Dr Laura Hoemeke United States

Dr Laura Hoemeke is an international-development strategist and public-policy specialist with more than two decades of experience designing, delivering and evaluating complex programmes in francophone Africa, Asia and beyond. Her work sits at the intersection of policy design, systems thinking, institutional advocacy and programme governance, supporting multilateral organisations, bilateral agencies, foundations and civil society in delivering evidence-based, country-led development results.

A trusted adviser to institutions such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, Dr Hoemeke brings deep expertise in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, policy analysis and programme monitoring and evaluation. Fifteen years living in francophone Africa give her a rare combination of public-policy mastery and field knowledge of the region. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at IntraHealth International, USAID, Africare and the US Peace Corps.

A published author and recognised speaker on development policy and institutional strategy, Dr Hoemeke also teaches systems thinking, design thinking and strategic communications at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina. She holds a doctorate in public-health policy from UNC, a Master's in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a bachelor's in journalism from Northwestern University. She is fluent in English, French and Sango.