saibl management
John James - Director
John James is a tested manager and skilled leader with 27 years of experience in private sector development in Africa, Europe, and the United States, with a particular focus on SME sector development and development finance. He has designed and implemented development finance operations and business advisory services programs, whilst he also conducted country mapping surveys and diagnoses to identify strengths and weaknesses in the business environment, aimed at pinpointing gaps needing solutions. More importantly, he has designed and run business linkages and supply chain development programs aimed at linking SMEs to opportunities with large corporations and franchise opportunities.
Mr. James has 20 years of successful senior management experience at the national and international levels. He successfully led and managed multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of more than 80 people operating out of five regional offices under the International Finance Corporation as the General Manager for the Africa Project Development Facility. Mr. James has an M. Phil. in development economics and project analysis from the University of Glasgow.
John Chitsa - Manager: SME Competitiveness
John Chitsa has 15 years of experience in SME development and business advisory services work. Previously with the International Finance Corporation, he was responsible for SME development work covering the Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Currently, his focus is on SME business advisory services and conducting rapid assessments and company diagnostics for saibl and PAL clients and recommending appropriate interventions. His assignments have included enterprises in the manufacturing, service, tourism, and agro-processing industries. He has experience with conducting Export Readiness Assessments (U.S. market) for saibl covering SMEs in the winery, agro-processing, gifts and crafts, and film making industries. Mr. Chitsa has been instrumental in building the capacity building of and training more than 30 service providers in South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town, East London, and Port Elizabeth).
He is an accredited Institute of Chartered Management Accountants graduate and a graduate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. He is awaiting award of his M.B.A. in finance from the University of Manchester Worldwide, UK.
Lawrence Bilikwana - Manager: Associations and Service Providers
Lawrence has over 14 years experience in SME development and business advisory services work. He was involved in SMME development at the seminal stages in the country, tasked with the economic reintegration of ex-offenders into civil society by offering them business management training, micro finance and mentorship interventions. In 2001 he was head hunted Umsobomvu Fund, where he was charged with the conceptualization of the entrepreneurship strategy, the institutionalisation management information systems and setting up the institutional arrangements and accreditation of a first group of consultants for a R500m Entrepreneurship Programme. He worked with World Bank Consultants in researching, conceptualization and implementation of the first voucher programme in South Africa. He was later charged with the conceptualization and modelling of the Business Linkages Programme by the Fund, where he went on to single handedly raise R180m worth of business opportunities. He also worked with International Finance Corporation in designing the Diagnostic tools for micro enterprises. He was also part of the Investment Committee of the Equity Fund.
Mr. Bilikwana has a Baccalaures Iuris and an LLB with majors in Intellectual Property and Corporate Law.
Tim Bergstrom – Senior Program Manager
Tim Bergstrom has eight years of working experience in Africa, including in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and has performed short-term assignments in other Sub-Saharan African countries. He has six years of USAID experience, including grant reporting, finance, M&E, and management; 10 years of private sector management experience, including three successful business start-ups all based in Southern Africa; and 10 years of international marketing and trade experience across market and channel development, logistics, and distribution and sales. Mr. Bergstrom has served as Chief of Party on three USAID projects with a combined total value of $37.5 million.
Mr. Bergstrom has an MBA (international operations) from the University of St. Thomas.