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WASHINGTON, D.C.  ·  SINCE 2005

Where capital,
policy, and Africa
converge.

Global Specialty is a leading Africa-focused global business development consulting firm — advising governments, Fortune-listed enterprises, and institutional investors on market entry, strategic communications, and sovereign engagement across the continent.

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Map of Africa showing every national flag and capital city
Africa is our business.
54 NATIONS · ONE CONTINENT

Committed to a bridging concept that has delivered a consistent client experience across sectors.

BY THE NUMBERS · SINCE 2005
40+
Country operations
in Africa
30+
Private sector
companies advised
10+
African governments
represented
25+
Years of
experience
WHO WE ARE

We bridge the gap between demand for capital and market entry strategies across Africa.

Africa can benefit from the rapidly growing markets in Asia and stable markets in the U.S. and Europe to achieve broad-based economic development. Doing so requires an enabling environment for value-added production — and effective participation in global supply chains.

Leveraging our management team’s track record of identifying and sizing business opportunities in Africa, Global Specialty takes full advantage of its network of government authorities, private and public sector stakeholders, and operational reach across every region of the continent. We build durable bonds with local business communities, promote sustainable development, and generate long-term growth and shared value for our clients.

U.S.–Africa Policy Sovereign Advisory Cyber Diplomacy Government Affairs
OUR APPROACH

The bridging concept.

Country-specific strategy. Interfacing with African governments and local partners. Navigating governmental resources to support business goals across the continent — and resolving problems when they arise.

Country Strategy

Tailored country-focused action plans — “My Africa Business Strategy” — that establish trusted relationships and a clear roadmap into specific markets.

Market Entry

Proven methodologies for navigating regulatory relations and implementing startup and operations support services on the ground.

Stakeholder Networks

Drawing from extensive networks — providing access to relationships, market analysis, and tailored solutions through local intelligence.

Long-Term Value

Sustained engagement with stakeholders at country and regional levels — facilitating investment that delivers measurable business impact.

WHAT WE DO

Two practices.
One continent.

FOR PRIVATE SECTOR

Market Entry & Advisory

A tailored, country-focused comprehensive action plan and business framework for organizations exploring opportunities in Africa.

  • Value Creation & Strategy

    Sustained stakeholder engagement at country and regional levels, drawing from networks that span the continent.

  • Regulatory Relations

    Navigating the legal and policy environment for sustainable, compliant operations.

  • Startup & Operations Support

    From entity formation through executive recruitment and ongoing operational management.

  • Risk Management

    Political risk assessment, mitigation frameworks, and crisis response across emerging markets.

FOR AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS

Sovereign Engagement

Representing African governments and stakeholders in Washington — technical assistance to unlock value creation and growth synergies.

  • Strategic Planning

    Coordinating Presidential and ministerial visits to the United States in collaboration with Embassies and UN Missions.

  • Program Design

    Designing programs, arranging meetings with the Administration and Congress, and convening corporate and media leaders.

  • Strategic Communications

    Media and public relations outreach campaigns that reshape and enhance the public image of governments in the U.S.

  • Public Diplomacy

    Supporting Ambassadors with testimony, legislative briefings, op-eds, and congressional engagement.

GOVERNMENTS & STAKEHOLDERS REPRESENTED
Angola Benin Cameroon Congo Equatorial Guinea Ghana Nigeria Rwanda Tanzania Togo
SELECTED ENGAGEMENTS

Twenty-five years.
Forty+ country operations.
Measurable outcomes.

2009 EAST & CENTRAL AFRICA Forbes 20 Multinational

Market Access Strategy for East & Central Africa

Approached by a Forbes 20 company to develop increased trade and impact across the continent, our team recommended a focused three-country strategy. The client secured contracts in the East Africa region — most notably a designation as Official Advisor in its industrial sector to a national government.

2008 NIGERIA Sumitomo Chemical, Ltd.

Nigeria Market Access Strategy

For one of the world’s largest chemical companies, we assembled the procedural and documentary requirements to establish an Olyset® insecticidal-net factory in Nigeria — defining an itemized action plan, identifying a local business partner, and selecting viable facility locations for West African operations.

2007 PAN-AFRICAN AECOM (NYSE: ACM)

Africa Market Access Strategy

For a global technical and management-services provider serving more than 60 countries, we identified business opportunities in primary African markets with identifiable funding sources — including those backed by international development finance institutions — and delivered logistical, managerial, and business-facilitation services in country.

2005 CABINDA, ANGOLA USTDA · Energy Major

Commercial Port Feasibility Study

We raised funding for a $750,000 feasibility study for a commercial port in Cabinda — financed by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency alongside the Cabinda government and a major U.S. energy company — establishing commercial viability and a path to development.

2010 BAGAMOYO, TANZANIA Republic of Tanzania

Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone

Mandated by the Government of Tanzania to lead and organize a feasibility study for the commercial viability of the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone — with particular emphasis on a new airport — and to raise implementation financing in accordance with prevailing capital-market regulations.

2021 PAN-AFRICAN UpHealth (NYSE: UPH)

Africa Market Access for UpHealth

For a global integrated-care healthcare platform, we reframed and completed the company’s Africa market-access strategy and introduced it to stakeholders in Africa and Washington, D.C. — including multinational organizations — for project support and endorsement.

Portrait of Ambassador Omar Arouna, MBA, President and CEO of Global Specialty
PRESIDENT & CEO Ambassador Omar Arouna, MBA
LEADERSHIP

A senior executive at the intersection of diplomacy, capital, and Africa.

Ambassador Omar Arouna is an internationally recognized leader in diplomacy, economic development, and cybersecurity strategy with more than 25 years of cross-sector experience spanning government, private enterprise, and international organizations. He has advised heads of state, boards of directors, C-suites, Fortune 500 corporations, and institutional investors on policy positioning, political risk, and cross-border strategic engagement — with particular depth in U.S.–Africa relations.

As Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Benin to the United States, Mexico, and the Organization of American States, he led his country’s engagement with the World Bank and the IMF and secured a landmark $407 million Millennium Challenge Corporation grant. His earlier career progressed through senior roles at Goodworks International, the World Bank Group, and Africare — giving him a rare command of both the technology and the diplomacy of development.

Today, beyond founding and leading Global Specialty, he serves as President of Public Relations & Global Engagement at Gunster Strategies Worldwide and as Founder and Board Chair of the Center for Cyber Diplomacy & Leadership at George Washington University, where he holds an MBA in Cybersecurity. He is the author of L’Audace de Réussir.

DIPLOMATIC
Former Ambassador · Benin to U.S., Mexico & OAS
SIGNATURE OUTCOME
$407M MCC Grant secured for the Republic of Benin
EDUCATION
MBA, Cybersecurity · George Washington University
DISTINCTION
Commander, National Order of the Republic of Benin
Global Public Affairs Geopolitical & Sovereign Risk Cyber Diplomacy Foreign Direct Investment Market Access Strategy Board Governance
AFFILIATIONS & DISTINCTIONS
Gunster Strategies Worldwide
President, Public Relations & Global Engagement
Center for Cyber Diplomacy & Leadership
Co-Founder & Board Chair · George Washington University
Organization of American States
Former Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary
Millennium Challenge Corporation
$407M Compact secured for the Republic of Benin
GET IN TOUCH

Africa is
our business.
Let’s make it yours.

Whether you’re a sovereign government, an institutional investor, or a multinational exploring the continent — we’d welcome a conversation.

Global Specialty, LLC
Africa is our business
OFFICE 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 220
Washington, DC 20006
EMAIL oarouna@globalspecialtyllc.com
TELEPHONE +1 202 607 8499
WEB globalspecialtyllc.com
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