ABIDJAN-The African Development Bank has appointed Jessica Kitakule-Mukungu as Acting Director of the Talent, Performance Management and Staff Development Department.
Mrs. Kitakule-Mukungu, a British national, has over 20 years of international experience with various international organizations. She is currently Manager for the Human Resources Operations Division, where she leads the human resources administration, staff benefits management, payroll, client services and human resources information systems teams. She is also leading a major drive to fully automate all Bank human resources processes. Before taking on the role of division manager in January 2021, Mrs. Kitakule-Mukungu was an advisor to the vice president, Corporate Services and Human Resources for almost six years. In this role, she formulated many of the current HR policies and procedures.
Mrs. Kitakule-Mukungu joined the Bank in 2009 as a lead evaluation officer in the Evaluation Department. While in the Evaluation Department, she strengthened the relationship between the Bank, national evaluation associations and the African Evaluation Association. She hosted the Bank’s first Annual Evaluation Week, a flagship annual event of the African Evaluation Community and also led the publication of Evaluation Matters, a key publication of the Bank’s Evaluation Department.
Before joining the Bank, Mrs. Kitakule-Mukungu worked with the United Nations Environment Program, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations’ Capacity Development Program, Development Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. She has also worked for the government of Uganda.
She holds a Master of Arts in Socio–Economics Studies from Manchester University (UK), a BSc in Agriculture (Management) from Makerere University, in Uganda, an Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting (CIMA), and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Cornell University, in the US.
Commenting on her appointment, President Akinwumi Adesina said: “Jessica is a seasoned development specialist with requisite leadership skills, and a good understanding of the Bank’s human resources policies and processes. I am confident that she will provide the required leadership for the department to drive the Bank’s talent, performance management and staff development agenda.”
Mrs. Kitakule- Mukungu said: “I am very grateful to President Adesina for giving me an opportunity to serve at an executive level on aspects of talent management, performance management and staff development, areas which are all critical to the careers of all staff members of the Bank. I am looking forward to this opportunity with anticipation to make a difference”.