His Excellency Ambassador Joseph Huggins, former Botswana

Ambassador Joseph Huggins, a retired Career Diplomat, is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Huggins Group (THG).  The firm, which was founded in 2006, provides strategic advice to U.S. companies Interested in trade and investment opportunities in Africa.  He is also the Chairman and co-owner of Travel Leisure (PTY) Ltd., a tour operating business in Botswana, and a Principal Member of Energy Resources International, LLC (ERI).  ERI provides strategic advice to companies on the purchase of hydrocarbon products.  Prior to his current position, Ambassador Huggins had a long and distinguished Diplomatic career serving in senior positions in the former Soviet Union, Kenya, Guinea, Togo, and Jordan. In his last overseas assignment from January 2003 to July 2005, he served as Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana and the Secretary of State’s Special Representative to the Southern Africa Development Community, a political and economic organization comprised of 14 countries in southern Africa.  During his tour in Botswana, Ambassador Huggins was responsible for strengthening U.S.-Botswana relations and promoting trade and investment opportunities for U.S. firms.  Following his assignment to Botswana, Ambassador Huggins worked with The Corporate Council on Africa as Senior Advisor to the Financing and Capital Flows Committee in developing strategies to increase investment flows to Africa. He also served as a liaison between the Council and multilateral organizations, African governments and the broader (non-member) business community on issues related specifically to finance and capital flows.  

Ambassador Huggins previously served as Executive Director for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs where he worked closely with the Assistant Secretary of State for Africa in formulating policy and resource requirements for 44 U.S. Embassies in Africa.

Ambassador Huggins serves on the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank of the United States.  The Committee, established by an act of Congress, provides expert guidance to the Bank in developing policies to strengthen Bank support of U.S. exports to Africa.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Osgood Center for International Studies (www.osgoodcenter.org).  He Chairs the Board of Directors of the non-profit Ariel Foundation International and is a founding board member of Airborne Lifeline Foundation.  He is also a founding board member of  the Botswana based “Show You Care Trust,” and  sits on the Advisory Boards of the New York based Monolith Africa Infrastructure Fund, L.P., and Harvard University’s Young African Leaders Association.  He has been featured in the documentary film, Africa Investment Horizons, Fox 5 New York News broadcast on Botswana, Reuters Africa Journal Broadcast, and Cleveland, Ohio’s National Public Radio – WCPN 90.3 – broadcast, Africa, Land of the 144 Percent Investment Return.