As Operations Officer, Persis Ashers manages the global operations function that supports the collective and individual operational needs of Firelight. This includes procurement, equipment and supplies, IT, tech support, travel, safety and security, human resources administration, and operational knowledge management.

Persis is an Operations professional with over 15 years of expertise in private and non-profit sectors, specifically across education, technology, and impact sectors. Prior to joining Firelight, she was the Africa Regional Operations Director at IDinsight, responsible for the strategic operations of six country offices across Anglophone and Francophone Africa for 90+ teammates. Before IDinsight, Persis was with the African Leadership Group for 6 years in varied operational capacities, including the program leadership of a Pan-African data science program for mid-career engineers in collaboration with General Electric. She has gained other notable operations management experience from Nielsen and Microsoft and her entrepreneurial venture, afriQuest Research.

Persis Ashers is a certified Six-Sigma Business Improvement professional, a Mandela Washington Fellow, a Georgia Tech GWEI Fellow, and a Vital Voices Grow Fellow. Persis holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the United States International University Africa.