Walter Kansteiner

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An astute advisor, skilled statesman, and savvy business leader, Walter Kansteiner has more than twenty years experience with African and emerging market issues.  As a founding principal of the Scowcroft Group, he has advised corporations on a wide range of mergers, acquisitions, and privatizations throughout Africa including telecommunications, forestry, mining, financial services, healthcare, and aviation services.  Kansteiner also advised the buy side on the privatization of Telkom South Africa, the largest privatization in Africa to date.

Prior to his current stint with the Scowcroft Group, Kansteiner was Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President George W. Bush.  In this capacity, he was responsible for U.S. foreign policy in Africa as well as serving as the President’s personal representative to the G8 Africa Process.  He is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, chairs the Africa Policy Advisory Panel (a Congressionally-mandated advisory group) and serves on various boards in the U.S. and Africa.

SPEAKER TOPICS
ABOUT Walter Kansteiner   (+/-)

Unparalleled Expertise and Insight on African Affairs

A leading scholar and expert on Africa, Walter Kansteiner has held several top government posts, adroitly handling some of the most critical contemporary political and economic issues on the continent.  In addition to serving as Assistant Secretary of State of African Affairs, Kansteiner was also the Director of African Affairs on the National Security Council staff, served as the Africa specialist on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, and with the Department of Defense as a member of the Strategic Minerals Task Force.

Real-World Experience in Emerging Markets

Before he was affiliated with The Scowcroft Group, Kansteiner was Executive Vice President of a commodity trading and processing company that specialized in tropical commodities such as coffee, cocoa and sugar.  He holds graduate degrees in international economics and ethics from American University and Virginia Theological Seminary, respectively.

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SPEAKER TOPIC DESCRIPTIONS    (+/-)

Africa: The Last Emerging Market

Africa is a vastly different place than it was just two decades ago, as foreign investment, resource recovery, and government stability have steadily increased.  However, political risk is still high and ethnic and tribal allegiances have traditionally trumped national unity.  Given this landscape and the fact that Africa only holds three percent of total world trade, does the continent really matter in economic terms?  Where does Africa fit into the international investing world and should we be interested – and if so, why -- in Africa as a trade and/or investment destination?  In this brilliant, illuminating presentation, Kansteiner provides an insightful overview of the macroeconomic-politics of the continent and demonstrates how Africa really is the last great emerging market.

Africa's Natural Resources: The 21st Century’s Commodity Storehouse

From West Africa's ever-growing hydrocarbon reserves to the strategic and precious minerals of Central and Southern Africa, the continent will furnish the world its critical commodities.  Will food and agriculture be Africa's next strategic sector?  If not, what will drive its economic engine?  The ownership, control and production capabilities for all of Africa's commodity resources will be crucial in turning the continent's potential into reality. How effectively – or not -- African countries manage these issues will be a pivotal factor in the continent's future prosperity. 

Doing Business in Africa: Where Commerce and Politics Intersect

Corruption among business elites and government officials is nothing new anywhere in the world, but is nearly systemic and standard practice in parts of Africa; this is often due to lack of knowing what even constitutes ethical governance on the corporate or political side.  Conducting business in Africa demands a constant strategy of mitigating risk.   In this powerful discussion, Kansteiner explains how to mitigate that risk and effectively select the right local partner for business success.

Africa and China: An Unholy Alliance or a Winning Combination?

China's involvement in Africa has waxed and waned over the centuries, but in the past five years, China has notably moved from trading partner to equity investor. Will this trend continue? What does it mean for the rest of the world and who is the ultimate beneficiary? Chinese investors seem to apply a different set of rules by which they invest in projects and companies in Africa; with their ever-increasing status as a global economic powerhouse, can the rest of the world compete – and can we afford not to?

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