If you’ve worked at Laterite in the past few years, chances are Enrico has crossed your path. Analyst, Associate, Research Manager, temporary country management support — his Laterite “bingo card” is nearly full. And now, he’s adding a new square: Business Development & Communications Manager.
Before stepping into BD, you spent years as a Research Manager. Can you tell us about that?
I joined in 2021 as a Research Analyst with a background in Economics. Since then, I’ve worked in the Netherlands office, spent a year and a half in Ethiopia as an Associate, and then moved to Rwanda, where I’ve been a Research Manager for the past two years.
Over that time, I’ve gone from supporting projects through data quality monitoring and survey coding to managing large studies, overseeing a portfolio, and even supporting country management during a leadership transition.
The main constant is that I’ve never had the chance to get bored, and I’m very grateful for that.
What motivated you to move from research management into business development and communications?
The long version, according to my parents, is that I was born to sell things. At seven, I built a Pokémon card empire without buying a single pack. Later on, I financed an expensive cycling hobby by selling every spare bike part I didn’t need. So maybe this is just where I was always supposed to be.
The Laterite version is slightly simpler. As I grew in the research team, I realized I was having more fun preparing proposals and speaking with clients than running projects. During the period between Country Directors in Rwanda, my responsibilities expanded, and I found I genuinely enjoyed the managerial and outward-facing side of the work.
Research is where I grew up professionally, and I strongly believe in rigorous evidence, but I realized I wanted to move from producing it to representing it on the outside, so when the BDC Manager role opened and Dim and Sach approached me, it felt like a pretty easy move.
How does a researcher’s mindset shape the way you approach business development?
I’ve done the work I now represent. I’ve coded surveys, monitored data quality, managed field teams, overseen portfolios. I can speak about our work in detail because I’ve been part of delivering it. If a partner wants to get into technical details early on in a conversation, I’m very happy to go there; if they want the bigger picture view, I can offer that too.
Similarly, a big part of Laterite’s values is a strong local presence and contextual understanding. Having worked in Ethiopia and Rwanda, our two largest offices, I know the teams, the realities, and the challenges on the ground.
What excites you most about representing a research organization externally?
Being able to advocate for strong, context-grounded evidence at a time when funding is tight and scrutiny is high.
I’m a firm believer in robust study designs and letting data tell the story. In a shrinking sector, credibility matters more than ever, as does demonstrating impact and independent, reliable evidence. I’m keen to help our partners do that.
But I’m equally excited about how we tell that story. Evidence shouldn’t just sit in a PDF: it should travel across teams, offices and ministries. It should be visible and engaging.
On top of that, Laterite keeps innovating in how we use artificial intelligence throughout the research process, from data collection to analysis to evidence sharing. I’m excited to make sure people know that.
What will you be focusing on in your first few months as BDC Manager?
It’s been a pretty spicy start! There is plenty going on.
We’re refining our strategy for the coming years, and that’s shaping a lot of the work.
Internally, we’re looking at process improvements and how to work more efficiently. Externally, we want to be more visible, more engaged, and more present in the conversations that matter. We’re also refreshing how we communicate, balancing technical rigor with letting our personality come through a bit more.
So yes, you might be seeing and hearing a bit more of me.
What principles guide the way you build professional relationships?
I’m not overly keen on meaningless small talk or overly corporate interactions. I value clarity, transparency, being honest about what we know and what we don’t, and what we can and cannot do. Trust, for me, comes from that honesty, and is at the center of all relationships.
At Laterite, we place huge emphasis on our local teams. My role is to create the bridge between them and potential partners, and to make sure those teams get the spotlight they deserve for the incredible work they do.
What makes a partnership meaningful beyond contracts and deliverables?
Whether we’re collaborating on data collection, full-cycle research, M&E advisory, or AI and analytics, we aim to go beyond providing a service, and instead be true partners of the organizations we work with.
That means producing high-quality evidence and translating it into insights people can actually use. The best partnerships are the ones where stakeholders at different levels, including study participants, can learn from the findings and apply them. That’s when it feels genuinely impactful, and meaningful.
Obviously, technical rigor is non-negotiable, and ethical standards are non-negotiable. However, real impact doesn’t automatically happen just because your study is methodologically sound and you do everything “right”.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy spending time on?
For years, the answer would have been cycling. I’ve ridden and raced bikes since I was 15. A long-term injury has put that on pause (temporarily, I hope), so I’ve diversified a bit.
Now it’s running, DJing, like every white man in his 30s, it was either that or starting a podcast, and, more recently, chess.
What would you like potential partners or collaborators reading this to know?
There are organizations we’ve admired for a long time but haven’t yet worked with. I’d love to change that.
If you’re curious about what we do, or even just want to exchange ideas, my DMs are open! Let’s talk.
Interested in exploring a partnership with Laterite? Get in touch with Enrico at eguizzardi@laterite.com to start the conversation.