At Pinnacle Institute training quality and professional integrity take center stage.
Our Vision
- To become the premier national institute for cultivating and empowering a highly skilled workforce in Ethiopia’s banking, finance, and insurance, and other key industries.
Our Mission
- We empower business professionals through rigorous, cutting-edge training designed to meet the highest standards of their professions.
- We strive to create an inclusive and supportive environment where professionals can fully explore their talents and aspirations, free from discrimination based on race, gender, economic status, religion, or any other identity.
- We are dedicated to developing competent business leaders equipped with the technical expertise and moral character to build and lead resilient organizations that thrive in the global marketplace.
- We aim to foster a national corporate culture that champions environmental responsibility and embraces its social obligations with integrity and purpose.
Our Values
- We are steadfast in delivering the highest quality training programs, ensuring exceptional standards in every aspect.
- ·We consistently challenge ourselves to innovate and exceed expectations in all that we do.
- · We lead with unwavering integrity, upholding the highest ethical and professional standards.
- · We wholeheartedly embrace our role in contributing positively to society and fostering sustainable development.
- · We assert our dedication to greatness, refusing to settle for mediocrity in any endeavor.
- · We are deeply committed to advancing career development and enabling lasting professional success for those we serve.
Our History
Pinnacle Institute of Commerce and Business (PICB) was founded with a clear vision: to address critical skill gaps across key sectors of the Ethiopian economy. In early 2019, our founder, then a senior employment and economic development consultant for a state agency in the United States, began a series of in-depth interviews and discussions with senior business leaders in Ethiopia.
The purpose of these engagements was to explore workforce-related challenges that hinder the operations and stifle the growth of Ethiopian businesses. Over the following months, our founder conducted both in-person and virtual meetings with several business leaders.
A consistent theme that emerged from these discussions was the urgent need for quality short-term business skills training programs among many Ethiopian businesses. These programs were deemed crucial for equipping employees with new skills and improving their existing ones. Numerous executives highlighted that ensuring access to affordable, high-quality training for their workforce was a top organizational priority.
Driven by this insight, our founder committed his years of professional experience to establishing an institute capable of designing and delivering impactful, short-term training programs tailored to the needs of local businesses. In 2022, Mr. Wondwossen returned to Ethiopia and founded Pinnacle Institute of Commerce and Business PLC (PICB).
Today, PICB is dedicated to empowering local businesses with leadership development, technical training, and soft skills programs, enabling them to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Our Brand and Competencies
Whether your aim is to foster an organizational culture that promotes adaptability to thrive under constant pressure and disruptions, familiarize your employees with the latest industry standards and business processes, develop a marketing team that is adept at identifying opportunities and responding to market changes, or provide your senior leadership with opportunities to explore global business trends and build valuable global connections, we have you covered.
Distinguished Instructors
Our instructors bring a wealth of expertise, combining distinguished professional experience with advanced academic training from some of the most respected universities and institutions in the US and Europe.
Flexible and Customizable Solutions
We recognize that every business has unique needs. That’s why we offer flexibility and customization in our training programs. Both the content and logistics of our training sessions can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of your organization.
We also provide a variety of delivery options to suit your preferences, including in-person, online, or blended formats. Additionally, our instructors are available to travel to your location or conduct training sessions at agreed-upon third-party venues.
Comprehensive and Dynamic Portfolio
Our extensive and continuously updated portfolio includes over 140 core business skills training programs. Whether your focus is leadership development, technical proficiency, or soft skills enhancement, you are likely to find the training solutions you need within our offerings.
Our programs are consistently updated to incorporate the latest trends, research, and best practices in business, ensuring that your team receives cutting-edge training content.
Collaboration with Industry Leaders
Our training courses are developed in collaboration with a world-class corporate training program designer based in the US. This developer’s expertise is trusted by renowned global companies, including Amazon, General Motors Financial Services, American Dairy Association, Johnson & Johnson, and Ronald McDonald House Charities. This collaboration ensures that our programs meet the highest standards of quality and rigor.
Commitment to Excellence
We are dedicated to continuous improvement, constantly refining our training programs and exploring innovative methods to deliver the best possible learning experience for our clients.
Our Board of Advisors
Mr. Wondwossen Adugna, CEO & Chairman
WONDWOSSEN ADUGNA is the founder and president of Pinnacle Institute of Commerce and Business. Before moving back to Ethiopia, he has spent well over twenty-four years working in various positions of responsibility in both the public and the non-profit sectors. His professional experience spans areas such as public policy, economic development, international trade, workforce development and employment, and project management. In his most recent engagement, he was a senior policy advisor with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Mr. Wondwossen holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics from Addis Ababa University, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in International Business Management from Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a master’s degree in international development and public policy from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, USA. Additionally, he has undertaken advanced studies at Hamline University School of Law and the University of Minnesota’s School of Continuing Education, further enhancing his multidisciplinary expertise.
Mr. Mathew Bezabeh
A seasoned entrepreneur, Mr. Bezabeh has over 20 years of leadership experience in the field of information sciences, communication, logistics, and, as of recent, consumer commodities. He is currently the owner and CEO of Loon Coffee LLC., a thriving coffee roasting, and distribution Company whose products are distributed in several states in the Midwest region of the USA. He is also the owner of Loons coffee & Pastry shop chains.
His business acumen and advocacy for meaningful engagement and collaboration between the diaspora business community and businesses in Ethiopia make Mr. Mathew a valuable asset on our board of directors. Mr. Bezabihe is a graduate of Brown Institute, where he studied computer science and business management.
Ms. Meaza Wolde
MS. Wolde is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector. She began her career as a respirator therapist and went on to serve as a Technical Services Coordinator with the University of Minnesota’s Medical Center in the early 2000’s. In this role, she was intimately involved in budget forecasting and planning, as well as preventive maintenance of a large and complex healthcare network. She was also responsible for identifying and acquiring advanced and state-of-the-art medical technology for the cardiopulmonary department.
For the last six years, MS. Wolde has been working as a Senior Immunology Specialist with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a world leader in biomedical and pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, overseeing the company’s marketing strategies and operations in the Midwest region of the US. In addition to her managerial and industry experiences, MS. Wolde is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Catherine, where she trains the next generation of respiratory medicine professionals.
MS Wolde is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is particularly committed to elevating access and representation of women in leadership and boardrooms across the pharmaceutical industry and in the rest of the private sector. She is also a longtime political activist, having worked in grassroots mobilization efforts on behalf of several Democratic Party candidates in both local and national elections, including for the two presidential campaigns of former President Barack Obama.
MS Wolde has received several recognitions and accolades over the years for her contributions at her workplaces. Among many such recognitions, she is particularly proud of her nomination for Women of Color in Leadership in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Her contribution to the diaspora community, especially in the state of Minnesota, is also noteworthy.
MS Wolde holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Medicine from the St. Catherine University, an MBA from Concordia University in St. Paul, MN, and is currently working on a Doctoral Degree in Business Management.
Mr. Dilnessaw Getachew
Mr. Getachew is a lifelong entrepreneur who has established and managed several successful businesses over the last 20 years. His first venture into entrepreneurship dates back to the late 90’s when he opened his first stationery in Addis Ababa. Beyond distribution and retail sales, he has started and successfully marketed several stationery and printing brands.
Starting in the late 2000’s Mr. Getachew has expanded his business ventures into the Mining and exporting of industrial minerals and precious stones. He now owns and manages Dil Commercial LLC, which is listed among the five largest mineral and precious stone exporting businesses in Ethiopia. As a testament to its success, Dil Commercial LLC has received certificates of recognition from the National Bank of Ethiopia for being among the top foreign exchange earning companies in the sector for the last five years in a row. China, India and the US are among the top three notable markets the company serves.
Mr. Getachew is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America in New York, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Gemology. He has also attended several reputable conferences focus on to international trade and marketing. Mr. Getachew is a multilingual global business leader speaking Chinese and English.
Yonas Demissie, PhD
Dr. Demissie is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Washington State University (WSU). He is also a director of the online Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering program at WSU, associate director for the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) at WSU, and chair and coordinator of ungraduated and graduate programs.
Prior to joining WSU, Dr. Demissie completed his postdoctoral studies at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on the impacts of large-scale biofuel production and climate change on water resources: is still affiliated with ANL as a guest faculty. He has led various research projects and published several articles related to the potential impacts of climate change on water, infrastructure resilience to weather extremes and uncertainty, and the effects of droughts on electric production and distribution.
Dr. Demissie received his doctoral degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree in water resources engineering and hydrology from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium, and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Haramaya University in Ethiopia. Over the years, Dr. Demissie has served in key leadership and advisory positions with several notable organizations. Some of his noteworthy leadership engagements include, president of Ethiopian Geophysical Union International, board member of Hanford Advisory Board, faculty senator at WSU, executive member of Center for Environmental Research, Education, and Outreach (CEREO)
Daniel Abebe, PhD
A renowned educator and advocate for socio-eonomic justice, Dr. Daniel’s has been a notable presence in the landscape of higher education in the state of Minnesota and beyond. Since joining Metropolitan State University in the fall of 1989, as a professor in the school of Individualized Studies, he has held several leadership positions within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MNSCU).
Notable among Dr. Daniels leadership roles in an illustrious career over 30 years in higher education include, the first Dean of Metropolitan State University’s First College (for over 10 years), was appointed simultaneously as the Acting Dean of the College of Professional Studies for one year, served in a leadership roles on the Inter-Faculty Organization (IFO), Internal Multicultural Advisory Committee, The Anti-Racism Leadership Team (ARLT), Diversity Learning Task Force, and the International Exchange and Study Committee, and founded and was also the first Co-Chair of the Ethnic Studies Department, just to name a few.
Dr. Daniel was perennial nominee for excellence in teaching and advising for a span of several years. In 2017 he became the recipient of the Carol Ryan Excellence in Advising Award and in 2018 he received IFO’s Statewide Multicultural Issues Committee Award.
Beyond his professional engagements, Dr. Daniel has been a representative of Metropolitan State University externally, he served on the International Committee of the Metropolitan YMCA (now YMCA of the North), co-founded and later chaired Ethiopians in Minnesota, Incorporated which proudly served Ethiopian refugees for 23 years, founded and served as a board member and trustee of Global Citizens Network – an organization which has sent over 2,000 volunteers to villages in 20 countries around the globe, Joined the first “Voices of Ethiopia” program on KFAI Fresh Air Radio, and served as a board member for many non-profit organizations locally, regionally and nationally. In 2005, at a celebration of Hamline University’s 150-year anniversary, he was honored and recognized as “One Hundred and Fifty Lives That Make A Difference” for his life’s work.
As a faculty advisor and Volunteer, Daniel has guided hundreds of college students, faculty peers and other U.S. professionals on trips to Kenya, Tanzania, Jamaica, Botswana, Western Samoa, Ghana, Liberia and other destinations for over 25 years.
Ms. Lelna Desta
Lelna comes from a technical background in Biomedical Engineering. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in mechanical engineering, she spend several years with working for the world renowned medical device innovator and producer, Medtronic. As she puts it, “having spent years on the technical side of the business, she felt the need to focus her career at the growing nexus between engineering, product development and business. In order to purse her new line of career, Lelna went on to complete her MBA degree at the University of St. Thomas, in Minneapolis. Lelna currently works as a Sr. Market Research Analyst with UnitedHealthcare. In her role, she has extensive experiences in data analytics, marketing strategy, competitive intelligence, and executive reporting. She is a certified Project Management Professional and Agile Certified Practitioner with years of experience as a Project Manager and Product Owner. Additionally, Lelna started her own consulting firm to help current or aspiring entrepreneurs implement structures, systems, and strategies to develop or grow their business. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctoral in Business Administration at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.