Dr. Robert G. Sherman MIM, MBA, PhD

Founder & Interim-President

Dr. Robert G. Sherman
Biographical Sketch

Dr. Robert G. Sherman is a former Assistant Minister of Finance for Banking in the Republic of Liberia and the retired President and CEO of AMI Group Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona.

He received a BA in Economics from Cuttington College in Liberia and a Master of International Management (MIM) from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management (AGSIM) in Glendale, Arizona. Dr. Sherman also earned an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, with a major in Finance and minors in Economics and Global Business.

Dr. Sherman is Professor Emeritus of Finance, Economics, and Global Business at the University of Phoenix, where he taught MBA and doctoral-level courses. During his tenure, he also assisted with the revision and development of numerous undergraduate and graduate business courses.

He previously taught International Finance, Economics, and Global Business courses at Thunderbird (AGSIM) for nearly a decade. Currently, Dr. Sherman serves as an Adjunct Professor at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, where he teaches graduate-level Finance and Economics courses.

Dr. Sherman is a founding member and first president of several organizations, including the African Finance & Economics Association of North America (AFEA), the African Association of Arizona (AFASA), and the Liberian Association of Arizona (LAA).

He served as a Visiting Scholar to the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and to the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank. In addition, he has consulted for the Africa Bureau of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in New York on issues related to private sector development in Africa.

Dr. Sherman and the AMI Group have organized major international conferences and EXPOs on Africa in Phoenix, bringing together representatives from organizations such as the African Business Roundtable, African Development Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and several United States government agencies including the Departments of Commerce, State, Energy, and Treasury, as well as EX-IM Bank, OPIC, USAID, SBA, and the Corporate Council on Africa, among many others.

Dr. Sherman is the President Emeritus of the Liberian and African Associations of Arizona and actively assists with the resettlement of African refugees in Phoenix. He is also the founder of the Council of Liberian Experts in the Diaspora (COLED).

He has published in peer-reviewed academic journals and currently serves on several boards and commissions. Over the years, he has received numerous academic and community awards, including the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. “Living the Dream” Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from U.S. President Joe Biden in 2023.

Dr. Sherman is married and has two children.