Our Team
Zurab Kakabadze - Director
Mr. Zurab Kakabadze is Director of SMEDA. He has been conducting the company’s management since its establishment and together with the managerial team has been involved in the planning and implementation of the company’s development strategy. Mr. Zurab has 25 years of working experience in the sphere of business consulting, both for the private business sector and the governmental institutions as well as in terms of cooperation with international organizations for development. Over the years he managed several major projects of SMEDA, among them projects for such international organizations as European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and others. Mr. Kakabadze’s work experience covers various industries including production and processing of food products, logistical operations, tourism and other sectors of private business activity.
Konstantin Zhgenti – Managing Partner, Senior Business Consultant/Trainer
Mr. Konstantin Zhgenti has been actively working in the sphere of business consultancy since 1995. Prior to that, he used to work at the Ministry of Industry of Georgia, the Ministry of Economy of Georgia and the Ministry of Finance of Georgia. Mr. Konstantin possesses vast experience in the areas of projects’ management, business planning, elaboration of company restructuring and development plans, agricultural extension, development of production and industry clusters, access to finance, development of product value chains, development and support of agricultural/agribusiness cooperatives, development of processing enterprises, formulation of relevant strategies for the development of various agriculture and industry sectors, monitoring and evaluation of projects, etc.
Alexander Gogoberidze - Partner
Mr. Alexander Gogoberidze is founding partner of SMEDA. He has 25 years of working experience in the sphere of business consulting. Previously he used to work as head of the economics department at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia and as an economist at the Georgian State Military Aircraft Factory. Mr. Gogoberidze’s wide expertise and experience in business consultancy covers such areas as delivery of wide scope of direct business consulting services to small and medium enterprises, business planning/business plan preparation, general and financial management of organizations and international donor funded projects for development, financial analysis and preparation of financial reports, market and economic sector studies and surveys, strategic planning and development, project monitoring and evaluation, human resource management, etc.
Nino Dgebuadze – Financial Manager
Ms. Nino Dgebuadze graduated from the Statistics department of Tbilisi State University. She has 22 years of work experience in the sphere of financial management and accounting. For many years she has been working for international organizations (among them for the Mercy Corps) and projects, occupying work position of a financial manager. Ms. Dgebuadze works with SMEDA since 2007. In addition to conducting financial management of the company, Ms. Nino provides consultancy in financial bookkeeping and financial management to local small and medium enterprises.
Irine Mekerishvili - Senior Business Consultant / Trainer
Mrs. Irine Mekerishvili graduated from the American University of Humanities - Department of Business Administration. She has a bachelor's degree. Since 2005, Mrs.Irine is working in the business consulting sphere. She has worked as a business consultant / trainer in a number of international organizations. Mrs. Mekerishvili possesses extensive knowledge and experience in business planning, financial management, tax accounting, development of agricultural cooperatives and other relevant areas of private business.
Giorgi Zakaidze – Senior Business Consultant/ Trainer
Mr. Giorgi Zakaidze has been occupied in the sphere of business consulting since 2003. Over the years he used to work for various international non-governmental organizations on the position of the agricultural projects’ manager as well as for local NGOs and private business-consulting companies as a company manager, project manager, senior business consultant and trainer. Mr. Zakaidze’s thorough experience in business consultancy covers such areas as project management, development of agricultural value chains, business planning, consulting in financial and tax accounting, creation and development of agricultural cooperatives, support of development of agro-industrial enterprises, etc.