Founding Director

Dorothea Hodge

Dorothea is a former Special Adviser to the Leader of the House of Lords. In a career spanning over 15 years in politics and corporate communications she has provided political counsel to many senior UK politicians including the former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, in addition to advising global brands such as Deloitte, & Avaya. She has worked globally across the African Continent, US, Europe and Asia.

With a focus on International relations, Dorothea has worked with notable global leaders such as Kofi Annan and Baroness Valerie Amos. 

In 2005 Dorothea co-managed the election winning Labour General Election Media Team, reporting directly to Alastair Campbell, directing a team of 35 and delivering up to 3 high-profile media events per day across the country involving the Prime Minister, and senior cabinet ministers.

International Public Affairs

Simon Benson

Simon Benson is a former special advisor to two members the British Cabinet, including the UK’s first female Home Secretary. He has 18 years of high-level communications and public affairs experience and has advised Prime Ministers, entrepreneurs and the CEOs of major global brands.

Simon has an international reach, having worked across Europe for clients such as the European Investment Fund, Visa Europe the UN & Huawei and in the Middle East for the Qatar Foundation and Emirates Airline. He also provided UK communications support for Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco in Casablanca.

As well as strategic counsel, Simon is a crisis comms specialist and has dealt with numerous cases, including PR support to the cruise line industry following the sinking of the Costa Concordia, mid-air crisis situations for Emirates Airline and for business leaders in the UK and EU.

Global Events and Projects

Odeta Konomi

Odeta is a project and business development director with 12+ years of experience in establishing and managing a multitude of financial conferences and projects across the globe. Before joining Aequitas Global as an event project manager, she worked for Euromoney Institutional Investor for more than a decade. From 2015 until 2020, she was head of Africa for Euromoney publishing and conferences, focusing solely on establishing Euromoney’s presence in the region by developing and managing relationships with public and private sector partners.

She joined Euromoney in 2009 after having spent a few years with Africa Investor where she first fell in love with Africa.

She has worked and travelled extensively in the region and has covered Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Odeta holds a BA in Economics and Italian from University of Reading and is interested in people’s stories, inequality, climate change, Africa and photography.

Consultant

Jesse Cheto

Jesse has a background in ICT, Communications and Accounting. He is a EC-Council certified IT security professional and Oracle database administrator with an Accounting degree from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Jesse’s dynamism explains his fusion with the ICT industry where he has worked for over ten years. With a wealth of experience as a training faculty, research analyst and systems administrator, Jesse has had a stint at various organisational levels including with Inspire Africa, Oracle conferences and the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Before joining Aequitas Global, he consulted severally for a diverse range of organisations including Qaiser Ventures, Hypertech Consulting and Population Reference Bureau.

Between 2011 and 2016, he worked at the Wellbeing Foundation on behalf of Aequitas Global as the ICT and Communications Manager. His work with the organisation led to the development of the globally recognised #MaternalMonday campaign which he planned and effectively implemented.

Jesse is social media savvy with key experience in developing and managing content. He is a confident individual with outstanding communication skills, eager to contribute highly applicable business process management skills with ability to personalize service delivery to analysing business needs and translating them into executable strategies.

Business Manager

Sophie Campbell

Sophie supports the Founding Director and Senior Leadership Team at Aequitas to ensure the efficient running of the business.

Prior to joining Aequitas, Sophie spent seven years at a global leadership development NGO, delivering projects across the Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. Most recently Sophie spent two years living in Johannesburg, South Africa, to grow the organisation’s operations across the African continent.

Sophie graduated with a BA in Politics from Durham University.

Digital

Julien Aubier

Julien Aubier is the founder and managing partner of Boniface Conseil, a consulting firm specialised in political and institutional digital communication, mainly based on the African continent and particularly in West Africa.

He began his career in 2003 in Brussels in a public affairs firm, for which he developed online advocacy services. In 2008, he founded an agency specialising in online image management and online advocacy and crisis communication in Paris. In 2014, he founded Boniface Conseil and strengthened its presence on the African continent, with a dedicated team in Cotonou, Benin.

Julien Aubier and Boniface Conseil team notably managed the digital and online advocacy parts of the campaigns of Presidents Alassane Ouattara and Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and also led online communication missions in Benin, Togo, the Republic of Guinea, the DRC and the Central African Republic as well as in France and Belgium.

Creative Partner

Arteh Odjidja 

Arteh Odjidja is a commercial fashion/portraiture and fine art photographer born and bred in London, where he resides today. Growing up with a father working in the filmmaking industry, Arteh developed an early love for the creative process, and showed sure signs that he was destined for a career in art and design. Specialising in fashion/portraiture and fine art photography, Arteh has managed to build his portfolio with commissions from some of the world’s most recognized brands and organisations including Christian Dior, Leica camera, Paul Smith, Ozwald Boateng Savile Row, Montblanc, E.Tautz, Oxfam UK to name a few. Arteh’s desire to have his work make a positive impact on society, has led him into the Fine art world. The Savile Row designer and long-time collaborator – Ozwald Boateng OBE, housed his first solo exhibition ‘Stranger in Moscow’ in 2013. Which was shortlisted for the AOP awards in the same year. He has since exhibited his work extensively in the US and the UK at prominent galleries like the Tate Modern London, The British museum, City hall, The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, to name a few. Arteh’s work has also been featured in established industry publications such as Black + White Photography magazine, The BJP – (British Journal of Photography), The Photo works Annual, The New York times, the Huffington Post etc. Arteh’s passion to share his experience has seen him accept an ambassadorship from Leica Camera UK to run photography workshops throughout the UK and accepting invitations to speak on panels and present talks on different aspects of the visual industry. Credits include the Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago IL, University of Brighton, London College of Fashion, London College of Communication, the Brighton Photo Biennial 2016, Autograph Gallery, Tate modern, The British Museum, City Hall London etc. The success of his project, on-going portrait series ‘The Strangers Series, has seen him work with impactful youth charities like Coram UK and present his seminal project to Her Majesty the Queen in 2018.

www.arteh.co.uk

Account Executive

Gioia Toffoli 

Gioia has a varied professional background to date, spanning experience in Italy, France, USA and more recently in London where she held roles within communication, clients’ management, health and diplomatic sectors. Fluent in Italian, English, and French, she supports the Public Affairs and Communication teams through in-depth research, press releases, and analysis. Gioia has a strong personal interest in sustainability, as shown by her volunteer work within environmental organisations in Italy and Belize. She is passionate about climate action and took an active part in the EU Green Deal 2030, having worked on local projects in the Italian Alps. She also revised Culture Smart Italy! business book published by Kuperard’s Publishers. Gioia holds a BA in Political Science, International Relations and Human Rights and an MSc in International Diplomacy. During her academic career, she studied international and European law in France, and she interned for Doctors with Africa CUAMM, leading organisation working to protect and improve the wellbeing and health of vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Associate Partner

Donata Garrasi

Donata is a political scientist who specialises in policy and program design and implementation in crisis affected situations. Over 20 years Donata has led high profile and multi-million US$ development and peacebuilding initiatives for governments and major international organisations in Africa and Asia. She has held senior management and advisory positions with the OECD, the UK Government, and the United Nations and consults regularly with multi-lateral partners, including the World Bank and the European Union, and with the private sector. Donata has contributed to designing and implementing global policies for effective development cooperation in conflict affected and fragile situations, and national recovery and peacebuilding strategies in a range of countries in West and Central Africa and Asia. She is currently working on a series of initiatives to attract and retain responsible business and investment in new emerging markets. Donata is a Managing Partner of Europe Conflict and Security Consulting (ECAS Ltd).

Associate Partner

Patrick Diamond

Patrick is Executive Chair of the Policy Network think-tank. He is lecturer in Public Policy at Queen Mary, University of London, Gwilym Gibbon fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and a visiting fellow in the Department of Politics at the University of Oxford. He is the former head of policy planning in 10 Downing Street and senior policy adviser to the prime minister. Patrick has spent ten years as a special adviser in various roles at the heart of British government, including 10 Downing Street, the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland Office. His recent publications include: His recent publications include: Can Labour Win? The Hard Road to Power (with Giles Radice, 2015); The Predistribution Agenda: Tackling Inequality and Supporting Sustainable Growth (with Claudia Chwalisz, 2015); Governing Britain: Power, Politics and the Prime Minister (2013); After the Third Way (with Olaf Cramme, 2012); Beyond New Labour (with Roger Liddle, 2009); Social Justice in the Global Age (with Olaf Cramme, 2009); and Global Europe, Social Europe (with Anthony Giddens, 2006).

Associate Partner

Robert Yates

Robert Yates is an internationally recognised expert on universal health coverage (UHC) and progressive health financing. He is a Director of UHC Consulting Limited and a senior fellow of Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs where he is Project Director of the UHC Policy Forum.

His principal area of expertise is in the political economy of UHC, with a focus on advising political leaders and governments on how to plan, finance and implement national UHC reforms. He has previously worked as a Senior Health Economist with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Health Organisation, advising numerous governments in Asia and Africa on health financing policy and health systems reforms.

He holds a BA degree in Natural Sciences and Economics from the University of Cambridge and a MBA, from the University of Leeds.

Associate Partner

Teohna Williams

With her attention on international peace and security, Teohna spends the majority of her time working in an advisory capacity to senior officials focused on security, stability, and governance in conflict-affected and fragile states. Her recent work as Advisor to the UK Special Envoy for the Sudans involved advising on policy and programming for the UK’s support to South Sudan’s peace process.

Over the last ten years Teohna has worked in South Sudan, the Middle East, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Moldova, and Timor Leste. She has also worked as a Programme Manager for UNDP on conflict transformation and peacebuilding and as a security & justice sector reform advisor with the Geneva Centre for Security, Rule of Law and Development (DCAF), where she led and supported many donor teams in their policy development.

Teohna holds a Master degree in International Affairs from Columbia University (New York), a Joint BA in Anthropology & English from Oxford Brookes University, and a Drama degree from the Arts Educational School (London). She is a qualified trainer & facilitator and having initially worked as a professional actor, Teohna uses theatre as a peacebuilding tool, working with communities to find non-violent solutions to conflict.

Associate Partner

Carolann Alt

Carolann Alt brings 15 years of Global Strategic Marketing, Business Development and Commercial Execution across several industries including; healthcare, agri-business, power/renewable energy, real estate, SME and infrastructure. A former executive in the biotechnology industry she facilitated the commercialization of international pharmaceutical and medical technology companies into the U.S. landscape.

Since 2003, Carolann has garnered a strong affinity to sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Nigeria, with the ability to navigate the complex African business landscape. She is an advisor for Sustainable International Medical Missions and she has been appointed as an advisor to the US-Nigeria Commercial Dialogue, which is a mechanism designed to promote increased, diverse and sustainable trade and investment between the United States and Nigeria. Carolann is a Board Member of Quaint Energy with offices in the US, Nigeria, Tanzania and Pakistan, and is a Commissioner of African Affairs for the Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives

Specialties: Investment Sourcing & Deal Origination, Project Development, Project Finance, Strategic Planning and Market Entry, Collaboration and Global Strategy, Project Management, Sales and Marketing.

Associate Partner

Evelyne Sodogandji

Evelyne Sodogandji has 20 years’ experience in Operations, Business Strategy, Business development, Business Finance across various industries.

Evelyne worked at Standard Chartered Bank London for 11 years in various roles including Business Finance Partner and Associate Director, Business Development; Executing strategic planning and initiatives; executing clients focus marketing activities, enhancing client experience and assisting the Corporate & institutional Banking team provide clients with unparalleled access to global markets.

Associate

Aguamah Naweribo Ebiegberi

Nanas studied Accountancy at Niger Delta University, he is a financial analyst and a business manager, he has years of experience managing businesses across different sectors in Nigeria. 

Aside making sense of accounts, taxes, and all those Companies House filing matters that are vitally important, he has also been involved in high level campaigns and researches. He ensures everything is done effectively, efficiently and economically.

Nanas has interests in politics, music, sports.

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Associate

Funmi Obieze-Okorro

Funmi is passionate about content creation, health research, advocacy and related campaigns; having participated in the Rotary International District 9125 End Polio Now and the HIV and AIDS outreaches from an early age, she has proceeded to engage and create content in similar fields.

She has experience volunteering with literary and literacy outfits in Africa, writing content for Nantygreens, Writers Space Africa, and Mayo Magazine and working on the set of Lagos International Poetry Festival and Lagos Theatre Festival.

She has worked in Broadcast radio and co-hosted programs, thus, understands the media landscape and the social impact of communications as a tool for policy advocacy and strategy.

Funmi studied English at Obafemi Awolowo University, and she spends her weekends reviewing articles, writing short stories and poems.

Associate

Ellen-Janet Adelakin

Ellen-Janet is adept in research, client management, and business development and has over 5 years of working experience across several industries within the Private Sector. 

Ellen-Janet has experience working as a product development and social media officer for a travel agency, The Travel Place, providing clients with exquisite services from highly recommended clients while ensuring and increasing client and partner retention, product acquisition, and visibility.  She has also worked as a human resource and business development executive with a digital technology company, Novateur Ltd., where she conducted in-house and client’s trainings among other responsibilities.  

Ellen-Janet is keen on international affairs, global policy development, diplomacy and crisis management. Ellen-Janet has a degree in International Law and Diplomacy from Babcock University. 

Consultant

Stephen Boakes 

Stephen is a Public Affairs and Communications Consultant with 5 years of agency work spanning the private, public and charity sectors from local to international campaigns and clients. His sector experiences include infrastructure, planning, energy, transport, textiles, finance, social value charities, civil service departments and social care providers.

Stephen has a keen interest in keeping up with the news and shifting trends of which the social, economic, political, and cultural implications shape his contributions to any client he advises or campaign he shapes. He excels at building stakeholder and client relationships, and whilst specialising in Public Affairs, he has additional skills in new business, marketing, PR, media and events. 

Stephen is politically active, having stood for the Conservative and Unionist Party for his District Council in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He has Mental Health First Aid training and a degree in Politics with International Relations from the University of York where he was the Editor of a political journal and Host of a radio show.