MRS AïSSATA S. WANE, MANAGER ADMIN & CORPORATE SERVICES, HEAD OF OFFICE DAKAR
Could you tell us about your academic and professional background?
I spent my secondary and high school years in an all-girl boarding school (in Goree Island). In hindsight this was the greatest experience in my life. After high school, I studied in France where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics from the University of Paris-IX Dauphine. I also hold an MBA in Finance from the American University in Washington, DC. Before joining IFPRI in February 2023, I had worked for 15 years with an NGO at both HQ in Washington, DC and at the field level in Senegal.
What is a typical workday for you?
Before heading to work, I enjoy driving my daughters to school. Once at the office, I usually start by going over my schedule to make sure I am ready for any meetings or calls. Then, I read my emails and reply right away to those that need my immediate actions or attention. I then get busy with my daily tasks, in and out of meetings, but making sure to be available to colleagues as needed.
You work with a core team based in Dakar, Senegal, and with other team members based in IFPRI offices across Africa, how do you organize yourself?
I like to get everything organized at the start of the day. I look over my to-do list and get started on tasks that have my top priority. Being on different time zones is sometimes helpful as you have time to finish a set of activities before starting to work with other regional offices.
What most important habits or traits are critical for a successful finance and operations executive?
I think having a good judgement and be open-minded. For any given situation, you need to assess it by weighing the costs, benefits and risks prior to making any decision.
What do you like most about your job?
The learning opportunities and the cross-functional tasks as you work with different departments and interact with all colleagues !
What has been your greatest challenge during your career as a woman?
My greatest challenge was how to have a family without jeopardizing my career. I always try to keep a balance between work and family and most importantly I always manage to be there for my kids.
We celebrated the International Women’s Day this march, what could you tell us about gender Equality achievement in Africa as a Manager?
Gender equality is a fundamental development objective and Africa has a significant gender gap to close. In Africa, girls are much less likely than boys to benefit from a secondary education compared to girls in developed countries. It’s essential to enable and empower women to participate equally in the society and in the economy. We need more advocacy for better gender inclusion and integration to allow more women into executive committees, board and leadership positions.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I own a small agricultural perimeter in Mboro (Thies region), and I like to go there during the weekends to get out of Dakar for a bit.
Do you have a message you would like to share with our audiences?
It would be a message addressed to our female audience as we are celebrating them this March. Women are pressured or very often feel the need to invest all their efforts in being perfect and not fail. I believe this is a trap and I learned early in my career that it’s ok to fail but it’s not ok to fail to try to be on top.
