Dr. Ladd Serwat is ACLED’s Africa Regional Specialist. He conducts and coordinates analysis, contributes to the oversight of regional data coverage, manages senior researchers, and serves as the main point of contact for partnerships and external engagement on the Africa desk.

With expertise on the Wagner Group, development policy, and land-related conflict in Africa, Ladd has over 15 years of experience in non-profits, academia, and the private sector. While working broadly across Africa, Ladd specializes in the Great Lakes region, where he has lived, traveled, and worked since 2008. Before joining ACLED, Ladd held several positions focused on humanitarian, development, and youth issues in Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and the United States.

Ladd holds a PhD in International Development from the University of Sussex, an MSc in African Development from the London School of Economics, and studied International Relations and French at Gonzaga University. His recent publications on the Wagner Group have been featured in major outlets such as TIME, The New York Times, and Le Monde.