Devang Vussonji is a Partner based in Dar es Salaam. He advises both public and private sector clients on topics related to Economic Transformation and Livelihoods. He works across sectors such as the green economy (including forest economy, blue economy, biodiversity, and circular economy), as well as agriculture and agro-processing. He has contributed articles on these topics to the World Economic Forum, FORESIGHT Magazine, Devex, and Africa Business Magazine. He also leads Dalberg’s Tanzania Office and its global Education to Employment practice.
On green economy topics, Devang is overseeing the PMO function of the Climate-Smart Forest Economy Program, which is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), World Resources Institute (WRI), World Economic Forum, and Climate-KIC, and supported by the Good Energies Foundation. On circular economy topics, Devang is also supporting the African Circular Economy Alliance, which is a partnership between the African Development Bank and the World Economic Forum. Devang has also worked with a DFI to develop a Biodiversity Investment Network aiming to coordinate financial investments in the conservation sector. He is also working with TNC’s AFCC program on an initiative to remove policy and business/implementation barriers to increase the supply of carbon projects on the African continent.
In the Education to Employment sector, Devang has led a number of youth unemployment studies across the African continent, and he has provided strategic and operational advice to leading implementers. His engagements in the sector have included: development of a business model for low-cost ECD centers in Tanzania; the development of a 5-year youth employment strategy for a major foundation in Rwanda; an investor due diligence on a chain of low-fee private schools in Kenya; the development of a public-private partnership for the introduction of contract/charter schools in South Africa; creation of a social impact bond for youth employment programs in Morocco; and development of a management training program for the agribusiness sector in Africa.
In Tanzania, Devang has advised a number of private sector companies including conglomerates, SMEs, financial institutions, and mobile phone operators, advising them on specific product strategies. He has also advised the Government of Tanzania and donor partners on strategies in various sectors, including agriculture, health, and climate change. Most recently, Devang helped the government set its policies for the sunflower sector in Tanzania, which will help the country achieve its industrialization objectives and reduce its reliance on imported palm oil.
Prior to joining Dalberg, Devang worked for 6 years with Mercer Consulting in the US, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on business and human capital strategies. Devang holds an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Claremont McKenna College. He was born and raised in India.
