This curriculum vitae summarizes the professional experience and qualifications of Donald Mark Pearson. It outlines his educational background, including degrees from the University of East Anglia in rural development and the University of Salford in economics. It also lists his current positions as an independent consultant focusing on regional integration, trade, and infrastructure in Africa. Finally, it provides details of his 38 years of experience working on development projects across Africa, primarily focused on regional economic cooperation, trade, agriculture, and rural development.

1. CURRICULUM VITAE
1. Family name: PEARSON
2. First name: Donald Mark
3. Date and place of birth: 25th
November 1953 Durban, South Africa
4. Nationality: British and South African
5. Civil status and number of dependants: Married with three adult children
6. Education:
Institution: University of East Anglia, Norwich, England
Dates: September 1978 to December 1979
Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained: Master of Arts (with distinction) in Rural Development.
Subjects: Development Economics, Quantitative Methods, Development
Theory and Practice and Rural Development Analysis.
Institution: University of Salford, Manchester, England
Dates: October 1972 to July 1975
Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained: Bachelor of Science (Second Class Honours).
Subjects: – Economics, Statistics, Geography, Sociology and Psychology
Institution Cheadle Hulme Grammar School, Manchester, England
Dates: September 1967 to July 1972
Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained: “A” levels in 4 subjects - Pure and Applied Mathematics, Physics,
Geography and General Studies.
“O” levels in 10 subjects
7. Language skills: (mark 1 to 5 for competence).
Language Reading Speaking Writing
English (native tongue) 5 5 5
French (learnt at school) 2 1 1
8. Present Positions:
- Independent Consultant - Regional Integration; Trade Policy and Facilitation;
Infrastructure Planning; Project Planning and Management.
- Associate of the Brenthurst Foundation
- Crown Agents Associate
9. Years of relevant professional experience:
38 years of relevant professional experience working either in Africa or in development
economics/statistics/project management.
10. Career Highlights over last 20 years:
a) Programme Director of large, multi-disciplinary teams working in a number of aspects of
regional economic integration, trade policy, trade facilitation and infrastructure planning
and development.
b) Part of the team that prepared the draft negotiating text, principles of negotiation,
negotiating modalities and background papers for the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite
Free Trade Area.
c) Design and implementation of trade facilitation programmes including sub-Sahara’s first
one stop border post at Chirundu and South Africa’s National OSBP Policy.
d) Infrastructure project preparation activities including designing development of
transport/transit corridors, corridor monitoring system, creating and maintaining an
infrastructure projects database linked to a GIS map, and part of the team that designed
the PIDA Capacity Building Programme.
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2. e) Member of the teams than designed the COMESA Fund, the Regional Payments and
Settlement System, preparation of a strategy to finance regional activities, and the Africa
Trade Insurance (ATI) Agency.
f) Advisor to the Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and a part of the 2005
Ministerial (Green Room) negotiating team that negotiated the LDC Package (Annex F) of
the 2005 Hong Kong WTO Ministerial Declaration.
g) Part of the team that designed and negotiated the COMESA FTA in 2000.
h) Working in Zambia as Advisor to the European Development Fund (EDF) National
Authorising Officer.
i) Led the teams that designed and established the and Export Development Programme as
well as a number of agricultural and rural development projects.
j) Led the team that migrated the Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies from a project to
a successful commercial operation.
k) Part of the Structural Adjustment Team of the Ministry of Finance, Zambia.
l) Design and implementation of Project Monitoring and Evaluation systems.
m) Editing, contributing to and authoring reports and papers on various topics including
project proposals, papers on trade policy, trade facilitation, transport and infrastructure.
n) Public speaking and presentations at technical and professional conferences and
workshops.
o) Dealing with a wide range of donors and financial institutions and in preparing
programmes for funding.
11. Experience with projects financed by international organisations: (country, project,
years)
World Bank 1982-83 Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Project, Nigeria
European Union 1983-86 Jebel Marra Rural Development Project, Sudan
FAO 1986 Southern Province Agricultural Development Project, Syria
British Aid 1987-89 Central Province District Development Project, Zambia
European Union 1989-96 Office of the National Authorising Officer and advisor on the
Structural Adjustment Programme, Zambia
European Union 1996 Short-term consultancies for Ministry of Agriculture, Roads
Department of Ministry of Works and Supply, private sector, donor
projects and the Export Development Programme, Zambia
European Union 1996-2005 Regional Integration Adviser and Programme Manager, COMESA
Secretariat, COMESA region.
British Aid 2005 - 2009 Programme Director, Regional Trade Facilitation Programme, SADC
and COMESA Region.
British Aid 2009 – 2014 Programme Director, TradeMark Southern Africa, COMESA, EAC
and SADC regions (www.trademarksa.org)
Short term consulting 2014- See below for details
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3. 12. Specific developing country experience:
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: Voluntary Service Overseas (1975-76) and Provincial Ministry of Education (1976-78)
Date (From-To): 1975 -1978
Position: Teacher and then Vice Principal
Activities: Teaching of secondary school Maths and Geography and administration (as Vice
Principal) of the school (20 staff and 360 pupils).
Country: Nigeria
Organisation: MASDAR Consultants (World Bank funded)
Date (From-To): 1982 -1983
Position: Senior Evaluation Officer
Activities: Organisation, enumeration, analysis of results and reporting on agricultural and socio-
economic surveys for two zones of the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development
Authority.
Country: Sudan
Organisation: Hunting Technical Services (EU funded)
Date (From-To): 1983 -1986
Position: Chief Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Activities: Design, organisation, enumeration, analysis of results and reporting on agricultural and
socio-economic surveys and rapid rural appraisals for the Jebel Marra Rural
Development Project.
Country: Syria
Organisation: FAO (World Bank Funded)
Date (From-To): 1986
Position: Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant
Activities: Collection, coding, analysis and reporting of a previously enumerated survey on a
project involving land clearing and planting of temperate fruit orchards on the Golan
Heights and providing advice on future surveys to be conducted.
Country: Zambia
Organisation: Hunting Technical Services (British Aid Funded)
Date (From-To): 1987 -1989
Position: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
Activities: Based in the Provincial Planning Unit of Central Province responsible for preparing and
updating provincial plans and reports; designing and maintaining a computer-based
management information system and a project evaluation system; the establishment
and maintenance of sectoral data bases; and assisting departments and district
councils in identification, preparation, appraisal and selection of small infrastructure
projects and securing funds.
Country: Zambia
Organisation: A.E.C. (EU funded)
Date (From-To): 1989 -1996
Position: Adviser to the National Authorising Officer and part of the advisory team on structural
adjustment issues (NCDP and Ministry of Finance)
Activities: Preparing the Lome IV NIP; assisting with the implementation of the Structural
Adjustment Programme; promotion of regional integration through the Cross Border
Initiative; preparing financing proposals and Requests for Proposals; management and
administration of contracts for trunk and feeder road rehabilitations, rehabilitation of an
international airport runway, an export development programme; rural development,
livestock and agricultural credit and marketing programmes, development of
sustainable wildlife management systems, development of a tourism policy, tourism
and trade fair participation, the establishment of a professional accountancy training
institution, micro-projects, improving health and education delivery systems,
procurement and installation of solar equipment, procurement of medical equipment
and vaccines, etc.; and assisting programme managers in programme administration.
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4. Country: Zambia
Organisation: Short-Term Consultant (various funding sources)
Date (From-To): 1996
Position: Short-Term Consultant
Activities: Short-term consultancies including design of a system of commercial marketing loans
backed by warehoused commodities; design of a monitoring and evaluation system for
the Export Development Programme; successful preparation of a bid for a World Bank-
financed tender for a private consultancy firm; and Team Leader on a consultancy to
prepare an agricultural private sector development programme for Zambia for financing
under EDF8.
Country: COMESA Region (Eastern and Southern Africa)
Organisation: A.E.C. and Independent Consultant (EU funded)
Date (From-To): 1996 – 2005
Position: Regional Integration Adviser and Programme Manager
Activities: Developing and implementing programmes aimed at expanding cross-border trade and
investment; investigating the economic effects of free trade and customs union
arrangements; examining and reporting on issues relevant to regional integration,
including integration of regional capital markets, trade policy reform and macro-
economic (fiscal and monetary) policy harmonisation; assisting to prepare and manage
a regional integration research network; managing the programme to assist member
States in EPA negotiations including programmes of assistance in fisheries, market
access, services, trade-related issues, agriculture and development; managing the
programme of assistance in WTO issues; assisting with the implementation of the
CBI/RIFF; assisting the Secretariat to computerise its operations, including establishing
a website; working with the Clearing House on establishing a cross-border payments
and settlement system; liaising with donors and co-operating partners; preparation of
briefs and reports on COMESA activities and technical reports for publication;
representing the Secretariat in workshops and conferences; assisting Project
Managers of EDF-financed projects.
Country: SADC and COMESA Regions (Eastern and Southern Africa) and LDCs
Organisation: IMANI Development (UK Department for International Development funded)
Date (From-To): 2005 – 2009
Position: Programme Director, Regional Trade Facilitation Programme
Activities: Working with the LDC Group in Geneva on DFQFMA, Rules of Origin, Food Aid, Trade
in Services, Non-Agricultural Market Access, Agricultural Market Access, Enhanced
Integrated Framework and Aid-For-Trade.
Working with the Regional Economic Communities (EAC, COMESA, SADC) on trade
policy issues (including moving to a customs union, EPA negotiations, trade in services,
harmonising standards in the region and strengthening the free trade areas) and trade
facilitation issues (including one-stop border posts, non-tariff barriers, regional customs
bond guarantee systems, competition policy and tax policy harmonisation).
Programme management – RTFP managed pro-poor trade programmes dealing with fair
trade in nuts, devils claw and other natural products, coffee and tea.
Country: COMESA, EAC and SADC Regions (Eastern and Southern Africa) and LDCs
Organisation: Independent Consultant to the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite (UK Department for
International Development funded)
Date (From-To): 2009 – 2014
Position: Programme Director, TradeMark Southern Africa
Activities: Assisted with the establishment of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite and the Tripartite
Task Force.
Assisted with the design and negotiations of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free
Agreement.
Leading the TMSA team, developed the “Corridor Approach” to planning infrastructure
and Trade Facilitation in a holistic and sequential way to reduce the costs of cross-
border trade. Corridors including the North-South Corridor (NSC) and the South West
Indian Ocean Maritime Corridor (SWIOMC)
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5. As Programme Director, established and directed the Project Preparation and
Implementation Unit (PPIU) which has designed and assisted to finance a number of
key regional infrastructure projects.
Led the team that established and populated the Tripartite Regional Infrastructure
Projects Database (TRIPDA) and its GIS web-enabled user interface.
Led the team that established and implemented and directed the Programme on Trade
Facilitation including support to national customs services to develop an integrated (or
coordinated) border management systems (including one-stop border posts); carrying
out needs assessment surveys for the WTO; corridor monitoring; transport facilitation
programmes; SPS measures; the Tripartite NTB reporting and monitoring mechanism;
and a methodology to estimate the carbon footprint of a transport corridor.
Led the team that developed a pilot programme for Growth Clusters, based on mineral
beneficiation and value addition in the food chain.
Country: COMESA, EAC and SADC Regions (Eastern and Southern Africa)
Organisation: Various
Date (From-To): March 2014 –
Position: Independent Consultant
Activities to date:
Mar 2014 Editing and contributing to the 2013 African Development Report (African Development
Bank).Financed by the African Development Bank
http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/ADR14_ENGLISH_w
eb.pdf
May–Aug 14 Writing chapters on “Transport and Logistics” and “Transport Infrastructure” for a book on
“Africans investing in Africa” and editing the book (for the Brenthurst and Tony Elumelu
Foundations. Publisher is Palgrave). Financed by the Brenthurst and Tony Elumelu
Foundations
May 2014 Investment opportunities in Africa and an analysis of the supply chain (Container Freight
Stations) on the Mombasa-Nairobi corridor for a private sector investor.
May-Jun 14 Preparation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Capacity
Building Programme for Africa Union, African Development Bank and NEPAD. Financed
by AfDB.
May 2014 Paper on priority infrastructure projects in the COMESA region – identification, financing,
planning, prioritising and sequencing – for the 11th
European Development Fund
Infrastructure Envelope – blending and leveraging facility. Financed by COMESA and the
EDF
July 2014 Preparation of a technical proposal for tender to prepare a national one-stop border post
policy. Tender was won and project financed by the African Development Bank.
Aug 2014 Preparation of a work programme and cost estimate for implementation of a programme to
support the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya power interconnector project. The client was the
Office for the Promotion of Private Power Investments and the support programme is
financed through EDF10.
August 2014 Think piece on Trade Facilitation and Value Chains for the Brenthurst Foundation
August 2014 Preparation of internal papers for COMESA on Rules of Origin and Export Taxes.
August 2014 Preparation of a research proposal on job creation, value chains, trade facilitation and
policy changes for the Zambia Economic Advocacy Programme.
Sept. 2014 Study mission to Singapore with a team of high-level African policy makers led by
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Sept. 2014 Teaching on a post-graduate course on Trade Policy for University of Adelaide, financed
by Australian Aid.
Sept. 2014 Presentations to, and attending, a workshop sponsored by WTO/ACWF/ICTSD on dispute
settlement mechanisms.
Oct-Nov 2014 Consultancy to prepare proposals on how to make the COMESA Adjustment Facility
Sustainable.
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6. Nov 2014 Consultancy on utilisation of the balance of funds under the EDF10 Inter-Regional
Coordinating Committee Programme.
Nov 2014 Briefing paper (for Indian Ocean Commission) on Economic Partnership Agreements
Nov 14-Feb 15 Participating in the UNCTAD-led DTIS update for Ethiopia – prepared the transport, trade
facilitation and logistics sections.
Jan 2015 Preparation of a Project Information Memorandum and investment proposal for a private
client seeking an injection of equity and a loan for his business.
Feb-May 2015 Consultancy as part of the team to prepare a One-Stop Border Policy for South Africa.
Financed by the African Development Bank
March 2015 Preparation of the Draft COMESA Industrial Policy.
March 2015 Consultancy to estimate the cost of implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement for
Zambia. Financed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
May 2015 Organising and participating in a study tour to look at potential investment opportunities in
Zambia in the transport and energy sectors.
May 2015 Consultancy for a private client to do a regional port competitive analysis; a SWOT
analysis, volume and revenue forecasts and hinterland connectivity.
Jun-Dec 2015 Identification of possible projects to be funded by the Pan African blending envelope
through the African Investment Facility – funded by European Union
Jun 2015 - Profiling Mineral Beneficiation in the COMESA Region – Funded by United Nations
Apr 2016 Economic Commission for Africa and African Minerals Development Centre
Jun-Dec 2015 Preparation of a Trade and Transport Facilitation Framework – Funded by African
Development Bank.
July 2015 Study on how far SADC has gone in deepening regional integration – funded by ICTSD
July-Sept 15 Preparation of an Evaluation Framework for the Indian Ocean Commission’s Strategic
Development Plan and the EDF11 Regional Indicative Programme.
July 2015 North-South Corridor intermodal terminal study – financed by the NEPAD Business
Foundation.
Oct 2015 Teaching on a post-graduate trade course run by University of Adelaide and financed by
Australian Aid.
Oct – Dec 15 Assisting UNCTAD to finalise the transport and logistics component of the Ethiopia DTIS.
Nov 2015 Input into a trade capacity building programme for Lesotho on preparations for WTO
MC10.
Feb – Apr 16 Finalising the TTFF for African Development Bank
Apr – Jun 16 Development of a project proposal on the effective implementation of Rules of Origin and
other Trade Facilitation measures in Malawi.
May – Jun 16 Trade mainstreaming and an industrial policy for Gambia under DTIS
May – Jun 16 Review of the COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan 2011-2016
13. Other relevant professional experience:
Country Organisation Date:
from/to
Position Job Description
Northern
Ireland
Northern
Ireland Civil
Service
1980
-1982
Assistant
Economist/
Statistician
Policy Planning and Research Unit of the
Northern Ireland Civil Service, seconded to
Department of Education, responsible for:
analysis and interpretation of education
statistics; presentations to senior civil servants;
written answers to Parliamentary questions;
departmental bulletins; maintaining data-bases
on mainframe and mini computers; and design
of a Teacher's Information System to assess
and plan teacher requirements.
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7. Zambia Zambia
Venture
Capital Fund
1996
-2003
Board
Member
Board Member of Zambia Venture Capital Fund
representing EIB from ZVCF’s inception in 1996
to the time ZVCF was folded into Aureos in
2003. Deals made included loans and equity
investments in property development (Manda
Hill Shopping Mall), hotels (Sun International),
manufacture, food and beverages and
commercial farming (mainly cut flowers).
Zambia Lusaka
International
Community
School
1999 –
2005
Board
Member
and then
Chairman
During the time that I was Board Chairman the
School purchased the land and buildings the
school was on (changed the rental agreement to
a purchase agreement); obtained accreditation
to a recognised European education
accreditation body; a salary structure was put in
place; and pupil numbers grew year-on-year.
Zambia iConnect
Internet
Service
Provider
2005 –
2010
Board
Member
I was a Board Member of iConnect from its
inception in 2005 to the time it was bought by
Vodacom in 2010. In these 5 years we grew the
company from a start-up to the largest Internet
Service Provider in Zambia.
Zambia iSchool
Zambia
Limited
2014 - Director –
Special
Projects
and Interim
CEO
I was appointed (part-time) by iSchool Zambia to
revamp their M&E system, to assist the
commercial sales team to take the product to
market and to assist to raise external funding to
launch iSchool in Zambia and other African
markets. On the unexpected and sudden death
of the founder and CEO I took on the position of
Interim CEO for three months for Zambia in
February 2015
South
Africa
Brenthurst
Foundation
2014- Associate Appointed as an Associate of the Brenthurst
Foundation.
Zambia iSchool
Zambia
Limited
2015 Board
Member
I was appointed to the Board of iSchool Zambia
as a Company Director. I left in December 2015
In addition to the above I have served as Secretary and Committee member to various societies and
clubs including the Broken Hill Rugby Football Club (as a playing member), to the Mulungushi Boat Club
(as a sailing and life member) and to the Irish Wild Geese Society. I am currently chairman of the Wild
Geese Society for 2015-2016.
14. Publications and Reports
Pearson, Mark - “Perspectives for EPA Negotiations: Challenges for Eastern and Southern
Africa Region”. ECDPM Trade Negotiation Insights Vol. 3, No.2, March
2004.
Pearson, Mark - “Variable Geometry - What future for Southern African Integration” in “the
TDCA: Impacts, Lessons and Perspectives for EU–South and Southern
African Relations” Edited by Talitha Bertelsman-Scott and Peter Draper.
SAIIA. 2005.
Pearson, Mark - “Negotiating the Trade and Development Dimension of EPAs: A Way Forward”
in Trade Negotiations Insights (Vol. 4, No. 3, May-June 2005)
Pearson, Mark - “Addressing Market Access and Entry Barriers through Regional Integration:
The COMESA Experience.” In Multilateralism and Regionalism: The New
Interface. UNCTAD 2005
Pearson, Mark - “Rules of Origin for Fish and Fish Products for the Eastern and Southern Africa
Region Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union”. RTFP
Publication. March 2007
Pearson, Mark - “Globalisation and Economic Success – The Strugglers” in “Globalisation and
Economic Success” (Chapter 3) edited by Barry Desker, Jeffrey Herbst and
Greg Mills. Brenthurst Foundation 2008
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8. Pearson, Mark - “Regional infrastructural and Trade Facilitation Challenges in Eastern and
Southern Africa: Aid for Trade Solutions (North–South Corridor)” in Liberalising
Trade in Southern Africa – Implementation Challenges for the 2008 SADC
FTA and Beyond. FES. 2008
Pearson, Munshi, - Proposed Structure of the COMESA Regional Infrastructure Fund.
Kruger and Vela World Bank and DFID. November 2009
Pearson, Mark - Trade Facilitation in the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area
September 2011. TMSA Publication.
Pearson, Mark - Trade Facilitation in the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area.
Chapter 4 in “The Tripartite Free Trade Area – towards a new African
integration paradigm?” tralac. 2012
Pearson & Chaitezvi - Trade Facilitation in the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite. RIRN Discussion
Paper. September 2012.
Mark Pearson and - Revamping the Regional Railway Systems in Eastern and Southern Africa
Bo Giersing RIRN Discussion Paper. May 2013
Pearson, Mark - Financing Infrastructure through Innovative Strategies in Africa. GREAT
Insights, Volume 2, Issue 4. May-June 2013
Pearson, Mark - Preferential Multilateral Rules of Origin for LDCs. ICTSD. Bridges Africa
Review. Volume 2. Number 8. 15th
November 2013.
Pearson, Mark - Trade Facilitation – Africa’s Priority? Brenthurst Briefing. September 2014.
Pearson, Boer and McNamee - “Africans Investing in Africa” Palgrave, 2015
Pearson, Mark - Chapter on “Transport and Logistics” in “Africans Investing in Africa” edited by
Pearson, Boer and McNamee. Published by Palgrave 2015
Pearson, Mark - Chapter on “Transport Infrastructure” in “Africans Investing in Africa” edited by
Pearson, Boer and McNamee. Published by Palgrave 2015
Pearson, Mark - The SADC Integration Challenge – Are we getting there? ICTSD. July 2015.
Edited Reports and Contributions
Contribution (Background Analysis) to the 2010 African Development Report entitled “Ports, Logistics
and Trade in Africa”. (Contribution acknowledged in the Report).
Contribution (acknowledged) to “Customs Modernization Handbook” edited by Luke de Wulf and José B
Sokol, published by the World Bank, 2005.
Contribution (acknowledged) to “Harnessing Regional Integration for Trade and Growth in Southern
Africa” World Bank, March 2011.
Peer Reviewer and contributions to a number of World Bank reports and publications, the latest being
the DTIS for Malawi.
Aid for Trade Case Stories prepared for the 2011 Global Aid for Trade Review and published by WTO
and OECD
Part of the team that prepared and wrote the “Malawi Country Economic Memorandum – Seizing
Opportunities for Growth through Trade”. World Bank 2009
Writing, editing and contributing to reports dealing with Aid for Trade issues, trade policy, trade
facilitation, financing of regional integration, infrastructure, value chains, growth poles, corridor
developments, etc. submitted to COMESA Policy Organs (COMESA Sectoral Committees, Inter-
Governmental Committees of Senior Officials, Council of Ministers and Summit) during the period 1996
to 2005.
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9. Submissions on Duty Free Quota Free Market Access and Rules of Origin to the WTO General Council
on behalf of the WTO LDC Group.
Speeches and position papers for the COMESA Secretary General.
Position papers and technical briefs for the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite for the Tripartite Task Force
and on corridor developments, mainly on the North South Corridor.
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10. Submissions on Duty Free Quota Free Market Access and Rules of Origin to the WTO General Council
on behalf of the WTO LDC Group.
Speeches and position papers for the COMESA Secretary General.
Position papers and technical briefs for the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite for the Tripartite Task Force
and on corridor developments, mainly on the North South Corridor.
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