Dr. Heike Harmgart
MD, Sub Saharan Africa EBRD
Dr Heike Harmgart is the EBRD‘s first Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. She is in charge of setting up the Bank‘s operations in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.Until September 2024, Dr Harmgart was the Managing Director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. Under her leadership, the region reached record levels of private investment annually, and she led the expansion to Algeria, Libya and Iraq. A German national, Dr Harmgart joined the EBRD in 2006 as an economist. In 2013 she became EBRD’s first Head of Office in Jordan, based in Amman. She was appointed Director for the Eastern Mediterranean after EBRD expanded under her local leadership into Lebanon and West Bank and Gaza in 2017.Dr Harmgart serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the New Agenda for Fragility and Resilience. She has been selected by Forbes Middle East in 2020 and 2021 as one of the 10 most powerful women in business in the Middle East. Prior to joining EBRD she worked for the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. She holds a PhD in economics from University College London.
2026 Agenda Sessions
Powering the future – The World Bank Group’s support to Africa’s minerals and metals
This Industry Intel Session will spotlight the World Bank Group’s minerals and metals approach and its holistic, multisectoral support to Africa’s mining and energy transition priorities. The discussion will explore how Africa’s mineral endowment can be transformed into broad-based and lasting development through responsible exploration and production, improved governance, investment in critical infrastructure, value addition, skills development, and meaningful private-sector engagement.
Through a high-level dialogue between government representatives, industry leaders, investors, and the World Bank Group, the session will examine practical pathways to collaboration and delivery. Panelists will discuss what success looks like from their perspectives, where support is most needed, and how public and private actors can jointly shape competitive, resilient, and inclusive mineral value chains across the continent.
The session will feature a forward-looking conversation informed by real implementation experience, case examples, and market developments. It will help define priorities, highlight opportunities, and reinforce partnerships that position Africa as a leader in the global energy transition.
Monday 09 February 13:45 - 15:15 Serengeti Stage (CTICC2 - Level 3)
This Industry Intel Session will spotlight the World Bank Group’s minerals and metals approach and its holistic, multisectoral support to Africa’s mining and energy transition priorities. The discussion will explore how Africa’s mineral endowment can be transformed into broad-based and lasting development through responsible exploration and production, improved governance, investment in critical infrastructure, value addition, skills development, and meaningful private-sector engagement.
Through a high-level dialogue between government representatives, industry leaders, investors, and the World Bank Group, the session will examine practical pathways to collaboration and delivery. Panelists will discuss what success looks like from their perspectives, where support is most needed, and how public and private actors can jointly shape competitive, resilient, and inclusive mineral value chains across the continent.
The session will feature a forward-looking conversation informed by real implementation experience, case examples, and market developments. It will help define priorities, highlight opportunities, and reinforce partnerships that position Africa as a leader in the global energy transition.
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