculture and conservation-based ecotourism. Currently, he is chairperson of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and serves on the boards of Tourism Ethiopia, International Crisis Group (ICG), The Brenthurst Foundation, and the Global Steering Committee for the Campaign for Nature.
