Lensa (Aida) Mekonnen

Lensa (Aida) Mekonnen is an Ethiopian entrepreneur, diplomat, and public servant. Born and raised in Addis Ababa, she has held various leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.

Mekonnen began her career as an entrepreneur, establishing her own startup. She later transitioned to diplomacy, working in the development sector with a focus on agriculture, institutional, and systems building. She has also consulted on projects aimed at improving livelihoods and communities.

In 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed Mekonnen as the CEO of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization. During her tenure, she spearheaded a 10-year MICE strategy to promote business tourism, established a convention bureau, and initiated a strategy for stopover tourism. Mekonnen also advocated for comprehensive tourism resource mapping, destination optimization, and job creation within the tourism value chain.

In 2020, Mekonnen was appointed the founding CEO of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Land Bank and Development Corporation. In this role, she focused on accurate landholding information, project concept development, and strategic planning for large-scale development projects, including the ReVamping Sheger Project. She also organized the Invest Origins international investment forum to attract foreign investment in sectors such as housing, health, hospitality, education, and ICT.

Mekonnen returned to the tourism sector as a State Minister, where she revitalized the sector through social media campaigns and international collaborations. She played a key role in the development of the East Africa Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy, launched in Addis Ababa in September 2024. A strong advocate for Ethiopia's economic growth and development, Mekonnen believes that active citizenship and constructive dialogue are essential to realizing the country's potential. She is currently working on setting up a multifaceted independent consulting service.