A graduate of Columbia University (1975), New York, and of Bowdoin College (1973), Brunswick, Maine, NGoran ASSOUMOU, worked for more than twenty years in international trade, first in oil trading and later in trade promotion. As Trading Manager in the London office of Chevron International Oil Trading Company, he helped refineries and national oil companies of West Africa from Sierra Leone to DRC (ex Zaire) meet their oil requirements. Later, acting as Operations Manager of APEX-CI (Côte d’Ivoire’s National Export Promotion Agency) he managed a World Bank funded export assistance program. In that capacity, he helped small businesses gain access to international markets by providing training and information. Mr ASSOUMOU continues to work with international oil companies and traders as a consultant, helping them develop new activities in Africa. He most recently worked with Vitol (2001 to 2008) to develop their activities in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina, etc. N. ASSOUMOU is the author of a personal development book titled « Le succès à votre portée; » (How to make your dreams come true) published in 2001.