John Ali is ESSA’s Director of Finance and Operations, providing strategic leadership for the organisation’s finance, governance, risk management, and operational functions. He works closely with the Chief Executive, Board, and Audit and Risk Committee to ensure ESSA has the systems, resources, and institutional capacity required to deliver high-quality education research and evidence that informs policy and practice across Africa.

In his role, John leads financial planning, organisational performance, compliance, and operational effectiveness. He oversees donor-funded grants and sub-granting portfolios, strengthens internal controls and risk management frameworks, and supports strategic decision-making through robust financial analysis and business planning. His work helps position ESSA as a trusted and accountable partner to donors, researchers, governments, and other stakeholders committed to improving learning outcomes across the continent.

Before joining ESSA, John held senior finance, operations, and grant management leadership roles with the World Cocoa Foundation, the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), VSO International, STAR-Ghana Foundation, Cowater International, and Wardrop Engineering. Across more than 25 years, he has supported the delivery of complex multi-country programmes funded by bilateral and multilateral donors, foundations, and development partners across Africa.

He holds an MSc in Professional Accountancy from the University of London, an MBA in Finance from Sikkim Manipal University, an MA in Human Resource Development and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Coast. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.