Thierry Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko is a Malagasy leader with international acclaim.
He overcame a challenging youth to emerge as a pivotal figure in Madagascar’s political, economic, and sporting life. Currently, he’s nearing the end of his second term as a member of Parliament elected in Toliara 1, presides over the Malagasy Olympic Committee, and along with his wife, founded the Siteny Foundation. He has just been elected as the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), founded in 1956 by Philibert Tsiranana, who became the first elected Head of State of Madagascar, a few years after. On the international front, since 2021, he serves as the President of the African Judo Union and Vice-President of the International Judo Federation.
Born on July 27, 1972, in Toliara (Southern Madagascar), Siteny grew up in a modest family of 14 children. This forced him to swiftly cultivate entrepreneurial skills to earn some money, partly to finance his education. However, the death of his father halted his education at age 20, compelling him to work to support his family. Alongside humble jobs like water carrier and umbrella renter at the Tsenengea market, he evolved his father’s small jewelry workshop into a flourishing jewelry business, tapping into his innate business acumen.
Having saved enough, he ventured to South Africa to further his studies in communication, management, and leadership at the International Leadership School in Johannesburg. It’s here that he met Danielle “Nelly” Mileva, originally from Bourgas, Bulgaria. They wed in 2001 and share five children: Gabriel, Michael, Sonia, Gracy, and Daniel.
Leveraging also from training trips to the U.S., Siteny established numerous thriving businesses across various sectors: real estate, telecommunications, and the media. Notably, his company, Siteny Distribution, was for many years the exclusive distributor of Airtel telephone cards throughout Madagascar. With an annual turnover well exceeding one million dollars by the mid-2000s, Siteny discreetly emerged as one of Madagascar’s most influential economic players. In 2017, he launched the British School of Madagascar, which follows the British educational curriculum.
His life journey enables him to relate to and understand both the humble and the elite, making simplicity and humility his daily values.
In recent years, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko has bolstered his international profile, and met several state and government leaders. He had the opportunity to share his perspectives on Madagascar with Pope Francis. He met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gain insights from his vast experience. He also exchanged ideas and visions for the future with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. He had the privilege of discussing judo and Madagascar’s development in Tokyo with Her Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa. Recently, he highlighted the pre-electoral situation in Madagascar to the President of Kenya, William Ruto.
