With his varied outstanding experience gained from different professional realms. Mr. Jean Baptiste HAKIZIMANA is currently IFAD Country Office Support. He is mainly responsible for administratively running, overseeing all financial management and procurement-related aspects of all IFAD-supported Projects/Programmes in the country with the aim of facilitating the effective implementation of the Projects/Programs.

His skills have also been shaped while working with Burundi Coffee Company from 1997 to 2007. He was Director of Infrastructures, Investment Funds for Burundi Coffee Sector. His key responsibilities included assisting the General Manager in managing the financial, administrative and contractual issues of the projects in collaboration with project partners, timely preparation and submission of monthly financial accounts, management reports and financial analysis within stipulated deadlines as well as maintaining, reviewing, implementing financial and  accounting policies to ensure compliance with good governance practice and standards.

From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Jean Baptiste HAKIZIMANA worked for IFAD as financial manager in carrying out PTRPC/ IFAD Program (Post Conflict Program for Rural Rehabilitation (FIDA). He was for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management.

From 2007 to 2010, he was Deputy Director of the EDF-NAO support unit (European Development Fund National Authorizing Officer. He was in charge of Finance and Management Control. His functions included strengthening the NAO to efficiently perform its functions in line with the Cotonou Agreement; enhancing aid effectiveness capacity of the NAO functions to enhance ownership, aligning and harmonizing the national aid management system.Prior to his experience in Project Management, he worked for the Belgium branch AGRER for TYPSA Group in 2013.

In addition to working in Burundi, Mr. Jean Baptiste HAKIZIMANA equally served in other countries as an International Consultant. He worked in Haiti, Togo and Ghana where he was in charge of evaluating UNDP and IFAD Projects.

A part from his professional work, Jean Baptiste is the Chair of Empowering Response East Africa Community (EREAC), the organization which is committed to setting free poor people of EAC Country and South KIVU from poverty and ignorance.

As a chair of ERB, his strong term desire is “to contribute in fight against poverty under its forms, by setting up well- thought out strategies geared to giving new hope to the hopeless”.