EJS Presidential Center Announces New Chief Operating Officer

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center) has announced the appointment of Madam of Amini Kajunju as its Chief Operating Officer who in her role will support the Executive Director in the establishment and management of the Center’s financial, reporting, and operational processes and systems, as well as the development of its strategic direction and mission.

In a release signed and issued by the Executive Director, Madam Ophelia Inez Weeks, Ms. Kajunju joined the EJS Center from the International University of Grand Bassam (IUGB) Foundation, where she was Executive Director. Prior to this, Ms. Kajunju served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Africa Integras, a New York-based firm that invests in the development of education infrastructure at African universities.

The release stated that the new COO also previously served as President & CEO of the Africa-America Institute (AAI), a New York-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening human capacity in Africa. In this role, she was the first African to serve at the helm of the oldest non-profit organization of its kind in the United States.

The release furthered that alongside this stellar experience in the non-profit sector, Ms. Kajunju has been honored as “Advocate of the Year” at Applause Africa’s African Diaspora Awards in 2013 and was named on Forbes’ list of 20 Young Power Women in Africa 2013. She has also been featured on CNN’s African Voices.

“The EJS Center is thrilled to welcome Ms. Kajunju to our senior leadership team, where she will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and help the Center achieve our mission to champion women’s ascension to the highest levels of leadership and challenge systemic barriers to girls’ and women’s advancement”, the release said.

“This is an exciting new chapter for the EJS Center, as our efforts to champion women leaders across the African continent continue to grow. Ms. Kajunju’s experience in the not-for-profit sector—both in Africa and the United States—is a perfect fit for the next phase of the Center’s work”, the release concluded.

For her part, Ms. Kajunju said “I am elated to join the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. Leadership development has been a core theme of my career, and I am happy to be working at the EJS Center as it continues to amplify the voice of women and girls in all spheres of life by increasing the representation of women leaders in public service.”

Ms. Kajunju joins the EJS Center from the International University of Grand Bassam (IUGB) Foundation, located in Cote d’Ivoire, which is dedicated to making the institution a center of excellence for higher education in Africa as the Executive Director. Prior to this, Ms. Kajunju served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Africa Integras, a New York-based firm that invests in the development of education infrastructure at African universities.

She also previously served as President & CEO of the Africa-America Institute (AAI), a New York-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening human capacity in Africa. In this role, she was the first African to serve at the helm of the oldest non-profit organization of its kind in the United States.

Alongside this stellar experience in the non-profit sector, Ms. Kajunju has been honored as “Advocate of the Year” at Applause Africa’s African Diaspora Awards in 2013 and was named to Forbes’ list of 20 Young Power Women in Africa 2013. She has also been featured on CNN’s African Voices.

Amini holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations with an emphasis on Economic Development from Brigham Young University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Finance & Management from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Amini speaks French and has a basic understanding of Swahili and Lingala.

In 2021, she completed a certificate from Harvard Edx, Africa Live: Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies. She was featured on BBC World Service Radio, Focus on Africa, 2021 analysis on US-Africa foreign policy.  In 2020, she was awarded World Remit Top 10 Influential Migrant Africans in the USA.