Oren E. Whyche-Shaw is Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau and Coordinator for President Obama’s Trade Africa Initiative. Ms. Whyche-Shaw leads the Bureau's private sector, financial access and trade development activities on the continent and the USAID engagement with African diaspora in the United States. Prior to this position, Ms. Whyche-Shaw’s led the Africa Bureau’s Office of West Africa and the Office for Sustainable Development. She also served for three years as the Africa Bureau’s Principal Advisor to the Assistant Administrator for Africa.

Prior to joining USAID in 2011, Ms. Whyche-Shaw served as the Director for the Office of African Nations and Senior Advisor in the Multilateral Development Bank Office of the Department of Treasury. Ms. Whyche-Shaw’s diversified career includes leadership positions in the private, financial, not-for-profit and multilateral sectors. Ms. Whyche-Shaw led the agricultural and entrepreneurial development projects as Vice President for Africa with Technoserve, Inc. Ms. Whyche-Shaw also has held leadership positions in Private Sector Investments Department at the African Development Bank; Chair of Plan International USA; an investment banker at Citibank, N.A. and J.P. Morgan; Manager of Global Acoustic Businesses at Owens-Corning; and, Manager of Global Banking for R.J.Reynolds Industries, Inc.

Ms. Whyche-Shaw holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Theoretical Mathematics and French from Capital University in Columbus, OH. As the first Citibank Fellow, she received a master's degree in Finance, Money and Financial Markets, and International Business from Columbia University’s Business School. Ms. Whyche-Shaw served as the Senior Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission when selected to be a White House Fellow in 1983. Ms. Whyche-Shaw has lived and worked internationally for more than 30 years.