Jolene Dawson

Jolene Dawson has a diverse work experience spanning from 2004 to the present. Their most recent role is at dss+ as the Corporate Impact and ESG Manager. In this position, they lead the execution of the corporate impact strategy, manages data collection processes, drives ESG reporting, and designs and implements policies and processes to reduce environmental impact.

Prior to this, they served as a Board Member at Sahel Consulting, where they advised and supported the vision and mission of the organization, focusing on transforming the agricultural landscape in Africa through technology, sustainability, and breaking down barriers.

Before that, Jolene worked as a Director at Thrive Agriculture and Nutrition, where they provided advisory and consulting services to organizations in the agriculture, food, and nutrition sectors. Jolene was involved in strategy design, implementation support, value chain analysis, and cross-partnership execution.

Additionally, Jolene served as a Board Member at Nourishing Africa, where they advised and shaped the organization's purpose and impact. Their focus was on leveraging agricultural technologies to support the mission of empowering agri-food entrepreneurs and transforming Africa's agricultural landscape.

Earlier in their career, Jolene held various roles at Accenture. Jolene was the Global Agriculture Lead for Accenture Development Partnerships, managing client relationships, overseeing project delivery, and defining the go-to-market strategy across Africa. Jolene also served as the Partnership Services and Financial Inclusion Lead, focusing on driving financial inclusion initiatives. Jolene began their journey at Accenture as a Sustainability Manager, specializing in sustainability strategy and performance management.

Before joining Accenture, Jolene worked as a Sustainability Consultant at Massmart and as a Business Development Manager at Taylor Hofer Partners. Jolene also gained marketing and sales experience as a Marketing Assistant at Aristocrat Technologies Africa and as a Marketing, Sales, and PR Executive at Campbell & Thiselton Cosmetics.

Overall, Jolene's work experience demonstrates their expertise in corporate impact, ESG, agriculture, technology, sustainability, and business development in the African context.

Jolene Dawson attended Rhodes University from 2000 to 2002, where they obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and Microbiology. Following that, from 2008 to 2009, they attended Wits Business School and earned a PDM degree in Business Management.