Erastus Mwencha Board Chairman

Erastus Mwencha is the former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. He is also a former Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Prior to COMESA, Mr Mwencha served in the Government of Kenya in several capacities, including as Head of Industrial Promotion Department, Secretary to Industrial Sciences Advisory Research Committee, and as a Senior Economist at the Kenyan Industrial Survey and Promotion Centre. He holds a Master’s degree in economics from the University of York and has received several awards and honours, including ‘Elder of the Golden Heart’ in 2009, and ‘Moran of the Burning Spear’ in 1998, both presented by the President of the Republic of Kenya. He has also received Officer of National Order in 1977, the highest national award in the Republic of Madagascar, and the highest Presidential Award given by the President of the Republic of Djibouti. Lastly, he led COMESA to the ‘International Gold Award for Excellence and Business Prestige’ in 2002, during the Quality Summit Award in New York.

Susan Kiama Vice Board Chairperson

Susan is a seasoned human resourcing expert with over 24 years experience working in the areas of leadership and change.  She is currently the Chief Officer People Operations at  Twiga Foods Limited. Susan has over 10 years’ experience as a Board member for commercial and non-profit organisations to include: Allavida Kenya, Kenya Airports Authority  and Board Chair at Chancery Wright Insurance Brokers and SOS Children’s Villages, Kenya.

Prior to joining Twiga Foods Limited, she was the Managing Director at 21st Century Pay Solutions East Africa Limited and is the Managing Consultant Three Green Apples Consulting Limited. She has also worked with notable organisations including   Safaricom Plc, Citibank NA Kenya Branch; Principal Consultant with Deloitte & Touche Consulting.

Patricia Ojangóle Board Member

Patricia is a professional accountant with 17 years’ experience in Banking and Finance. Currently, she is the Managing Director of Uganda Development Bank Limited she has been instrumental in turning around the Bank to become the preferred and trusted partner to the Government of Uganda in achieving Socio-economic development aspirations.

Prior to becoming the Managing Director, she worked as a Chief Audit Executive at Uganda Development Bank and a Senior Internal Audit Manager at Standard Bank Group. She has specific competences in Strategy development and implementation, Risk management, Corporate Governance and Finance

Patricia holds a first-class Master of Philosophy in Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She also holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute, Arusha, Tanzania; a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) Degree from Makerere University, Uganda and has completed several leadership and management programs. She is currently undertaking her PhD studies in development finance at the University of Stellenbosch.

Patricia is a Fellow of the Association of the Certified Chartered Accountants (UK); the Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU), as well as The Institute of Internal Auditors Uganda (IIA).

She is a member of the Board of Uganda Development Bank Ltd, Busitema University Fund Ltd, and The New Vision Group. She is also a member of the Management Board of the European Union Funded START facility and serves on the boards of the Association of Development Finance Institutions in Africa and in the Association of member countries of Islamic Development Bank.

David Luke Board Member

David is a trade policy expert with over 30 years' experience in regional economic integration and private sector response. He is currently the Strategic Director, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, LSE. Prior to this role, he was the  Chief of Trade at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Coordinator (Director) African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) UNECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Head, Trade and Human Development Unit, UNDP, Geneva, Switzerland.  

Gabriel Negatu Board Member

Mr Gabriel Negatu is the former Director General at the Africa Development Bank (AfDB). He has more than 25 years of senior level program, operations and managerial experience, including 18 years at AfDB. He has extensive experience in operations having been senior and principal programme officer from 1998 to 2002, chief programme officer from 2002 to 2006 and sector director for economic and financial governance, where he headed the bank's first governance department. Mr. Negatu was credited for successfully leading the bank’s response to the global financial crisis and for spearheading the use of budget support operations for fragile states.

Mr Negatu holds a bachelor's degree in Geography and Planning from California State University and a Master's Degree in Public and International Administration with a focus on Economics and Social Development from the university of Pittsburgh.

Celestine Munda Board Member

Celestine is the Government and Infrastructure Lead at Ernst and Young (EY). She was previously the Risk Consulting Leader and Country Managing Partner in the same institution. She also serves in the following capacities: Ernst and Young Global Board, Vice President of Institute of Internal Audit (RSA) at the Jim McPhee Foundation and is the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Internal Audit Endorsed Programme (IAEP) in the University of Pretoria (RSA)

Lola Aworanti-Ekugo Board Member

Lola is a Digital and Innovation expert with over 17 years’ experience focused on offering innovative solutions to real world challenges within the private sector and strengthening the start-up ecosystem through partnerships and impact programs. She is currently the Chief Digital Officer at FBNQuest (an arm of FBN Holdings Plc). Prior she worked in similar roles across Europe and Africa at companies including Dresdner Kleinwort, Commerzbank, BNP Paribas, Union Bank, and First Bank Nigeria. She is the author of the fiction novel titled "Lagos to London".

Lola holds a BSc in Business Information systems with First Class Honours from Middlesex University, London with a scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and an MBA from Imperial College Business School, London. She has received various recognitions, including the Special Recognition: Women in ICT Award of the Year Award at the Women Tech Network Global Awards 2022, Top 30 women in Fintech by Fintech Africa in 2019, 60 African female fintech experts who are helping to build a professional identity for women in fintech by African Shapers in 2021 and Top 40 CEOs under 40 in Africa by Young Entrepreneurs Summit in 2022. She is also serves as board member for Southwest Innovation and Technology (SWIT) a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Limited.

Sanjay Rughani Board Member

Sanjay Rughani is the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), Uganda. He previously served as CEO of SCB Tanzania with his experience spanning East, West Africa and India. He has held over 30 governance roles including chairing the CEO roundtable in Tanzania. A “passionate Tanzanian”, he takes pride in his involvement in public sector work and impact deals for the region and believes that commercial models of Public Private Partnerships are much more sustainable. He has extensive experience in development finance and institutions, with networks across Africa, Europe and the USA. He is keen and committed to TMA’s mandate and particularly excited about the new Africa-wide mandate.

Dominic Mcvey Board Member

Professor Dominic McVey MBE is an exceptional business leader and board director with extensive experience in building businesses and not for profits across the African continent. Professor McVey has a portfolio of multi-national business interests, spanning manufacturing, technology, cosmetics and management consultancy. He is an outspoken and committed advocate for increasing equitable trade with developing countries and promoting sustainable foreign direct investment into African countries. His not-for-profit roles include Non- Executive Director – Overseas Development Institute, Advisory Council member - Coalition for Global Prosperity, and Chairman of Computer Aid International. Professor McVey is a respected speaker on business ethics and entrepreneurship and consults with government think tanks and world leaders. Professor McVey brings on board visionary perspectives on the role of trade in development, and strong connections with AfCFTA, Regional Economic Communities, African governments, global trade organisations and the private sector.

Alexander Fraser Board Member

Alex Fraser is an accomplished international development professional with experience across financial services, industry, international trade and economic development. He is currently the Senior Adviser on intra-African trade and development for the Africa division of the UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). In this role he is responsible for the UK's development strategy on intra-African trade, including overseeing UK funding to TradeMark Africa and partnership with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. He has previously served as a non-executive director on the board of Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) where he was a member of the investment and development impact committees. Alex has varied international experience across the public and private sectors at FCDO, DFID, UK Export Finance and Rolls-Royce plc, and holds degrees from The University of Edinburgh and King's College London.