A native of Cote d'Ivoire, the new ECOWAS Commission President holds a PhD in Economics, an MBA in Finance from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America and, a Master's degree from the National University of Cote d'Ivoire.
He began his professional career at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1982, first as a Senior Economist and served mainly in Senegal from 1990 to 1991 as IMF Resident Representative.
Until his appointment as President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou served as Minister of Industry and Mines in Cote d'Ivoire since November 2012.
Prior to that, he was Economic and Financial Adviser to the Prime Minister of Cote d'Ivoire from 1991 to 1995. In 1996, he was named Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, a position he held until 1999. He was also Chairman of the Privatisation Committee.
Jean Claude Kassi Brou also worked for eight years at the Central Bank
of West African States (BCEAO), where he was successively Director of International Relations and Director of Studies until 2005. He thereafter headed the Department of Economic and Currency Studies before being appointed Special Adviser and Comptroller General from 2007 to 2008.
He was also the World Bank's Resident Representative for Chad from 2010 to 2013, and Consultant to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou is married with two children.
