Alan Rousso brings 30 years of international professional experience as an academic, researcher, team leader, and senior executive in development finance. He holds an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. He has trained as an individual Executive Coach at Hult Ashridge and a Systemic Team Coach at the Academy of Executive Coaching.

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After completing his doctorate at Columbia, Alan began his career in the US in academia, teaching on the faculty of Dartmouth College, Cornell University and Columbia University. During these early years, Alan honed his skills in communication, group facilitation and leading teams and mentoring teaching assistants and researchers.

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In 1998, Alan was appointed Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank focusing on post-communist economic development, social change, politics and international relations. This further refined his skills in team leadership, change management, diplomacy and political economy of development. As the only expatriate employee of a US-based research and advocacy organisation, leading a team of 40 Russian colleagues, Alan learned valuable lessons about resilience, cross-cultural communication and managing during times of uncertainty.

 

In 2001, Alan moved to London to join the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, supporting countries in their transition to democracy and market economics through a combination of political/economic analysis, strategy development, policy and advisory, and structuring finance to achieve maximum impact. At EBRD, where he spent over 20 years, Alan enhanced his skills in blended finance, impact investment, multi-stakeholder engagement, managing for results and leading international teams. Alan took a particularly keen interest in mentoring and coaching both peers and direct reports in the latter stages of his career, when he managed teams varying in size from 20 to 200.

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Since leaving EBRD at the end of 2021, Alan is now working as an Executive Coach and international development consultant. Alan coaches individuals at different stages of their leadership journey, and offers coaching to teams and Boards looking to enhance their effectiveness, work collaboratively and achieve their goals. Alan provides consultancy services to organisations in areas related to political economy, leveraging private sector finance for development, ESG/Impact Investment, co-financing, leading change and strategy.

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Alan is an enthusiastic home cook and has completed a 12-week Certificate Course at the acclaimed Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. With his insights into food and the hospitality industry, a portion of Alan's coaching work is dedicated to clients working in the restaurant and catering business, food suppliers and retail outlets, cookery schools and other related fields.