Posts Tagged ‘Punch Newspapers’
Stakeholders to examine Africa’s digital future at summit
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Read MoreGroup Executive Director, Commercial Operations at Dangote Industries Limited
Fatima Aliko-Dangote is currently the Group Executive Director of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL). In this role, she oversees the Group's Commercial operations across the Dangote Business units, activities of the Group’s Brand and communications, Strategic Procurement and the general administration of the Group. In her previous role, Fatima was the Executive Director of Commercial at NASCON Allied Industries Plc (NASCON), the leading player in Salt Refining and Marketing across Nigeria.She was responsible for developing and implementing NASCON’s Commercial Sales and Marketing strategy with additional oversight for Logistics, Transportation and Branding. Prior to this, Fatima held multiple roles within Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) the parent company of the Dangote Group. Fatima is passionate about philanthropy. She is a trustee on the board of the Aliko Dangote Foundationand a trustee on the board of Africa Center.
Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation
Makhtar Diop is the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector. As the head of IFC, Mr. Diop is focused on mobilizing investments in emerging and developing economies to ensure a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future. His priorities include addressing the intertwined challenges of poverty and climate change, promoting entrepreneurship and social inclusion, and connecting emerging markets with the digital economy. Mr. Diop has served in leadership positions in both the public and private sectors throughout his distinguished career, giving him unique insights into global development from every side of the table. An economist by training, he started his career in the banking industry before joining the International Monetary Fund and later the World Bank. He also served as Minister of Economy and Finance for his home country of Senegal.
Former CEO of In-Q-Tel and current CEO of America’s Frontier Fund
The Honorable Gilman Louie is CEO and co-founder of America’s Frontier Fund, where he is responsible for the vision and leadership of the organization. Gilman brings over 30 years of national security and investment experience. He served as an early CEO of In-Q-Tel—the pioneering technology investment firm funded by the CIA—from 1999-2006, as an expert and Special Government Employee to the Defense Innovation Board from 2016-2020, and as a Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence from 2018-2021. In addition to his role at America’s Frontier Fund, Gilman is currently the Chairman of the National Intelligence University, Chairman of the Federation of American Scientists, a member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, and co-founder of Alsop Louie Partners. Gilman is the recipient of the CIA Agency Seal Medallion (2004), CIA Director’s Award (2006), Agency Seal Medallion (2006), and Director of National Intelligence Medallion (2008).
Ambassador to the World Health Organization for Technology and Health Financing, Chairman of Wesray Social Investments LLC
Ray Chambers is Vice-Chairman and Co-Founder of the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa. Chambers is Ambassador to the World Health Organization for Technology and Health Financing, Chairman of Wesray Social Investments LLC and Chairman of the MCJ Amelior Foundation. Most recently, Mr. Chambers served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria. Mr. Chambers is a philanthropist and humanitarian who has directed most of his efforts towards helping children. He is the founding Chairman of the Points of Light Foundation and co-founder, with Colin Powell, of America’s Promise -- The Alliance for Youth. He also co-founded the National Mentoring Partnership. He is the Founding Chairman of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and is the former Chairman of Wesray Capital Corporation, which he co-founded with William E. Simon. He is also the co-founder of the YES Network.
Founder of the African Leadership Group and Founder and CEO of Sand Technologies
Fred Swaniker is the Founder & CEO of Sand Technologies, a global technology company that builds enterprise-grade artificial intelligence applications for companies and governments around the world. He has been recognized as one of the top 15 emerging social entrepreneurs in the world by Echoing Green; as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum; as a TED Fellow, and as an Aspen Institute Fellow. Fred was recognized in 2019 as one of the ‘100 most influential people in the world’ by Time Magazine and again in 2023 with a “Time 100 Impact award” for his work. Prior to launching Sand, Fred launched the African Leadership Group, an ecosystem of organizations that selects, develops and connects Africa’s next generation of leaders.
Former EVP, Global Sales & Merchant Services at PayPal; Current Board Member at Meta and Macerich
Until January 2024, Peggy was the Executive Vice President-Global Sales & Merchant Services at PayPal, where she led PayPal’s Commercial and Customer Success teams worldwide. She has held numerous senior leadership roles at PayPal, including SVP of Core Markets; SVP of People Operations; COO Asia Pacific and CFO for the Americas. In 2019, Peggy returned to PayPal after two years as CFO and Head of Operations at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization. Prior to joining PayPal in 2011, Peggy worked at Rent.com, a national internet real estate listing service and former subsidiary of eBay Inc., where she served as President, General Manager and Chief Financial Officer. She serves on the Board of Directors of Meta and, from 2008-2024, Macerich. Peggy also serves as a Champion for Journey to Lead, an organization whose mission is to accelerate the diversity and trajectory of women in leadership by connecting the world’s most promising emerging talent with the most impactful women leaders.
President of the World Economic Forum
Børge Brende is the president of the World Economic Forum (2017). Previously he was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Climate and the Environment. He served as Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Conservative Party as well as MP. He was also full-time city counselor in his hometown of Trondheim. He was Chairman of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and Secretary-General of the Norwegian Red Cross. He was a Board Member of Statoil and the Norwegian School of Economics. He was the Chair of Mesta, Norway’s largest contracting group in the area of road and highway maintenance and is currently a Director of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Mr. Brende is a Member of the Advisory Council, Harvard International Negotiation Program, the China Council for International Cooperation onEnvironment and Development (CCICED), the Strategic Committee of Sciences Po, and is currently on the Board of the Bilderberg Meetings.
Former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States
Mignon L. Clyburn served as Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2009 to 2018, and acting chair from May to November of 2013. During her nearly nine years at the FCC, Commissioner Clyburn was committed to closing persistent digital and opportunity divides that continue to challenge rural, Native and low wealth communities. Specifically, she pushed for the modernization of the agency’s Lifeline Program, which assists low income consumers in defraying the cost of voice and broadband service, championed diversity in media ownership, initiated Inmate Calling Services reforms, emphasized diversity and inclusion in STEM opportunities, and fought to preserve a free and open internet. Previously, Clyburn served 11 years on the South Carolina Public Service Commission. Prior to that, she was the publisher and general manager of the Coastal Times, a family-founded, Charleston-based weekly newspaper focusing on issues affecting the African American community. She is currently the principal of MLC Strategies, LLC, a Washington, DC based consulting firm.
Director of East Africa at the Ford Foundation
Jessica Horn is Regional Director-East Africa at the Ford Foundation. She oversees the foundation's grantmaking in the region and leads the Nairobi-based team. Jessica has two decades of experience in the work of advancing justice and building both the knowledge base and practice towards inclusive democracies—with women's rights as a focal commitment—primarily in Africa. This includes 16 years in the philanthropic sector. Jessica co-designed early models of participatory philanthropy, and served as Director of Programmes at the African Women’s Development Fund where she oversaw a step-change in grantmaking scale and program focus under afutures-based strategic plan. Her analysis has been published in both academic and media platforms. Jessica served on the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health and is currently a board member of the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa and Advisory Board member of Impact Investing Kenya. She is a graduate of Armand Hammer United World College Smith College and the London School of Economics.
Director General of Smart Africa
Mr. Lacina Koné, is the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Smart Africa having joined the organization in March 2019. He oversees the process of defining and advancing Africa’s digital agenda and has overseen the development of continental blueprints for Africa on Digital Identity, ICT Start-ups and Innovation Ecosystems, Smart Villages and Africa’s Smart Broadband 2025 Strategy. In recognition for this work, Mr. Koné has reached the 12th position in 2021 among the 50 personalities advancing Africa’s digital transformation. Prior to that, Mr. Koné was the advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (2017-2018), in charge of Digital Transformation and Public Reforms, and was also the advisor to the President of Côte d’Ivoire from 2011-2017. Mr. Koné has held several high level technical and managerial positions with prestigious firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Intelsat. He also sits on the advisory boards of Benya Capital in Egypt and Townlabour Technologies in the USA.
Former Chair of Weber Shandwick
Jack Leslie is the former Chairman of Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading public relations and public affairs firms. He was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to Chair the Board of Directors of the US African Development Foundation (USADF), an independent federal agency. Jack is a veteran communications strategist, having advised corporations and governments on high-profile campaigns over the past three decades. Jack served as a senior aide to Senator Edward Kennedy in the late 1970s, and later became President of Sawyer Miller Group, a pioneer in the political media consulting business. Jack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, former Chairman of theU.S. Agency for International Development Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, former Chairman of USA for UNHCR and is currently a Distinguished Professor at Georgetown University and a Visiting Fellow at the Duke Global Health Institute.
CEO and co-founder of M-KOPA
Jesse Moore is CEO and Co-Founder of M-KOPA, the pioneering company that provides connected financing to underbanked customers. Since the commercial launch in 2012, M-KOPA has financed over 4 million customers across Africa with affordable solar home power systems, commerce enabling smartphones, and electric motorcycles. Jesse has overseen the company’s growth from startup to over 2,000 employees and 30,000 sales agents. M-KOPA currently has offices in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK. The company was named as one of Time Magazine’s TIME100 Most Influential Companies (2023 and 2024) and as one of the Fastest Growing Companies in Africa by the Financial Times (2022 and 2023). Jesse was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of 100 Young Global Leaders in 2017, and by The Business Daily as one of Kenya’s Top 40 under 40 in 2016.
President and CEO of CARE and Consortium Lead of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF)
Michelle Nunn leads more than 8,000 people working in more than 100 countries to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. In her nine years at the helm, CARE has taken its fundraising and impact to new levels, reaching more than 167 million people in 2023. CARE takes a holistic and innovative approach to crisis response, food and water, health, education and work, and climate change, and strives for its work and operations to be locally led, globally scalable, and gender equal. Nunn believes in human solidarity, that lasting impact comes from people advocating for change at the community level, and that the most powerful tools are often also the simplest. She co-founded the volunteer-mobilization nonprofit Hands On Atlanta, led its 2007 merger with President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light, and was Points of Light CEO for six years.
Former Minister of Health of Botswana and Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA)
Joy Phumaphi co-chairs the Global Pandemic Preparedness Monitoring Board. She is also currently the Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, an alliance of all African Heads of State and Government and Chairs the Global RBM Partnership to end Malaria, as well as Safe to learn-Ending violence against children. She is co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) Partner Engagement in Countries Committee. She formerly co-chaired the UN Secretary General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Women, Children and Adolescent Health. She was a member of the UN High Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises; and has served as a member of the UN Reference Group on Economics and as a UN Commissioner on HIV/AIDS and Governance. She has also served as Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank where she oversaw a dramatic expansion of the network evaluation program.
CEO of the Mastercard Foundation
Reeta Roy has been the President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation since 2008. With assets of close to $47 billion, the Mastercard Foundation is among the top five private foundations in the world. In 2018, the Foundation launched the Young Africa Works strategy to enable 30 million young people in Africa to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. To execute this strategy, the Foundation opened offices in seven countries in Africa. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reeta and the Board worked swiftly to launch “Saving Lives and Livelihoods,” an unprecedented $1.5 billion partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, hailed by donors as a model to address global inequities. Reeta holds a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and has received ten honorary doctorate degrees. She is a member of the African Transformation Leadership Panel, and the Advisory Board of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society at the University of Toronto.
CFO of Nuveen
Seun is Chief Financial Officer of Nuveen and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. He joined TIAA, the firm’s parent company, in May of 2018 and served as corporate controller, both the chief accounting officer and principal financial officer of TIAA Real Estate Account and, most recently, as TIAA’s interim chief financial officer. An executive with a successful track record of leading multifunctional finance and operations teams and driving results for global organizations, Seun came to TIAA/Nuveen from Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (JLL), a Fortune 500 global real estate company. Before his time at JLL, he spent over a decade at Deloitte serving Fortune 500 clients, specializing in the insurance, asset management, and retail pharmacy sectors. In addition, he led numerous programs focused on business development, diversity and inclusion, and was an Ellen P. Gabriel Fellow.
CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Trustee of the Anthropic Trust
Dr. Neil Buddy Shah is the CEO at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), a global health organization operating in 36 countries around the world, committed to saving lives and improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Shah was previously the Managing Director of GiveWell, a research and funding organization that directs hundreds of millions of dollars per year to programs in global health and development. He is the co-founder, former CEO and now Board Chair of IDinsight, a global development data analytics and advisory firm with offices across Africa, Asia, and the US. He worked previously at the World Bank and MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab. Dr. Shah holds an AB in economics from Harvard, an MD from Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and an MPA in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the Chair of Anthropic AI's Long-Term Benefit Trust and also sits on the boards of Educate Girls, the Prevail Fund, and the Harvard Law School Institute to End Mass Incarceration.
President of the Rockefeller Foundation
Raj Shah is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution committed to promoting the well-being of humanity around the world through data, science and innovation. Under his leadership, the foundation raised and deployed more than $1 billion to respond to the COVID pandemic at home and abroad, launched a $10 billion Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to help secure a just and green recovery, and is currently seeking to advance human opportunity even while reversing the climate crisis. Raj serves on President Biden’s Defense Policy Board and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations. In October 2023, he published Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, sharing a dynamic new model for realizing transformative change, inspired by his own work, the Foundation’s, and changemakers from around the world. He is married to Shivam Mallick Shah and they have three children.
Former Dean at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Michelle A. Williams is a renowned epidemiologist, an award-winning educator, and a widely recognized academic leader. She recently stepped down as Dean of the Faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health after seven years, and is currently spending a sabbatical year as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University. Following her sabbatical, she will return to the Harvard Chan School as the Joan and Julius Jacobson Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. Prior to becoming Dean, she was Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School and Program Leader of the Population Health and Health Disparities Research Programs at Harvard’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Center. Her research places special emphasis in the areas of reproductive, perinatal, pediatric, and molecular epidemiology. In 2020, she was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and recognized by PR Week as one of the top 50 health influencers of the year.
Former President of Liberia
Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was Liberia’s and Africa’s first democratically elected female Head of State. Internationally known as “Africa’s Iron Lady,” She led Liberia through reconciliation and recovery following the nation’s two decade-long civil war as well as through its Ebola crisis, winning international acclaim for achieving economic, social, and political change. Recognized as a global leader for women’s empowerment, President Johnson Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Post Presidency and in the wake of COVID-19, on March 8, 2020, she launched the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development which aims to create a network of accomplished women across Africa, facilitating an open and honest exchange of ideas and creating opportunities for them to develop new skills for public service leadership.