Ambassador Fumio Shimizu is the newly appointed head of the Japanese Mission to the African Union (AU). A lawyer by profession, Shimizu is a seasoned Japanese diplomate and official at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Arie Hendrik Havelaar (PhD) is a professor of Microbial Risk Assessment and Epidemiology of Foodborne Diseases at the University of Florida’s Institute of Sustainable Food Systems.

South Korea and Ethiopia have enjoyed a long and rich bilateral relationship based on aid, trade and security. South Korea is seen as a worthy nation to emulate as Ethiopia attempts to change its narrative from an aid-dependent nation to one that is capable of funding its own economical ambition.

The Fred Hallows Foundation is an Australian NGO involved in helping end avoidable blindness in the world, including in Ethiopia.

Irish Aid is no stranger to Ethiopia, made famous during the Ethiopian famine of 1984 and the efforts of the likes of Sir Bob Gedloff and friends. Since then, Ireland has been richly involved in Ethiopia, in areas of aid and on the changing landscape of the nation.

Joel Mekonnen is the great-grandson of Emperor Haile-Selassie I. The newly minted lawyer from Washington DC’s Howard University, Joel has had a busy year, including his marriage which was highlighted, among others, in the New York Times and Vogue magazine.

Bereket Simon, a veteran politician, was former Communications Minister of Ethiopia and Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. He has been a significant force in Ethiopian politics specifically after the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front took power back in 1991.

President Tran Dai Quang of Vietnam is on a state visit to Ethiopia this week. He has been in the country since Thursday, promoting a strong relationship between both.

David Desta is the assistant director of Operations and Business Analytics with Kuriftu Resort. The Cornell University graduate in Hotel Administration reflects with The Reporter’s Samuel Getachew on the highlights of working in the local hospitality industry, on his vision on how local destinations can best be promoted locally and offers his take on how the new leadership of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO) can harness their potential.

Getaneh Shambel (ACCA) is the owner of a new online shopping platform that is accessible within the capital. The popular website has made online shopping convenient to hundreds of shoppers.