Aline has worked in the crop seed industry in the US and Africa for over 30 years, including 9 years as the CEO of a large US crop seed company. The founder in 2007 of Agri Experience, a pan-African seed systems consulting firm based in Nairobi, she is highly committed to building and supporting local teams to catalyse growth and opportunity in Africa. Prior to Agri Experience, Ms. O’Connor was the CEO and co-founder of Channel Bio Corporation, a large American seed company. Aline is an experienced seed company practitioner, entrepreneurial mentor, teacher, writer, manager, strategist, and entrepreneur. In addition to her career in the seed sector, she spent 10 years in the international commercial finance sector, rising to the level of Vice President at First Chicago Corporation, now part of J.P. Morgan. Aline was an independent committee member of AgDevCo’s Smallholder Development Unit (2016-2022) and is currently an independent committee member of AgDevCo’s Technical Assistance Committee (TAC). Aline has also served on the Investment Committee of the African Seed Investment Fund and as a Board member of the Seed Systems Group. Aline holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University, and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago.