Cecilia Värendh Månsson

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT CECILIA VÄRENDH MÅNSSON

Most of what I do share one common denominator: AfricaDr. Cecilia Varendh Mansson is the CEO / Founder of TalentUp Africa, an enterprise with operations in the US and Africa with the goal to help solve the global tech talent crisis by unleashing opportunities for African talent. She is a Fellow in World Economic Forum’s Council on “Responsive Financial Systems” and a Fellow at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School where she is a tutor in entrepreneurship for students enrolled in Saïd Business School’ CDL accelerator program. She further publishes in leading top tier academic journals and writes blogs for the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative. Dr. Varendh Mansson holds a PhD from Oxford University, Saïd Business School (New College). Her PhD included one year as a visiting fellow at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (academic advisor: Professor Tyler Wry) and one year as a visiting visiting fellow at Harvard Business School, Harvard University (academic advisor: Professor Julie Battilana). Her PhD thesis investigated mobile technology’s impact in microfinance organisations’ dual missions – social impact and financial sustainability - in Africa. Dr. Varendh Mansson holds an MBA from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, where she was awarded distinction (highest merit) in September 2016: She was further elected by her cohort to be the graduation speaker at the Oxford Union. Prior to Oxford, Dr. Varendh Mansson graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in Economics/ Mathematics, with a GPA of 4.00 / 4.00 from Columbia University in May 2014. Dr. Varendh Mansson’s professional background includes being responsible for Talent Acquisition at H&M USA (2014), interning at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in New York (2013/2014) as well as at ACCESS Health International (2013/2014). Dr. Varendh Mansson was the founder of GatewayScandinavia, a start-up with the goal to strengthening Scandinavian corporations’ competitiveness by marketing them at Ivy League universities as attractive potential employers. GatewayScandinavia was featured favourably on numerous occasions in Sweden’s largest and most prominent business newspapers and media outlets (2012/ 2013) and in 2013 Dr. Varendh Mansson was placed on Sweden’s most regarded super-talent list (place 27 of 101).