CANSO Africa Conference 2024 – Our Programme

Conor Mullan, Managing Director, Think Research

Mr Mullan graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Computer Science and gained a Masters in Operational Research from the University of Strathclyde. Following an early career as a consultant at both NATS (UK) and EUROCONTROL (FR), Conor co-founded Think in 2004 and has since grown it to be a truly global consultancy advising ANSP and airport clients around the world on operational performance, modernisation and digitalisation. He is a recognised expert in the field of Remote and Digital Towers and has been elected three times by industry peers to serve on the CANSO Executive Committee as their Associate Member Representative.

Michelle Bishop, Director Programmes, CANSO

As Director of Programmes at CANSO, Michelle Bishop is responsible for the management and oversight of CANSO’s global safety, operations and strategy
programmes and ensuring the work of CANSO’s 20 global workgroups are in line with the organisation’s strategic direction.

Michelle leads the development of policy and advocacy on key issues affecting the global ATM industry and oversees CANSO’s engagement with ICAO where the organisation has official observer status.

Moisés Monteiro, Chairman and CEO, ASA

Moisés David Duarte Monteiro is a Civil Aviation professional with more than 20 years of experience, in operational and management positions.

He has a sound knowledge of the Civil Aviation System and ICAO Technical Standards and Regulations, gained through his experience and a solid academic and professional training.

In addition to his Air Traffic Controller Course, in ATNS Aviation Training Academy, in Johannesburgo/South Africa he has a Law degree, by the Institute of Legal and Social Sciences in Praia/Cabo Verde, with a specialisation in Air Law by the same Institute and Lisbon Law School.

He has been working for ASA since 2022, where he worked as Air Traffic Controller for several years and as Head of Air Traffic Services Operations.

He is currently the Chairman & CEO of the ASA, after being an executive member of the Board of the company for 6 years. He is also Chairman of the Ground handling operator company, Cabo Verde Handling.

Fred Bamwesigye, Director General, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA)

Mr. Bamwesigye has extensive experience in the aviation industry having previously served as the Authority’s Deputy Director General. Prior to that, he served as the Authority’s Director Human Resource and Administration, a position he assumed in February 2009.

Before joining the Authority, he worked with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and also served as Legal and Human Resource Manager with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.

He is an experienced aviation management professional with competencies in Senior Civil Aviation Management, managing Aviation Policy and Regulation, Transport Economics and managing Airport Operations and Air Navigation Services all attained from the Singapore Aviation Academy.

Josia Manyakoana, Chief Operating Officer, ATNS

Mr Manyakoana has expertise in Air Traffic Management, Aviation Management, Research & Strategy, Airport Operations Management, ATS Operations Management, Airspace Management, Aviation Safety Management, Human Factors, Corporate Governance.

He is a Master of Aviation and holds an Honours in Industrial Psychology, and a Bachelor of Administration in Aviation Management.

Johanna Morobane, Head: Occupational Health Safety & Environment, ATNS

Johanna Morobane is Head of Occupational Health, Safety, and Environment at Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS). Prior to this, she served as the Sustainability and Environmental Manager at the same company. With over 15 years of experience in sustainability and environmental management, Johanna is a seasoned professional with experience in the mining and aviation sectors. Her areas of expertise include the development and implementation of sustainability and environmental strategies, natural resource management, corporate social responsibility, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Integrated Reporting, and corporate strategy, amongst others.

Flora Mwanshinga, Director ANS, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority

Flora is an Engineer who graduated from L’Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile – ENAC – Toulouse, France and the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. She has a Specialised Masters in Communication, Navigation Surveillance and Satellite Applications for civil aviation and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering. She has gained experience with companies and institutions in Europe and Africa and is among the pioneers of EGNOS Africa Joint programme (now known as SatNav Africa Joint Programme).

Joyce Asante, Director of Safety Engineering, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority

Joyce Asante is an Electrical/Electronic Engineer by profession having trained at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She also has  a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from the University of Ghana.

She has been working in the Aviation industry for more than Eighteen years having risen through the ranks to her current role as the Director of Air Traffic Safety Engineering at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, where she leads a team of Engineers and Technicians to Install and Maintain mission critical Air Navigation Infrastructure in the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR).

Over the years, she has served on various study groups and committees, involved with developing guidance material and frameworks that seek to ensure that the Air Navigation Infrastructure used to provide these safety-of-life services are robust.

She is currently the project team lead for the surveillance team of the AFI Planning and Implementation Regional Group’s (APIRG) Infrastructure and Information Management (APIRG IIM SG).

Anne Gitau, Director ANS, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority

Mrs. Gitau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Communication
Technology and Management from Maseno University as well as a Master of
Business Administration Degree (Management Information Systems option) from the University of Nairobi. She has trained in Senior Management and Strategic Leadership Development Programme and has thirty-two years (32) years of experience in Aviation.

She held the position of Manager Aeronautical Information Management from 2018-2023. She was appointed Acting Director Air Navigation Services from July 2022. In May 2023,she was formally appointed Director Air Navigation Services at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority ;a position she holds to date.

She has served as the Chairperson of ICAO APIRG Infrastructure and Information Management Sub-group (IIM/SG) for a period of two years.

John Wennes, Safety Programme Manager, CANSO

John leads safety matters related to Air Traffic Management across the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and the air transport industry. Oversees the strategic direction of CANSO’s safety programme and manages the work programme of the Safety Standing Committee and its workgroups. Serves as the focal point for CANSO on safety matters and coordinates with industry and regulatory organisations.

Samba Dabor, Safety Manager, Roberts F.I.R.

Samba Dabor, a Sierra Leonean national, is an accomplished professional in the field of aviation safety. He currently holds the position of Safety Manager at the Roberts Flight Information Region (Roberts FIR), a tripartite organization serving the Republics of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone entrusted with ensuring the safety and regularity of general air traffic services within its designated airspace.

Mr. Dabor assumed the role of Safety Manager at Roberts FIR on 29 May 2018. In this capacity, he demonstrates exceptional expertise in the development, implementation, and maintenance of the organization’s Safety Management System (SMS). As a focal point for safety management matters, he plays a pivotal role in addressing safety-related issues within the organisation.

William Amoako, Safety, Standards & Quality Manager, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority

Mr. Amoako is the Safety, Standards and Quality Assurance Manager at Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, also in charge of the company’s ATM Security. He’s been in the aviation industry for over 25 years. An Air Traffic Controller with ATC ratings in aerodrome/Tower control through Approach Procedural and Radar to Area/Enroute Procedural and Radar.

An OJTI, Training Instructor and an Assessor., he holds a BSc in Air Transport Management, an LLB, and MSc. in Air Safety Management. He is currently the CANSO focal point for Ghana, and also the chairperson for the CANSO Africa Safety Working group.

Dr. Jaco van der Westhuizen, Human Factors Specialist, ATNS

Jaco started his career as an ATC in 1995 and has migrated into specialising in Safety and Human Factors with an involvement in peer support since 2008. He represents IFATCA at the ICAO Mental Health Work Group and is a member of the CANSO Next Generation SMS Work Group as well a part-time research supervisor at two private universities in South Africa. In addition, Jaco is the CEO of Mayday-SA, a non-profit volunteer organisation that aims to promote mental health and wellbeing through peer support amongst aviation professionals in South Africa and beyond. Lastly, he completed an MBA in 2006 and a PhD in Organisational Behaviour in 2018 that focussed on the intricacies of safety reporting behaviour in complex systems.

Margarett Marques da Graça, Director of Operations, ASA

Margarett has over 21 years of experience as an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO), during which she has also served as a Shift Supervisor at Amílcar Cabral International Control Tower and the Area Control Center for several years. She was the Head of Air Traffic Services (ATS) for five years and is currently the Director of Operations. She has lead several strategic projects, including the development and implementation of ASA’s Master Plan, the implementation of a new Air Traffic Management (ATM) system, the certification of ATS, and the coordination of Cape Verde’s participation in the SESAR Voice project, among others.

Nicki Harricharan, Operations Programme Manager, CANSO

Nicki Harricharan recently joined CANSO as the Operational Programme Manager, bringing 16 years of FAA experience. She began her career as an Air Traffic Controller at the Washington DC ACC, then progressed to Front-Line Manager at New York ACC.

She later served as a National Traffic Management Specialist at the FAA Command Center’s Severe Weather Unit, where she managed traffic flow during severe weather events, presidential movements, and rocket launches.

Most recently, she led the Central Altitude Reservation Function (CARF) Unit and Space Operations team, integrating rocket launches into the National Airspace System and handling altitude reservations for military and civilian purposes.

Gaoussou Konate, Director Technical and Operations and Adviser to AFRAA Secretary General, AFRAA

A graduate engineer in Mechanical Engineering at the French “Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon,” Mr. Konate is an aviation sector expert with over 40 years of experience.

His accountabilities at AFRAA cover engineering, flight, ground operations, safety, and security support, including airport and air navigation tax, fees, charges, joint projects (MRO, line maintenance, fuel procurement, consultancy services), training, and air transport.  He has previously worked at ICAO and IATA (2001 to 2012, AFI Regional Director SO&I), where, he was responsible for the Safety, Operations, and Infrastructure Department (Africa & Indian Ocean – AFI). 

Simon Zwane, Head of ATM Planning, ATNS

Mr Simon Zwane holds the position of (Interim) Head: Air Traffic management and Technology Adoption at ATNS under the Operations Department. He began his professional career as an Air Traffic Controller at ATNS, specialising in Tower and Area control. He also served as a Pool Manager at O.R Tambo (FAOR) and a guest instructor at the ATNS Aviation Training Academy.

Mr. Zwane and the Air Traffic Management and Technology Adoption team’s responsibilities include developing Roadmaps for enhancement of the Air Traffic management Systems, including designing and maintenance of Flight Procedures and relevant Instrument Approach charts.

He has chaired different ICAO and CANSO Subgroups and is the current chairman of the National ATM/CNS Implementation Committee, a local South African platform established to provide a CDM platform for the ANSP and Industry Collaboration and was recently nominated as the first Vice-Chair of APIRG.

Vivien Dovonon, CNS ATM Research and Development Officer, ASECNA

Mr. Donovon is a civil aviation engineer and ATM expert graduated from the African School of Meteorology and Civil Aviation (EAMAC) and from the French Civil Aviation School (ENAC). During his professional career at ASECNA, he accumulated many years of operational experience as Air Navigation Operations Manager in Benin and Mauritania. Since 2017, he has been involved in the implementation of the Augmented Navigation for Africa (ANGA) Programme and other ANS R&D activities within ASECNA.

Kevin P. Haggerty VP, International Collaboration, CGH Technologies

Mr. Haggerty serves as the Vice President of International Collaboration & Global Aviation Solutions for CGH Technologies, Inc. Mr. Haggerty retired from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a 32-year career that started as an air traffic controller at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in 1988 and has held several management and senior management positions at FAA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Mr. Haggerty served as the official ATO/FAA representative to the Paris office of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the North Atlantic and European Planning and Implementation groups, EUROCONTROL, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) responsible for coordinating and delivering official FAA positions and efforts to promote global air navigation safety and harmonisation.

Henry Okech, Director of Safety and Technical Services, AFCAC

Mr. Okech has a background in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering with over 24 years’ relevant experience from various reputable organisations in the aviation industry. He is currently the Director Safety and Technical Services at the African Union’s specialized Agency for Civil Aviation, the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) based in Dakar, Senegal.

His previous experience includes serving East African Community’s Regional Safety and Security Oversight Agency (EAC-CASSOA) as Manager Airworthiness, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority as Senior Airworthiness Inspector and Base Maintenance Manager for Mission Aviation Fellowship International’s Regional Approved Maintenance Organization base in Kenya. In his aviation experience, 15 years have been at the senior management level.

Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General, AFCAC

Adefunke Adeyemi was elected and appointed the Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) on 1 September, 2022. Her role is to promote Safety, Security, Air Transport Liberalization, Environmental protection and overall sustainability of the African Air Transport sector across the continent.

With an international career spanning over 20 years, Adefunke is recognised as one of the 50 Most Inspirational Nigerian Women and was recently honoured as one of the 200 globally Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in affiliation with the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent.

She studied Law at the University of Lagos, Nigeria and qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Nigerian Supreme Court in 1998, holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the United Kingdom’s prestigious University of Cambridge, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Nanyang Business School, Singapore

Simon Masike, Project and Sales Manager, INDRA

Simon Masike is a Project and Sales Manager at Indra based in Germany and has more than 16 years of experience in civil aviation – ATM/CNS space.

He worked for nine years at the Civil Aviation authority of Botswana as a Senior Aeronautical Telecommunications Engineer, focusing on project management, development of CNS/ATM system specifications and advised management on CNS/ATM infrastructure development to meet ATM operational needs.

Has been with Indra for the last eight years, working as Project and Sales Manager focusing on projects and strategic sales management in ATM/CNS system around the world. 

Paco Solvez, Sales Director, MEA & LATAM, Aireon LLC

Mr Solvez has more than 20 years’ experience working in the aviation industry leading commercial processes for a wide range of solutions on the ATM, Communication and Surveillance fields. He is a Bachelor in Telecommunication Technologies Engineering and Master in Business Administration.

Emil Rogers, Secretary General, Roberts F.I.R. & Deputy Chair, CANSO AFC3

Mr. Rogers served as the Deputy Secretary General for Technical Affairs at the Roberts Flight Information Region (Roberts FIR) until his appointment as the Secretary General in March 2024. In his new role, he will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Roberts FIR for a tenure of four years.

Mr. Rogers has 25 years of experience in aviation. He represents the State of Sierra Leone in the joint aeronautical corporation between the Republics of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. As Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, he will oversee policy implementation and provide direction for the Roberts FIR.

Prior to his appointment to the Roberts FIR in April 2020, Mr. Rogers served for 19 years at the Sierra Leone Airports Authority, holding positions such as Commercial Director and Deputy General Manager.

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