Washington-based firm appoints Ajay Sooklal to lead Africa/South Asia division
Image: Supplied
In a significant move aimed at strengthening its foothold in Africa and South Asia, Global Political Solutions™ LLC (GPS), a Washington-based legal, lobbying, and business advisory firm, appointed Ajay Sooklal to head its Africa/South Asia division.
Sooklal, whose younger brother is Professor Anil Sooklal, the High Commissioner of South Africa in India, has more than 40 years of legal and international business development experience.
Aaron T Manaigo, Managing Partner of GPS, said: 'I have known Ajay Sooklal for nearly 25 years. We have successfully worked on several business and political projects together. We are delighted and honoured to have Ajay join us at GPS. He brings a world of talent and experience to our team.'
Sooklal served as a legal advisor to Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma. He also advised the ANC and provided insights to various ministries, justice, public works, and tourism.
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With Sooklal at the helm of its Africa/South Asia division, GPS aims to leverage opportunities for engagement with private sector companies and government entities across the continent, utilising South Africa as the base for operations.
'There is no shortage of opportunities for business development, foreign direct investment, market entry, and other professional services needed to bring together in a more robust way the American/African consumer and production markets respectively… the time is now,' said Sooklal.
The establishment of an official working presence in South Africa marks the first phase of GPS's expansion strategy. Future plans include setting up similar bases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
'Africa, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have been our target markets for some time. With the current dismantling of USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), etc, another key area we will focus on is assisting various governments navigate the ever-changing US foreign appropriations process on Capitol Hill,' Manaigo elaborated, indicating a shift in strategic focus amidst evolving geopolitical landscapes.
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