A former Minister of Equipment and Communications, he has held many other senior positions in his country, Burkina Faso, including President of the Economic and Social Council, Director General of Mines and Geology, Director General of the Tambao Mining Project and Director General of CIMAT (Société des Ciments et Matériaux). He has also worked for regional integration within the Integrated Development Authority of the Liptako Gourma Region.

Ambassador Filippe SAVADOGO, a diplomat from Burkina Faso, was the representative of the Francophonie at the United Nations in New York. Prior to the United Nations, he was Minister of Culture, Tourism and Communication and Government Spokesman. Previously, Mr SA V ADOGO was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Burkina Faso to France, with accreditation to Spain, Portugal and the Vatican for 10 years. During the same period, he was his country's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. He also managed FESPACO for a decade at the beginning of his career. A former dean of the African diplomatic corps in France, he studied information and communication sciences and techniques/public relations at the Universities of Ouagadougou, Bordeaux III, Pans II (Panthéon) and Paris III (Sorbonne nouvelle).

Mr Ouindelassida François OUEDRAOGO is a geological engineer and graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Géologie Appliquée et de Exploration (ENSG) in Nancy, France. A former Minister of Mines in Burkina Faso, he is a specialist in mining and geological research. He has also held a number of senior positions in the government of Burkina Faso, and has taught at the Ecole Inter-Etats des Ingénieurs de l'Equipement Rural (EIER), now the Institut 2ie, and at the University of Ouagadougou. He has published over thirty articles and scientific papers. Mr Ouindelassida François OUEDRAOGO is now an International Consultant.

Mr Jean Alphonse SOME is a Geological Engineer with a degree in Applied Geology from the University of Orléans and in Applied Microscopy from the University of Paris XII (Créteil). A former Director General of the Bureau des Mines et de la Géologie du Burkina Faso (BUMIGEB ), he has extensive research experience in mapping applied to mining exploration. An experienced geologist, he has also made a major contribution to the development of the mining industry in Burkina Faso and Africa. Now an international consultant, he was instrumental in the success of the Journées de Promotion des Carrières and the Semaine des Activités Minières d'Afrique de l'Ouest (SAMAO).

Founder and Promoter of SEMICA, Mr Innocent BELEMTOUGRI holds degrees in Marketing, Communications and Public Relations. A director of several companies, he has over 20 years' experience in marketing and large-scale events. From his communications consultancy BITEL COMMUNICATION SARL, through AFRICA GTBM SARL, VIP SERVICES SARL, POUGBI SERVICES and IN MEDIA CONSULTING, in 2009 he founded SEMICA, Salon International des Mines, des Carrières et de l'Energie, and launched the 1st international mining exhibition in 2012, which has become the benchmark platform for promoting mineral resources in Africa.