Prof. Francis has been a member of the Board since 2015. Prof. Francis is a Sierra Leonean politician, former University professor and author who currently serves as the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, since his appointment by President Julius Maada Bio in May 2018. Francis is currently one of the most highly influential government officials in Sierra Leone.Prior to his appointment as Chief Minister, he was the Chair of the Governance Transition team. Francis has a PhD in international relations from the University of Southampton (1998), and a Bachelor of Arts from Fourah Bay College (1993), Diploma in Human Rights from Lund University, Sweden (1994) and Diploma in Law from Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands (1995). He was also a professor at the University of Bradford.