Laura Kakon

Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Honoris United Universities

Laura Kakon is co-founder and Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Honoris United Universities, the first and largest pan-African network of private higher education institutions which unites the expertise of its member institutions (in North, South and West Africa) to develop world-class African human talent.

Laura is a seasoned and passionate leader who drives numerous strategic initiatives to realize the Honoris vision of increasing access to quality education in Africa, focusing on student employability to make a transformative impact on the continent. This influences the group's policy on innovation to rethink educational systems to equip future leaders with 21st century skills essential in today's fast-paced, demanding and increasingly digitized labor and start-up markets.

With nearly 25 years of experience and great agility to lead international and multicultural projects, Laura Kakon has proven her effectiveness in several key positions in the education (with Laureate International Universities Group) and business sectors, including 11 years with the L'Oréal Group where she held several global management positions covering the USA, Europe and Asia – roles that catalyzed her expertise in brand building and customer acquisition and experience. Laura is a graduate of the ESCP Business School, Université Paris Dauphine, and Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique where she recently obtained a certificate in Collective Intelligence.