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Dr Desné Masie

Visiting Senior Fellow
Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa
About

About

Dr Desné Masie is an interdisciplinary economist and journalist, specialising in international political economy and the creative industries, which is the focus of her research and engagement at the LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA) where she is a Visiting Senior Fellow.

Dr Masie engages actively across the LSE, collaborating with colleagues at FLIA and other LSE Departments and Institutes. She is currently looking into research on sustainability in the creative industries and nature markets.

Dr Masie is the Chief Executive of Intelligence Labs, a research and innovation hub and a columnist for Business Day.

Previously, she has held senior roles in academia, media and finance in the UK and South Africa. Dr Masie has advised governments and major multinational corporations on geopolitical risk, as well as on the financial sector, economic and public policy.

She was Professor of Practice in economics at Hult International Business School, the chief economist and Strategist at IC Intelligence, an editorial director of African Business magazine and the executive producer and founder of the African Business podcast. She was also a fellow at Wits School of Governance, where she lectured on public economics and international development. In the UK, she was the director of the Investec Investment Institute, the corporate relations manager of the Royal African Society, and a senior associate in financial services at Global Counsel. In South Africa, she has been a senior editor of the Financial Mail, a consultant at Alexander Forbes Financial Services, and an art director at DDB South Africa.

Dr Masie is also an accomplished public speaker and commentator. She is the recipient of a Pulitzer Center grant for her journalism. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, Business Life, International Business Times, Banking Technology Magazine, African Banker, African Arguments, and Vox. She has also provided commentary for BBC Newsnight, Le Figaro, Newsweek, Monocle Radio, the Africa Debate, Innovate Finance, Jersey Finance, and the BBC World Service.

She holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Edinburgh, MSc in Finance and Financial Law from the University of London, BA Hons in English from the University of South Africa, and BA English and Art History from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Research interests: Geopolitics, Economics, Nature Markets, News Media, Public Affairs, Arts and Culture

Region of focus: SADC, Nigeria, Kenya, UK, EU, BRICS, Africa in the International Political Economy

Expertise Details: Geopolitics, Economics, International Finance, Carbon Markets, Nature Markets, News Media, Public Affairs, Creative Industries, Culture and Society

LSE Events and Engagements:

  • Upcoming: FLIA Africa Rising event, July 2025 - Moderator on Creative Industries Panel
  • , June 2025 (Facilitator of Media and Public Speaking Training)
  • with LSE Cities and LSE School for Public Policy, 23 January 2024 (Welcome Address)
  • FLIA Sustainable Finance event with the Sustainable Development Capital LLC and the Grantham Research Institute, 25 June 2024 (Organiser and Moderator)
  • FLIA Carbon markets event with the LSE Grantham Research Institute and Pulitzer Centre, 23 Nov 2023 (Organiser and Moderator)
  • , 2023

LSE Publications:

Selection of Writing:

Expertise

Geopolitics, Economics, International Finance, Carbon Markets, Nature Markets, News Media, Public Affairs