Elise Deeqa Mugabo

Providing equitable access to swimming training and resources for Rwandan youth, Ishyaka Swim Club is a Rwandan NGO that aims to also facilitate access to the direct and indirect benefits and opportunities that sport may provide. Supported by the U.S. 501(c)(3) "Friends of Ishyaka" (IRS approval pending), we look to grow our team, and overall swimming competitiveness in Rwanda.

Operations & Strategy Consultant, supporting multi-market entity operationalization and organizational effectiveness across Sub-Saharan Africa

Imagine We Rwanda aims to change the reading culture in Rwanda, and give voice to Rwandan authors and their stories. The authors do the real magic, and I help shape the magic a smidge.

*Work closely with Chief Grants Management Officer (CGMO) and the newly formed Grants Management Department (GMD) to lead and execute key grant management reform workstreams, differentiation of grant management processes, and drive Gavi 6.0 two-year grant cycle alignment project. *Working with KMTS team, translate process requirements into new Grants Management System, ensuring system design integrates critical business processes. *Lead change management efforts for the new GMD. *Lead the organisation-wide response to audit findings related to grants management. *As part of the senior leadership team, work closely with other senior staff and the CGMO to foster a culture of leadership, inclusivity, and talent retention within the GMD.

*Developed & deployed PSI's continuous process improvement strategy. *Led corporate risk management. *Knowledge Management Process Owner. *Coordinated organizational Transformation Plan. *Collaborated with broad range of PSI senior leadership and staff to ensure policy & regulation compliance. *Member of PSI’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) movements, with focus on gender, mental health & disability. *Reported to CEO, regular interaction with Board of Directors.

Designed, established and now leading PSI’s first OpEx Department, in addition to areas covered under Director description.

*Ensured robust strategic, financial and programmatic management and oversight for PSI’s Global Fund grant management life cycle and operations in Mali, South Sudan, Liberia and Madagascar across approximately $200 million of revenue. *Built and maintained positive relationships with the Global Fund Secretariat and partners. *Managed and mentored team of 2.

*Designed, established & led PSI’s 1st risk & compliance team, reporting to Foundation Markets VP. *Drove operational & programmatic excellence throughout PSI’s highest-risk & highest revenue market, (8 countries, 8+ donors, & $500m of revenue), by mitigating risk & guiding staff in audit, grant, & donor compliance; SR management & compliance; and country risk review. *Instilled best practices & lessons learned at corporate level.

*Consultant to PSI’s HQ GFMU department, responsible for standardizing its grant management approach across all PSI countries receiving GF monies, with a specific focus on streamlining SR management, improving grant compliance, and resolving audit issues. *Remote support from Rwanda, and in-country support to Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, South Sudan, and headquarters.

*Responsible for overall management GF HIV award ($10m budget), where PSI/Liberia was Principle Recipient (PR) and oversaw up to 4 sub recipients (SRs). *Managed and monitored SRs to ensure their contractual and financial compliance. *Developed tools, and provided guidance and mentoring, designed to build capacity of SRs’ and PR’s staff to effectively manage GF awards. *Oversaw all PR reporting to GF. *Liaised closely with Liberia technical, financial, and operations departments, as well as PSI Washington, to ensure PR compliance to grant agreement. *Served as Country Representative (CR) in CR absence. *Led grant close-out process.

*Co-founded SDCI in Rwanda in 2008, which specializes in international relocations, logistics, and facility management. *Co-founded THI, LLC - a sister holding company in the US- in 2013, which sought profitable investment opportunities to eventually fund philanthropic activities in Rwanda. *Directly responsible for creating systems, procedures and policies; maintaining strategic stakeholder relationships; identifying and implementing investment opportunities; leading overall financial management.

*Consultant to international development agencies in all areas of financial and administrative management, as well as capacity-building in these areas.

*Serve as Team Leader of 6 to provide PM support to 11 PSI field offices in Togo, Senegal, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Guinea, Benin, Liberia, and Nigeria, funded by variety of governmental, multilateral & private donors, with an annual budget of approximately $41,000,000.

Thesis topic: History of anglophone/francophone politics in Cameroon