## Executive Profile of Professor Dao Ansu Sonii Sr.

Professor Dao Ansu Sonii, Sr. is a distinguished Liberian educator, accountant, administrator, and national leader whose professional career spans nearly five decades of dedicated service to the Republic of Liberia. Widely respected for his contributions to education, public administration, accounting, and institutional development, Professor Sonii has played a pivotal role in shaping Liberia’s academic and financial sectors.

Professor Sonii served as Minister of Education of the Republic of Liberia from 2018 to 2023, successfully leading the nation’s education sector during a critical period of reform and recovery. Prior to his ministerial service, he spent over thirty years at the University of Liberia, the country’s premier institution of higher learning, where he held several senior academic and administrative positions. His leadership roles included Vice President for Administration, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, Chair of the Department of Accounting, and member of both the University Council and Faculty Senate.

Beginning his university career in 1983 as an Instructor of Accounting, Professor Sonii rose through the academic ranks to become a Professor of Accounting before retiring in 2014. His commitment to higher education continued after retirement as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Graduate School of Business Administration, a graduate program he helped establish in 2008 through his leadership of a special senate committee.

Academically, Professor Sonii earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting from the University of Liberia in 1975 and later obtained a Master of Science (MSc) in Accounting from Adelphi University in 1980. In recognition of his outstanding service and national contributions, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa) by Starz College of Science and Technology.

Beyond academia, Professor Sonii built a successful parallel career in accounting and financial management. He was an active member of the Liberian Institute of Certified Public Accountants and served with PKF Liberia, an internationally recognized accounting network, where he advanced from Audit Manager to Partner. He also served in key financial leadership positions with several major Liberian institutions, including the Liberia Timber and Plywood Corporation, Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC), Liberia Tractor and Equipment Company (LIBTRACO), the General Auditing Commission, and the Mesurado Group of Companies.

Throughout his life and career, Professor Sonii has remained committed to integrity, academic excellence, professional service, and national development. His contributions have earned him numerous honors and recognitions from academic institutions, churches, civil society organizations, and communities across Liberia.

A devoted Seventh-Day Adventist Christian, Professor Sonii has been married for nearly 45 years to Mrs. Adoley M. Sonii. Together, they are blessed with seven children who have pursued professional and academic excellence in various disciplines. Alongside his wife, Professor Sonii also serves as co-founder of DAS Foundation Academy and DAS Polytechnic University, institutions dedicated to expanding access to quality education in Liberia.