Former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam is set to run for president in Ivory Coast’s forthcoming election, his party the PDCI has confirmed.
Thiam, 62, who spent the last two decades living abroad and had to give up his French citizenship to stand, has held directorship positions in leading international businesses like Aviva, Prudential, and Credit Suisse.
However, he resigned from Credit Suisse following a spying scandal.
Despite being little-known in Ivory Coast after spending over 20 years abroad, Thiam’s great-nephew relation to the country’s first President Félix Houphouët-Boigny and his uncle’s role as a prime minister in Senegal could aid his campaign.
The election will also see the current president, 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara, potentially run for a fourth term, while three other prominent figures, including former President Laurent Gbagbo, have been barred from running.
