Leila Ndiaye

Leila Ndiaye, Advisor, advises clients on trade and investment in West Africa.

She was previously the Senior Director of Policy for African Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce where she developed, promoted, and executed the US Africa Business Center’s program of work relating to trade policy and investment between the United States and African countries. She managed the US-ECOWAS Business Initiative, the US-Côte d’Ivoire Business Council, and she spearheaded the Chamber’s program in Western and Central Sub-Saharan Africa, from Angola to Mauritania.

Before joining the Chamber, Dr. Ndiaye served the government of Côte d’Ivoire under the past administration as Special Advisor to the Head of State. She advised the Head of State on a range of policy, national security, and economic issues. Prior to her work in government, Dr. Ndiaye worked at Bayh, Connaughton, Fernsteinhem and Malone (the law firm of former Senator Birch Bayh) in Washington, DC, where she developed and managed the Africa portfolio, and at the World Bank as a consultant.

Dr. Ndiaye completed a PhD in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Centre d’Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques (CEDS), Paris. She has an MA with merit in Diplomacy from the Diplomatic Academy of London at the University of Westminster. She received her BA in International Relations at the American University in Washington, DC.