Prior to his appointment, David Beer was formerly the British High Commissioner to Malawi and has also served at the Department for International Development (DFID) now the foreign, commonwealth and Development Office as Country Director for Malawi. Mr Beer brings over 20 years of expertise and senior international experience in the nexus of aid for trade, Governments and diplomacy, multilaterals, and development, positioning him to provide continuity of purpose of TMEA. He previously represented the UK, advising respective UK Executive Directors to the Boards of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on areas such as institutional risk management, adaptive programming and disaster risk financing, alongside macro-economic management and development programming. This builds on many years of leading development efforts for the British Government and other organisations across Africa, including Uganda, Sudan, Burundi, and Ghana. Mr Beer joins TMEA at a time when the organisation is expanding to the rest of Africa and scaling up support for the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. TMEA has innovated its programming to not only reduce trade barriers through improved transportation and logistics systems, digitalisation of key trade processes, enhanced standards and SPS compliance and targeted interventions supporting women, and youth in Small and Medium Enterprises in critical sectors; but also develop a US$220 million Green Corridors programme that will ensure climate resilient infrastructure and transport models are adopted. Additionally, TMEA has secured funding for the start-up of its new commercial arm – Trade Catalyst Africa – that will catalyse commercial capital into the organisation’s infrastructure and digital workstreams. TMEA Board Chair Ambassador Erastus Mwencha said, “David’s extensive government and trade development skills should help TMEA strengthen its programming, develop strategic alliances, and roll out fit-for-purpose products that respond to market needs at macro and micro levels so Africa can maximise its trade potential. We believe his strong leadership experience will help focus TMEA during these turbulent economic times and stabilise its funding base.”
