Committee Profiles
Co - Chair persons of the Committee

Judy Kepher-Gona
Executive Director - Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (STTA), Kenya

Prof Marina Novelli (PhD)
Professor of Tourism and International Development and Responsible Futures’ Academic Lead at the University of Brighton, UK
A native of Italy and African by ‘professional adoption’, she has written and advised extensively in the field of international tourism policy, planning, development and management in several African destinations – Botswana, Burundi, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. She has advised on a number of projects funded by The World Bank Group, the EU, the UN, the Commonwealth Secretariat, National Ministries and Tourism Boards, Regional Development Agencies and NGO’s.
Her work has demonstrated to have impact far beyond tourism by contributing to more effective economic growth, improved environments and more inclusive societies. Her most recent 2016 volume Tourism and Development in Sub-Sahara Africa: Contemporary Issues and Local Realities (Oxford: Routledge) conveys her extensive empirically grounded research and consultancy engagements and collaborations in some 15 Sub-Sahara Africa destinations. She is currently collaborating with Emmanuel A. Adu-Ampong and Manuel A. Ribeiro in the editing of the Routledge Handbook of Tourism in Africa, a collection of some 40 chapters authored by academics and practitioners primarily from the African continent, which will be published in 2019.Awards Committee members

Dr Emmanuel Akwasi Adu-Ampong
Senior Lecturer - Sheffield Hallam University, UK and a Research Associate, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jon Howell
Managing Director - AviaDev, Bench Events, UK

Miller Matola
CEO, Millvest and Director, Africa Tourism Leadership Forum

Dr. Kobby Mensah
Lecturer: University of Ghana Business School, Accra, Ghana

Vincent Oparah
Project Manager: Skills and Employment for Youth Programme & Tourism Advisor at NEPAD.

Assia Riccio
CEO and Founder EvolvinWomen, Dubai

Barry Clemens
Hospitality & Tourism Professional
Barry Clemens is a through and through Hospitality & Tourism professional with extensive International experience in the trade.
Recently made major inroads in the tech start up industry in the hospitality industry and has been a speaker at various conferences relating to digitalisation and sustainable tourism.
With a European upbringing, education and hospitality experience; he has made Africa his home since 1995 and has made an impact on the industry
Barry has been at the helm of multinational companies in his field of expertise and has shown extreme business acumen and tenacity in building and developing these companies.
His grounding experience that has brought him through the various stages of employee and management levels gives him the know-how and appreciation of the ground work and importance of the team.
Barry’ entrepreneurial spirit that comes natural, combined with experience and sound business and financial acumen has accumulated to several success’ and achievements such as;
Lilizela Award judge for 5 consecutive years to date (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018)
Winner and finalist of several international awards in hospitality for properties under his management
Elected executive member of the DCCI Tourism forum
Proven track record in successfully developing financially distressed business’ into profitable units, whilst improving service delivery.
He recognises the importance of education and transformation in the industries and has a great passion for this, which culminated in projects achieving these goals and assisting communities to develop.