Soumaïla Cissé has been a member of the IFDC Board of Directors since 2004. He serves on the board's Africa Committee.
Cissé has served as chairman of the commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) since 2004. He previously served as Mali’s Minister of Equipment, Land Planning, Environment and Urbanization; Finance and Trade Minister; and Secretary General in the Office of the President. He worked for the Malian Company for Textile Development (CMDT) as acting managing director, chief of organization and computer methods, director of management and programs and coordinator of projects in southern Mali. Cissé also held positions with Air-Inter (France), the Thomson Group, the Pechiney Group and IBM-France.
Cissé has served as Mali’s governor for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, African Development Bank and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa. Cissé earned a bachelor’s degree in pure science from the University of Dakar and a license in applied mathematics from the University of Grenoble. He holds a master’s degree in computer-assisted management methods and an engineering degree in computing and management from the University of Montpellier. He also received postgraduate qualification in business administration from the Paris School of Business Administration.