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Since 2021, Nadia Fettah has been one of the key figures in Aziz Akhannouch’s government as the Minister of Economy and Finance. Born in Rabat in 1971 and a graduate of HEC Paris, she chose to return to Morocco after her studies to make a direct impact on the country’s economic development. She began her career in consulting at Arthur Andersen, before shifting to private equity in Africa. In 2000, she launched Maroc Invest, a fund aimed at financing Moroccan businesses. Her career took a major turn in 2005 when she joined Saham Assurance, becoming the first female CEO of the group. Under her leadership, Saham expanded across Africa and completed a key partnership with the South African group Sanlam, worth over a billion dollars. In 2019, she was appointed Minister of Handicrafts and Tourism, and in 2020, she took charge of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, becoming the first woman to hold this position in Morocco. Her leadership is marked by a strong commitment to South-South cooperation and a focused effort to enhance Morocco’s economic competitiveness and financial system stability.

Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR is an investor, banker and philanthropist with a track record of major accomplishments in both for-profit and not-for-profit initiatives within Nigeria and beyond. He co-founded Tengen Family Office and oversees a significant portfolio of investments and businesses in banking, finance, insurance, technology, real estate and energy. Through the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation and its subsidiaries, the Africa Initiative for Governance and the Aig-Imoukhuede Institute, he is focused on building Nigeria’s next generation of government leaders, helping transform public sector effectiveness, and improving access to quality primary health care. His career in banking and finance which spans over three decades in financial markets, investment banking, risk management, strategy and commercial banking has earned him international recognition. He was the Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc between 2002 and 2013 where he led its transformation to a top five bank in Nigeria. Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede was a member of Nigeria’s Banker’s Committee and in 2012, he led the banking sector’s’ voluntary adoption of the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles, an initiative that has since been emulated by several countries across the world. As Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidies, he is credited with saving Nigeria more than $6 billion in fraudulent petroleum subsidy claims. He is the founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Financial Market Dealers Association and led the establishment of the FMDQ Securities Exchange. He was elected president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Council in 2013, becoming the first African to earn the privilege of chairing two national exchange platforms. As president of the Exchange, he championed demutualisation, which was successfully completed in 2021. He holds an Executive MBA jointly awarded by the London School of Economics, New York University and HEC Paris. He also holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. He received honorary degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. He serves as Chairman of Enterprise NGR, a Nigerian financial and related professional services advocacy group. He was appointed a member of Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government International Advisory Board in 2017. His contributions towards universal health care for all Africans led to his appointment in 2011 as the first African co-chairman of the New York- based GBC Health, a private sector coalition against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. He is a Board Member of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

Aliou Maïga is IFC’s Regional Director for the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) in Africa. In this capacity, he is responsible for the implementation of IFC’s strategy in the region and leads all FIG operations, including the execution of investment transactions and portfolio oversight. He also leads the advisory teams and works with the World Bank on needed sector policy reforms to develop new opportunities and markets. He has been with IFC for more than twenty years and held several positions with increasing responsibilities before his appointment to his current position in September 2022. Prior to his current position, Mr. Maïga was IFC’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. He oversaw IFC’s advisory and investment operations in 22 countries. He also maintained the institution’s relationships with clients, partners, and governments. Previously, Mr. Maïga was IFC’s Regional Industry Head, FIG, Sub-Saharan Africa, for four years. He oversaw investment and advisory services operations in the financial sector across the region. Earlier in his career, Mr. Maïga served as IFC’s Resident Representative in Ethiopia, before moving to Asia as Regional Manager, Financial Institutions Group for East Asia and Pacific. Mr. Maïga has been instrumental in building IFC’s FIG business in Africa and East Asia over the past decade. Before joining investment operations, Mr. Maïga led a major IT and change management project for IFC for two years.

Since June 7, 2022, Jean-Claude Kassi BROU has been serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), where he plays a central role in shaping regional economic policies. With over 40 years of experience, his career spans key positions both internationally and in Côte d’Ivoire. Between 1982 and 1990, he worked at the IMF, including as Resident Representative in Senegal, contributing to economic reforms across Africa. He also served as the World Bank Representative for Chad from 2010 to 2012. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of Industry, later adding Mines to his portfolio in 2013. His reforms in the mining sector attracted significant investments, making Côte d’Ivoire one of Africa’s top gold producers. In 2018, he was elected President of the ECOWAS Commission, where he focused on regional economic integration. Additionally, he held key government positions in Côte d’Ivoire, including Economic and Financial Advisor to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Privatization Committee, contributing significantly to the country’s economic development.

Jules Ngankam has over 15 years of experience in banking and financial services with leading financial institutions. Prior to his current role, he was the Group Deputy CEO of African Guarantee Fund. Jules worked for over 8 years at Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays PLC, in various roles including rates strategist, rates trader and treasury vice-president. In his latest position, he focused on the management of the Group’s liquidity, interest rates risk and foreign exchange risk in their balance sheet and the implementation of their internal funding curves and transfer pricing. A Cameroonian national, Jules is a graduate of ENSAE (Paris) in statistics and economics and of ESSEC Business School in Paris. He also holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Paris Dauphine in France. Jules is passionate about leveraging financial innovation to support sustainable development and financial inclusion.

With a degree in Engineering from ENSTA-Paris, Mohamed El Kettani began his banking career in 1984 when he joined the Banque Commerciale du Maroc (BCM). In 2007, he became CEO of the Attijariwafa Bank Group and has since led its national and regional development to make it the leading bank in the Maghreb and the seventh best bank in Africa. He is an Officer of the Order of the Throne of HM King Mohammed and an Officer of the Order of Legion of Honor of the French Republic. He has been awarded in 2019 the “CEO of the Year” Award at the AFRICA CEO FORUM 2019.

Mamo E. Mihretu is the 10th Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). Before he was appointed as the Governor of NBE, Mr. Mamo served as the founding CEO of the Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), the strategic investment arm of the Government of Ethiopia. EIH manages all key commercial companies of the Government of Ethiopia, including Ethiopian Airlines, Ethio Telecom and Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Enterprises. Mr. Mamo is a member of Ethiopia’s Macroeconomic Council, which is the body that steers economic policy and strategic decisions. He has been a member and a secretary of the council for the last four and half years. He was an active member of economic team that conceptualized, developed and implemented Ethiopia’s economic reform program. As a Board Member of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) the largest financial institution in the country for four years, Mr. Mamo chaired CBE’s transformation program into a customer centric and risk conscious bank. Mr. Mamo also served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Ethiopia’s Chief Trade Negotiator from 2018-2021.While working at the office of the prime minister, Mamo helped create the policy and performance department that oversees performance outcomes of Government agencies. Before joining the Ethiopian Government in 2018, Mr. Mamo was a Senior Project Manager at the World Bank Group in Kenya from 2010 to 2018, working mainly on Finance and Competitiveness issues. Mr. Mamo obtained a Masters in Leadership, Public Administration and Economic Development from the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in the United States. He also holds a Masters degree in Trade and Investment from the University of Pretoria and University of Amsterdam. He was a gold medalist when he graduated from Addis Ababa University, School of Law.

Abdeslam Alaoui Smaili, CEO et cofondateur de HPS en 1995, est un leader visionnaire reconnu dans l’industrie mondiale des paiements. Fort de plus de 30 ans d’expérience, il a conduit HPS à une croissance exceptionnelle, incluant une cotation en bourse réussie, faisant de l’entreprise un acteur majeur du secteur des paiements numériques. Fort de son expertise en ingénierie et gestion d’entreprise, Abdeslam a positionné HPS à l’avant-garde de l’innovation en technologies de paiement. Son leadership, axé sur l’adaptabilité et l’innovation continue, a permis de développer des solutions de paiement sécurisées, efficaces et accessibles, répondant aux besoins des marchés mondiaux. Reconnu pour son approche pragmatique, Abdeslam est connu pour la mise en œuvre des solutions de paiement complexes et l’élaboration de stratégies adaptées aux besoins spécifiques des différentes régions. Son engagement envers l’innovation et sa vision prospective ont permis à HPS d’anticiper et de répondre aux évolutions rapides de l’écosystème financier. Orateur respecté lors des évènements majeurs de l’industrie, Abdeslam est largement reconnu comme un leader d’opinion dans le domaine des paiements et de la fintech. Il participe activement à des forums mondiaux pour promouvoir les meilleures pratiques et les cadres réglementaires soutenant l’innovation et l’inclusion financières, contribuant ainsi à combler le fossé entre les marchés émergents et les marchés établis. Abdeslam est diplômé en ingénierie de l’Université de Toulouse et a suivi des programmes exécutifs à l’INSEAD et à l’Université de Harvard. Son leadership chez HPS reflète sa conviction dans le pouvoir transformateur de la technologie dans le secteur financer. Sous sa direction, HPS a renforcé son avantage concurrentiel tout en contribuant de manière significative au débat mondial sur l’avenir des paiements électroniques.