Los Angeles: Bekele nominated to the ICANN High Level Policy Counsel
Nominees of the Committee
Sophia Bekele
Ms. Bekele has maintained a successful career track record spanning over a decade of constant professional activity and business ownership/operation, working for multinational consulting firms and large financial/banking companies in Corporate America such as PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi/Union Bank of California, San Francisco, to mention but a few. Currently, Ms. Bekele and her company consult various Clients in public/private markets, primarily in corporate governance and risk management areas, including the recent Sarbanes-Oxley ACT. Additionally, she has been advising in corporate relations/communications programs within public companies. Her Client’s in the US include OnScreen Technologies, Inc. (OTC), Intel Corp. (Nasdaq), BDO Sieldman LLP.
Previously in 2000, Ms. Bekele has focused on international technology issues and Third-World technological development using Africa as a base model. Most of Ms. Bekele’s work in these years has been associated with CBS International, a company she founded and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. CBS International is a consulting company based in Walnut Creek, California, USA with focus on, technology transfer to emerging markets, technology procurement, project-based capacity building, technological project management, internet/intranet systems integration, information systems security/privacy, auditing and corporate governance.
Ms. Bekele was appointed and served into the Advisory Interim Steering Committee of the African Regional Network in 2003 and the Advisory Technical Committee of the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) under the sponsorship of the UN-ICT Taskforce, United Nations, New York. In her tenure, Sophia has co-authored ‘Common position for Africa’s digital inclusion’, a blue print for reflecting Africa’s position to global fora on ICTs including the G8 DOT Force, ECOSOC, United Nations Task Force, World Economic Forum, etc. Also a member of many technological alliances and professional associations, she is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), has served on the Board of the International Information Systems Audit and Control Association, San Francisco Chapter. Ms. Bekele was also nominated to serve on the Board of Governors of the Golden Gate University San Francisco International Alumni Association.
Ms. Bekele is a published writer and contributed often to local and international publications on various topics including technology for development, good governance, public affairs issues, business and women’s issues, and sports. Ms. Bekele’s community involvement and contributions include the Rotary Club, World Affairs Council, Common Health Club and the SF Symphony.
Ms. Bekele holds an MBA in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Golden Gate University, San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Systems.