James E. Austin, Ph.D., Founder and Mentor

Kevin X. Murphy,
President and CEO

C. Martin Webber,
Executive Vice President

Justin Stokes

Carlton Jones

Michael Ducker

David Feige

Peter Johnson

Jessica Reynolds

Karen Isahakyan

Jennifer Lynch

Alicia Miller

Jarrett Creasy

Mollie Logue

Orzu Matyakubova

Aliya Ishmukhamedova

Warren Weinstein, Ph.D.

Patrick Nugawela, Ph.D.

Alan Saffery

Joyce Lamoreux

Darlene Corera

Michele Luis

STAFF

James E. Austin, Ph.D., Founder and Mentor

Dr. James E. Austin, referred to by the London Financial Times as the "Harvard Business School's guru on developing countries," currently holds the Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School as a Professor, Emeritus, where he created the Management in Developing Countries course.

For more than twenty years, his research has been dedicated to strategic management in developing and emerging economies. Dr. Austin served as the Director of Agribusiness Programs at the Central American Management Institute (INCAE). In 1980, the World Bank commissioned him to write Agroindustrial Project Analysis, a book that is still in use today.

In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Austin has worked to strengthen management schools around the world. He is internationally recognized as a leading authority on strategic management and provides consulting services to a wide variety of clients. He is the co-chairman of Harvard’s Social Enterprise Initiative.  

Kevin X. Murphy, President and Co-Founder

Kevin Murphy is a business/sectoral strategy and competitiveness expert with twenty-five years of experience in enterprise development, strategic management, competitiveness analysis, investment and trade, and related executive-level training. Mr. Murphy provides strategic management services to corporations and advises governments and donor agencies on fostering economic development and foreign investment strategies. He has directed numerous international projects focused on competitiveness, privatization, agribusiness development and enterprise development.

Mr. Murphy has authored or supervised the development of over one hundred business case studies on competitiveness, investment, and trade and strategy issues in developing countries. Mr. Murphy is also the co-author of the Manual for Action in the Private Sector (MAPS) methodology, a strategic tool for assessing constraints and opportunities for private enterprise and industry development in Africa. MAPS exercises have been implemented in over fifteen countries in Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Murphy is a graduate of Harvard Business School, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the University of Louvain, Belgium, and the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.  

C. Martin Webber, Executive Vice President and Partner

Martin Webber is a strategic management and management consulting professional with twenty-five years of experience in economic growth, private sector development, trade and investment, infrastructure, and agribusiness. A leader of JAA’s work in competitiveness, value chain development, public-private dialogue and institutional change, he has worked with more than 50 industry clusters and sectors, and more than 100 business associations and many public and private organizations in more than 40 countries.

A key figure in competitiveness, cluster and value chain work in countries such as Armenia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uganda, Mr. Webber guides and facilitates competitiveness and cluster development. He has helped devise strategies to improve the quality of dialogue between the private and public sector and to improve the development of the investment and trade environment for industry clusters. He has prepared and supervised case and similar studies of many companies and organizations.  Mr. Webber is a frequent advisor, speaker and writer on issues of competitiveness and business-led economic growth. 

Prior to J.E. Austin Associates, Mr. Webber worked in senior positions with Louis Berger International, Inc. and Apogee Research.  These were management and economic consultancies, with particular emphasis on infrastructure and related services, and economic growth.  A Canadian from Montreal, residing in Washington, DC, Mr. Webber obtained an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.  Mr. Webber was the 2005 co-recipient of the first “Making a Difference Award”, presented to alumni of the Harvard Business School.  

Justin Stokes

Justin Stokes is a Director with J.E. Austin Associates and a Senior Competitiveness and Private Sector Development Specialist focusing on lower income countries.  Mr. Stokes works with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, government and non-profit leaders to develop strategies for strengthening the private sector as a platform for economic growth.  Previously, Mr. Stokes worked as a management consultant for Marakon Associates where he advised executives of Fortune 500 and FTSE 500 companies on corporate strategy.

Mr. Stokes has led numerous national and industry cluster competitiveness initiatives across the globe, advising and facilitating government and industry leadership on strategies for raising the competitiveness of key industry clusters and their overall economy.  Mr. Stokes has authored country and industry specific reports on competitiveness, utilizing a variety of benchmarks, market analyses and other diagnostic tools.  Mr. Stokes has led and advised long-term and short-term competitiveness initiatives in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Libya, Morocco, Tanzania, Egypt and Jordan

Mr. Stokes is a co-founder of a non-profit private equity initiative in Tanzania promoting domestic private equity investment in small and medium-sized enterprises.  He has served as an advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture in Mozambique in setting up an investment fund to support start-ups and expansions in agribusiness.  In addition, Mr. Stokes authored a case study at Harvard University on the life science cluster in Nairobi, Kenya and its prospects for commercializing promising research and developing a life science cluster in East Africa.

Mr. Stokes earned a Masters in International Economic Development from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; and a Bachelors degree in Economics and History from Duke University.

Carlton Jones

Carlton Jones is a Senior Consultant with over 16 years of private sector experience working in the fields of Enterprise Development, Competitiveness, Information & Communication Technologies, & Microfinance. He has >consulted, implemented projects, conducted evaluations, and provided technical assistance for various donor, NGO and public/private sector clients throughout Africa and the Middle East, particularly in post- conflict countries. Before joining JAA, Mr. Jones worked in the Great Lakes of Africa, providing short-term technical assistance on a variety of economic growth, microfinance, enterprise development, and informal sector livelihood projects. Mr. Jones’ strengths are encapsulated in his entrepreneurialism, technical acumen and relationship building. He is comfortable both as a practitioner, as well as an administrator.

Before joining JE Austin, Mr. Jones was the co-founder and Vice President of Service Delivery for a US-based development consulting practice; specializing in ICT, Enterprise Development and Agribusiness. He began his professional career in the global telecommunications and ICT industry where he managed a P&L of $2m, generating $13m in new business.

Mr. Jones speaks French and earned a Masters in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; and a Bachelors degree in Marketing from Hampton University. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing and collecting art from his travels.

Michael Ducker

Mike Ducker is a market development specialist with 13 years of professional hands-on experience in both the private sector and for development agencies.  He works with stakeholders in creating practical and workable solutions to problems that lead to results.  Mr. Ducker has advised firms, development agencies, governments, industry associations and educational institutions on how to reach their goals by serving their stakeholders.  He also has a strong track record in the private sector in the following areas:

• Market Development
• New product development and innovation
• Investment strategies
• Institutional development to support entrepreneurs and innovation
  

Mr. Ducker's experience in the private sector has been an invaluable resource to development agencies developing the private sector.  But Mr. Ducker's greatest asset is his ability to generate results.  He designed and managed a financial center that helped raise $6 Million in funding for Egyptian entrepreneurs.  He also coached entrepreneurs in Armenia on how to engage with buyers which lead to new business contacts.  As part of a management team he helped turn around a sales and distribution center's $300,000 loss into a $1.2 million profit while doubling sales in four years. He has successfully generated marketing strategies for Fortune 500 companies like Delphi Automotive, as well as start-ups in alternative fuels. He has also developed a unique system of market research to track market and technology trends and help develop new products and services.  His methodology has been implemented in Egypt, Armenia and Thailand to understand market needs and target prime consumers. 

Mr. Ducker designed and taught marketing courses to entrepreneurs in the U.S. and internationally.  He earned a Masters in Business Administration from the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship, International Business and Economics.  Mr. Ducker has finished six marathons, including the Safaricom Marathon (considered one of the top five endurance marathons by Running World Magazine) and reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

David Feige

David Feige is a Project Manager at J.E. Austin where he backstops projects in Colombia and Cyprus.  David's technical work includes the National Competitiveness Reports of Jordan and Pakistan, as well as publicity efforts to raise awareness of competitiveness issues in Armenia around the release of the first Armenian Competitiveness Report. 

Before joining JAA, David was an economic development officer with International Relief and Development where he managed their USAID-funded local economic development programs in Serbia and Montenegro, and a DFID-funded livelihoods project in Lebanon.  Prior to that, he was a business technical advisor on a USAID Enterprise Development Project in Kazakhstan, a Program Manager for a small NGO leveraging technology for grassroots economic development, and a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador.  David also worked with the Chilean Government on their foreign direct investment strategies and led a team that developed a nationally recognized business plan for an India-based microfinance institution.

David has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and his Bachelor's degree in Business from Miami University of Ohio.

Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson is a Recruitment Specialist at JAA.  In regards to recruitment, he is the prime point of contact for consultants seeking to join our team.  On the business development side, he is responsible for finding new projects for the firm, as well as analyzing future revenues.  He has assisted with recruitment and business development for projects in Colombia, Serbia, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.

Prior to joining J.E. Austin, Peter worked as an Analyst at Citigroup / Banamex in Mexico City, Mexico where he created a model that was used to formulate new business development strategy, conducted legislative analysis, and analyzed individual client companies.  He also served as Marketing and Academic Director of Chile Idiomas, a language institute in Santiago, Chile, an Assistant Transaction Manager in the Finance and Operations Department of First American Equipment Finance, and a Senior Sales Consultant at Sutherland Global Services, working on projects for both Fortune 500 companies and start-up clients.

Peter earned his MA in International Relations and International Economics at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, a Diploma in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Bologna Center in Bologna, Italy, and his BA in Economics and International Relations from the State University College of New York at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo) in Geneseo, NY.

Jessica Reynolds

Mrs. Reynolds has been a Project Manager at JAA for three years.  She is currently managing competitiveness and economic growth programs in Armenia, Senegal, Croatia, Mexico and Pakistan.  In addition, to project administration, Mrs. Reynolds has contributed to the technical implementation of these and other projects, working to improve local business practices, increase knowledge about competitiveness and value chains, improve the regulatory environment, and further cluster development.

Recent assignments include completion of a value chain analysis for neem in Senegal; the creation of a competitiveness library; development of marketing materials and codes of conduct for tourism services associations in Armenia; design and management of a US study tour for the Pakistani gems and jewelry industry, and contribution to a guidebook on developing private sector development programs for indigenous SMEs in Africa.

Mrs. Reynolds plays an active role in business development at JAA as well, and has been involved with or led several proposal efforts.  As the knowledge management officer at JAA, she also trains new project managers and other staff, as well as contributing to HR activities.

Prior to joining JAA, Mrs. Reynolds worked as an intern for the World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and in fund raising for Loyola College in Maryland.  Mrs. Reynolds also worked with the Hispanic and Immigrant community of Baltimore as a volunteer providing support in language studies, employment assistance, and medical services.  Mrs. Reynolds graduated summa cum laude from Loyola College in Maryland with a bachelors degree in Comparative Culture and Literary Studies. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is fluent in Spanish and French.

Karen Isahakyan

Karen Isahakyan is a Project Manager at J.E. Austin. He curently backstops projects in Thailand and Morocco. He is involved in the Business Growth Initiative and is also part of a team to develop Country Analytical Studies.

Prior to joining JAA, Mr. Isahakyan was working as a consultant for various USAID projects in Armenia. He was a Grants Manager for the Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) project; Program Manager for the Community Tourism Development Initiative; and the M&E Officer for multi-million private sector development projects.

He was also involved in short term assignments with Nathan Associates, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Center for European Law and Integration (CELI). At CELI he was a team leader for developing the EU-Armenian Information Dissemination Strategy.

Mr. Isahakyan has an MBA from the American University of Armenia and a diploma in Radiophysics from Yerevan State University. In 2006, Mr. Isahakyan completed a negotiation training course from Mercy Corps at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Jennifer Lynch

Jennifer Lynch is a Project Manager at JAA.  She is involved in managing a large competitiveness and capacity building project in Pakistan .  She also coordinates a similar competitiveness project in Sri Lanka and is managing a new project in Jordan , working to improve the business environment, financial sector, trade, investment and productivity.  Previously, Ms. Lynch was a Junior Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum where she worked with Iraqi women’s NGOs, helping to develop reference guides and training materials for building the capacity of these nascent organizations.

Ms. Lynch graduated magna cum laude, earning her B.S. in Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  She has also studied at la Universidad Complutense in Madrid and at the American University in Cairo.  She is proficient in Arabic, Spanish and French and has also studied Portuguese and Persian (Farsi).

Alicia Miller

Alicia Miller is a Project Manager at JAA. Her responsibilities include backstopping projects, providing assistance on proposals, recruiting, and editing reports. Currently she is working on projects in Uganda, Senegal and Pakistan and is helping with proposals for work in Nigeria and Pakistan.

Ms. Miller graduated cum laude from The George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs and also studied Sciences Politiques in Paris, France. Before joining JAA, Ms. Miller interned for Senator John McCain in his Defense and Foreign Policy office. She is fluent in French and is a cellist in the NIH Philharmonia.

Jarrett Creasy

Mr. Creasy is a Project Manager at J.E. Austin; he is currently working on projects in Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt, and Colombia. Prior to joining JAA, he worked with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, International Development Enterprises in Cambodia, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and consulted on a community-based tourism project for USAID in the Dominican Republic. Mr. Creasy earned a Masters degree in International Development Studies from the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from James Madison University.

Mollie Logue

Mollie Logue is a Consultant at JAA focusing on competitiveness and private sector development. Recent assignments include implementation of the National Industrial Strategy of Saudi Arabia and development of the World Bank guide on “Clusters for Competitiveness.

Prior to joining JAA, Ms. Logue worked as an analyst for British Petroleum in Los Angeles and student affairs officer for Georgetown University in Qatar. She has worked in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Mexico and Panama; she has traveled widely through Latin America, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Ms. Logue graduated cum lade from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and has also studied at la Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina and the University of California at Berkeley. She is proficient in Spanish and has studied Farsi, Russian and German.

Orzu Matyakubova

Ms. Orzu Matyakubova is Senior Consultant at J. E. Austin Associates. She has more than 10 years of experience in international development on project management, business development and technical assistance delivery aspects. Her focus has been on private sector development. Orzu worked on competitiveness and value chain improvement programs in a variety of industries with a particular focus on food products and tourism. She actively participated in the design and launch of competitiveness programs in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Croatia. She also participated in the launch of workforce competitiveness programs in Kosovo, Serbia and Bulgaria under the sponsorship of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Global Workforce in Transition Initiative.

She is frequently slated to be the first person in any country or new project to pull together the business leaders, work with relevant business support institutions and government organizations, and introduce the concepts of competitiveness and workforce competitiveness that are aimed at strengthening the ability of enterprises to compete in world markets. She works with the private sector to develop and implement strategies that will enhance export earnings and increase market share. She also works with government officials to bring them into the process in a constructive way and to improve the business environment.

After working in competitiveness for many years, Orzu ran an enterprise in a developing country herself, first managing a luxury boutique hotel and then taking an old, abandoned tea estate and turning it into a commercial organic farm. Running the farm gave her first hand knowledge of international certification issues, food safety and food security requirements and how agricultural value chains in the developing world really work. This has given her real world skills in supply chain management, staff management, and the challenges of investing in the developing countries.

Aliya Ishmukhamedova

Aliya Ishmukhamedova is J.E. Austin's Compliance Officer with over eight years of economic development experience in economics, business education and finance.  She is certified by USAID as a Cognizant Technical Officer (CTO) and served over three years in the Agency's Central Asia Economic Growth Office where she managed project in five countries valued up to USD $13 million.  She also developed a joint agreement between USAID and the Government of Kazakhstan to fund a scholarship program for Central Asian students.

Mrs. Ishmukhamedova earned Masters degrees in Economic Development from Vanderbilt University and International Economic Relations from Kazakh State National University in Almaty.  She is fluent in English, Kazakh, Russian and Turkish.

Warren Weinstein, PhD.

Dr. Warren Weinstein is a recognized expert in international development with twenty-five years experience in bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations and in the implementation of field projects and programs. He has worked in private sector development work including project design and evaluation, governance and democracy, public/private sector partnerships, institutional development, improvement of the enabling environment, small and medium enterprise development, labor in development, community-based development and microfinance and has considerable experience in the design and implementation of training programs. He is well known among key OECD bilateral development banks and donor agencies, multilateral and regional banking and lending institutions, and private sector groups in developing and emerging economies.

Currently, Dr. Weinstein is serving as Chief of party for JAA on the Pakistan Initiative for Strategic Development and Competitiveness.

Dr. Weinstein earned a PhD in International Law & Economics, a Masters of International Relations, and an African Affairs Certificate from Columbia University .  Dr. Weinstein is a Fulbright Scholar (Free University of Brussels) and is proficient in six foreign languages.

Patrick Nugawela, PhD.

Dr. Patrick Nugawela is an Economist, as well as a Value Chain and Business Development Services expert, who has held senior management positions in both national and international levels in the field of industrial development and is experienced in identification, preparation, formulation and implementation of technical assistance projects.  He has experience collaborating with multilateral and bilateral organizations, private companies, NGOs and governments, negotiating funding, and implementing and evaluating technical assistance programs.  He has carried out training sessions, and prepared and led donor meetings for mobilization of resources.  He specializes in export development, industrial and trade promotion, the promotion of SMEs and export oriented SMEs in developing countries and rural development.  He has microfinance and microenterprise development experience and has formulated programs for Women’s entrepreneurship development. 

He is currently serving as a Value Chain/Business Development Services Advisor and team leader for JAA’s economic growth project in Senegal .  He has nearly thirty years of experience in production, quality control and marketing of wild ocean caught and aquaculture shrimp, lobster, cephalopods and fish products in USA , Europe, the Orient, Africa, Middle East and India . Dr. Nugawela is actively involved in contract negotiations with super market chains, food service distributors and importers.

In 2002 Dr. Nugawela received an honorary award as a “Chevalier in the Order of Palms Academic” by the Government of France for his work done in the field of economic and SME development in many countries.  Dr. Nugawela holds a PhD with Merit in Development Economics from the University of Social Sciences in Grenoble , France .  His PhD thesis was on the role and policies of SMEs in developing countries.  He also has a BA with honours in Economics and Banking from the University of Sri Lanka.