Country Recognition

Kampeta Sayinzoga assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at Rwanda Development Bank (BRD) in December 2019, bringing with her over a decade of experience in public finance and development. Under her leadership, BRD embarked on a groundbreaking initiative, participating in a new investment facility focused on green finance to combat climate change. The initiative, launched in November 2022, saw BRD invest USD 22 million to support Rwanda's ambitious climate action agenda, requiring USD 11 billion in investments.

Before her tenure at BRD, Kampeta served as Director General at the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), where she played a crucial role in driving enterprise development through export promotion. She spearheaded the transformative "Cow in a Car" project, enhancing the value chains of animal products in Rwanda's industrial sector.

Kampeta's finance career has been marked by significant achievements, including her appointment as one of Africa's youngest Permanent Secretaries at age 27. During her decade-long tenure within the Ministry of Finance, she played a pivotal role in shaping Rwanda's economic trajectory, lifting over a million Rwandans out of poverty. She championed Rwanda's Eurobond issuance, developed the country's capital markets, and promoted financial sector competition.

Her dedication extends beyond her professional roles; she's served on various boards and, in 2023, initiated an in-house Early Childhood Development Center at BRD, the first of its kind in the financial sector, supporting employees' work-life balance. Kampeta is a role model for women leaders, emphasizing the importance of support systems and fostering an inclusive environment.

Orry Seem

Group Head Of Cards
Ecobank Transnational Inc

Alice Shumba is a highly accomplished professional in the insurance industry with a proven track record of driving revenue generation and spearheading transformative initiatives within the reinsurance sector. Currently serving as the Head of Revenue Generation at FBC Reinsurance, a subsidiary of FBC Holdings, Alice holds a pivotal role in overseeing various critical functions, including short-term reinsurance underwriting, claims management, credit control, business development, and risk management.

Under Alice's astute leadership, the reinsurance unit at FBC Holdings emerged as the second most profitable subsidiary out of six units in the audited financial year of 2021. With an unwavering focus on bottom-line profitability, Alice has consistently maintained a profitable book of business, positioning FBC Reinsurance as a market leader in Zimbabwe. Notably, reinsurance contributed a significant 16.5 percent to FBC Holdings' profit before tax, highlighting the remarkable impact of Alice's strategic and operational acumen.

Beyond the confines of the domestic market, Alice is dedicated to promoting the FBC brand on regional platforms and conferences. With a vision to transform FBC Reinsurance into a prominent regional reinsurer, Alice actively seeks opportunities to market the company and expand its footprint beyond borders. In recognition of these efforts, FBC Reinsurance became the first unit within FBC Holdings to venture into the region by opening a subsidiary company in Botswana, securing a license to operate in June 2022.

In addition to driving business growth, Alice places a strong emphasis on staff development, fostering motivation, and creating a conducive working environment. She has championed a culture of lifelong learning within the reinsurance unit, empowering team members to pursue suitable qualifications and continually enhance their professional expertise. This commitment to talent development has yielded remarkable results, with staff progressing from secretarial positions to technical roles and witnessing the promotion of male clerks who have pursued insurance qualifications under Alice's guidance.

Passionate about sharing knowledge and advancing the insurance industry, Alice actively engages in training initiatives within Zimbabwe and the Eastern and Southern Africa region. She has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the Organisation of Eastern and Southern Africa Insurers (OESAI) and the Insurance Institute of Zimbabwe, delivering technical expertise on topics including reinsurance, cyber insurance, and political violence and terrorism insurance. Alice has also played a pivotal role in the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe, serving as a member of the Technical Committee and the Special Risks Insurance Consortium, while chairing the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau to address critical risk management issues.

Furthermore, Alice is a dedicated mentor affiliated with the Chartered Insurance Institute (U.K), providing guidance and support to insurance students across Africa. Her mentoring influence extends beyond national boundaries, nurturing talent from markets such as Kenya and Zambia. Recognizing the importance of gender equality and empowerment, Alice has been at the forefront of initiatives to uplift women in the insurance industry. Co-founding Women in Insurance Zimbabwe in 2019, she has been instrumental in fostering a strong network of over 200 women professionals and driving the advancement of the "Next Generation" of female insurers. This groundbreaking model has inspired similar organizations in countries such as South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya, facilitating cross-border collaboration and progress in women's affairs within the sector.

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Annie Nibishaka is an accomplished professional in the insurance sector, currently serving as the Managing Director of Old Mutual - Rwanda. With a wealth of experience spanning 10 years, Annie has played a pivotal role in the company's growth and success.

In her current position, Annie is responsible for developing and executing Old Mutual - Rwanda's business strategies, aiming to achieve organizational goals while contributing to the overall growth of the insurance industry. Her leadership is focused on fostering a positive work culture and ensuring a productive and harmonious work environment.

Under Annie's guidance, Old Mutual - Rwanda has attained remarkable achievements. The company has secured its position as a leading player in the insurance market, ranking as the top private insurance company in terms of revenue growth. This accomplishment speaks volumes about Annie's strategic acumen and her ability to drive the company towards sustained success.

Annie's tenure as Managing Director has been marked by significant expansion and progress. She has overseen a substantial increase in the company's workforce, growing it from 50 employees to a robust team of 110 professionals. In line with her commitment to diversity and gender equality, Annie has actively promoted the inclusion of women in leadership positions. Currently, Old Mutual - Rwanda boasts a notable representation of four women out of ten members in the Executive Management Committee, contributing to an overall gender balance of 32 percent across the organization.

Demonstrating resilience and adaptability during challenging times, Annie led Old Mutual - Rwanda through the COVID-19 pandemic with compassion and commitment. The company made substantial contributions, donating over 31 million Rwandan Francs to support the national response efforts. Additionally, Annie utilized her position to raise awareness and educate the community about safety measures, playing a vital role in the fight against the pandemic.

Annie's influence extends beyond her role at Old Mutual - Rwanda. She is an active participant in industry associations and was elected as the Chairperson of the Rwanda Insurers Association (ASSAR) in 2020. In this capacity, Annie has implemented policies to support the insurance business during the pandemic and has been a voice for the industry in addressing critical challenges.

Outside of her professional accomplishments, Annie is deeply committed to making a positive impact in her community. She passionately supports disabled children by personally financing their school fees. Additionally, she has taken on the responsibility of supporting the Aveh Umurerwa center in Nyamata, where disabled children receive care. Annie provides financial assistance to cover the salaries of the center's eight workers and ensures the children have comfortable mattresses covered in the best leather available, enhancing their living conditions and dignity.

Annie Nibishaka's exemplary leadership, industry expertise, and dedication to community development make her a highly respected figure in the insurance sector. Her contributions to Old Mutual - Rwanda's growth, her commitment to gender equality, and her philanthropic efforts serve as an inspiration to aspiring professionals and underscore her commitment to making a positive and lasting impact on the industry and the lives of those she serves.

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Diago Dieye is the Managing Director of Nyala Venture, a joint venture focused on driving local economic growth by providing capital and capacity strengthening services to Local Capital Providers (LCPs), with a special emphasis on Gender Lens Investing.

In her current role, Diago spearheads the development and implementation of Nyala Venture's investment and execution strategies. Diago actively contributes to the Fund's Board, shaping governance, finance, talent, legal matters, and strategy development in preparation for the launch of a larger fund in 2023. Additionally, she leverages FSD Africa's investment capital to establish co-investment opportunities with local and global investor communities, including financial institutions, fund managers, government agencies, DFIs, pension funds, and impact investors.

With a strong focus on Investment Management, Diago leads the formulation of Nyala's investment criteria, investment processes, and internal documentation requirements. She oversees the entire investment lifecycle, from origination to transaction execution and monitoring. Furthermore, Diago actively participates as a Limited Partner (LP) or board member in Nyala's portfolio funds. She takes a strategic approach in managing the portfolio and provides support to portfolio companies during the investment period and future sales or exits.

Diago joined Nyala Venture from Teranga Capital, where she played a key role in structuring and deploying a USD 30 million program that financed 15 local capital providers in Senegal over a span of three years. This program significantly contributed to the growth of Teranga Capital, resulting in net profits for the fund manager for the first time since its inception.

For the past decade, Diago has been actively involved in developing the Small & Growing Businesses Financing (SGB Financing) asset class. This focus stems from recognizing the "Missing Middle" financing gap faced by SGBs, which are too big for microfinance and too small for traditional private equity and commercial banks. She has been dedicated to delivering capital directly to SGBs and facilitating access to capital for Alternative Local Capital Providers such as non-commercial banks, SME funds, incubators, and accelerators. Her long-term goal is to establish SGB Financing as a recognized asset class within the larger private equity ecosystem, effectively filling the financing gap at scale.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Diago actively contributes to her community as a member of the local association called Noor. Through fundraising efforts, the association has undertaken various initiatives, including building wells in rural areas for clean water access, supporting women in rural areas to start self-sustaining micro-businesses, constructing marketplaces for trading local products, providing assistance to schools, supporting individuals in need of medical assistance, and offering food provisions to families below the poverty line. Additionally, Diago plays a crucial role in assisting orphaned children with medical support, education, and food provisions.

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Josiane Tchoungui is the Managing Director of Orabank – Benin, where she is responsible for defining and implementing the bank's strategy in alignment with the Board of Directors' guidelines and Oragroup's vision. With a keen focus on compliance, Josiane ensures adherence to regulatory constraints in the UMOA region and banking standards, particularly in areas of good governance, anti-money laundering, and the fight against terrorist financing. She also plays a pivotal role in developing the customer portfolio while continuously monitoring its quality, establishing product lines, and shaping distribution and marketing policies. Josiane's responsibilities extend to managing the bank at all levels, encompassing operational aspects and human resources.

When Josiane joined Orabank in 2018, the bank was undergoing a restructuring phase, facing challenges related to staff, regulatory compliance, and customer dissatisfaction. Over the course of four years, with the support of the bank's staff and the backing of the parent company, Josiane has made significant contributions to improving various aspects of the bank. Notably, productivity witnessed a notable increase of approximately 10 percent to 20 percent across key metrics such as total balance sheet, total loans, total deposits, net banking income, and gross operating margin from 2019 to 2022. Moreover, the quality of the bank's portfolio also demonstrated improvement, with the portfolio degradation rate declining from 20 percent to 10.2 percent over three years.

As the Managing Director, Josiane's unwavering dedication to the bank's activities has undoubtedly enhanced its value proposition to customers and contributed to the overall economy. Beyond her role within the bank, Josiane holds the position of the 3rd Vice President of the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Benin (APBEF-BENIN).

Outside of her professional duties, Josiane actively engages with various associations, contributing her expertise and time to diverse fields of interest. She serves as a member and statutory auditor of the Institut Africain de Gouvernance (IAG), working towards promoting better governance practices in African companies. Josiane is part of a team of writers preparing a book on the subject. Additionally, she is involved with Amicale Catho, an association that provides scholarships and organizes conferences for students at the Catholic University of Central Africa. Josiane also participates in motivational talks with young people through her affiliation with the Association Generation 90.

Through her multifaceted engagements and leadership within and beyond the banking sector, Josiane Tchoungui demonstrates a commitment to driving positive change, fostering good governance, and empowering the next generation.

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