Dr. Theopista Ntale Sekitto is a distinguished Ugandan banker, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist with extensive experience enhancing women’s financial inclusion in Africa. As the Uganda Country Director for New Faces New Voices, an initiative of the Graça Machel Trust, she leads efforts to advance women economically through innovative financial solutions.

Dr Sekitto collaborates with African financial institutions to tailor financial products that meet women’s unique needs. She serves as the Africa Ambassador for the Financial Alliance for Women, furthering her commitment to creating impactful opportunities for women’s economic advancement. Her work has been recognised globally and nationally. In 2013, she was honoured with the Global Village Award from North America and named among the ‘100 Top Women in the World Making A Difference’. She also received a Global Award from The International Alliance for Women (TIAW). In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Presidential Gold Jubilee Medal, a testament to her significant contributions to promoting women in Uganda.

Shiphra is a seasoned Development Expert with over 20 years of experience driving sustainable socio-economic development (SED) through collaborations with mining companies, governments, and MSMEs. As the Director of Programmes at the Trust, she provides strategic oversight of initiatives that effectively address the needs of women and adolescent girls in Africa.

She serves on various committees and boards, including the SADC Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade, Trade Forward Southern Africa, and the University of South Africa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership. Shiphra is also the President and Co-Founder of African Women in Business (AWIB), a Pan-African organisation dedicated to advancing the interests of women entrepreneurs across the continent. Through AWIB, she promotes women’s access to trade and investment in eight priority sectors, aligning strategically with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Graça Machel is an African stateswoman whose decades-long professional and public life is rooted in Mozambique’s struggle for self-rule and international advocacy for women’s and children’s rights. She is a former freedom fighter in Mozambique’s FRELIMO movement and that country’s first Minister of Education.

She founded the Graça Machel Trust based in South Africa, where she focuses on advocating for women’s economic and social advancement and capacity building for adolescent girls. She also founded and serves as President of the Foundation for Community Development (Mozambique) and the Zizile Institute for Child Development.

She works through several regional and international development bodies to accelerate social transformation. Machel is a founding member and Deputy Chair of The Elders and a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group. She lends her expertise to several organisations in a governance role. Graça Machel has dedicated her life to improving the fate of women and children, inspiring hope, and building a more just and equitable world for us all.

Chad Pollock is Vice President and General Manager for Visa East Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He leads the East Africa team to drive core business growth in 13 regional markets, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mauritius, and Ethiopia. He is responsible for the overall strategy in the region, including building long-term relationships with clients, regulators, and other key stakeholders.

Before his current role, he served as Vice President and head of Global Client Strategy and operations, where he successfully spearheaded the development of business analytics and commercial operations for Visa’s largest international clients. Chad began his career as a nuclear engineer and submariner before transitioning to management consulting and ultimately into payments. He is a seasoned leader with a diverse finance, technology, and energy background. He has held several key positions at renowned companies, including American Express and KPMG. He is passionate about technology and democratising/digitalising access to Financial Services in East Africa and the African Continent.

Hon. Soraya Munyana Hakuziyaremye was appointed Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda in March 2021. Before that, she served as Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry from October 2018 to March 2021; she began her tenure as a Cabinet Member right after her time as vice President in the Financial Institutions/Financial Markets Risk Department at ING Bank in London. Hon. Hakuziyaremye has had an extensive career in global banking; she has worked in various positions at BNP Paribas Group in Paris, Fortis Bank, and the Bank of New York Mellon in Brussels. She also served as Senior Advisor to Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2014.

Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs in Uganda since June 2021, has had a distinguished career. She is the Speaker Emeritus of the 9th (2011-2016) and 10th (2016-2021) Parliaments and the first woman Speaker in Uganda’s parliamentary history. Previously, she served as Deputy Speaker in the 7th (2001-2006) and 8th (2006-2011) Parliaments.

She was the first Ugandan woman to establish a legal practice, M/S Kadaga and Co. Advocates, in 1964. She is a dedicated advocate for human rights, women’s rights, youth emancipation, and social and economic justice. As President of FIDA Uganda, she established the FIDA Legal Aid Clinic, providing pro-Bono legal services to Indigenous women, and helped it become a household name in Uganda. Hon. Kadaga has held significant roles in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, hosting major international conferences like the 126th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in 2012 and the 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in 2019.

Maureen Amakabane is an accomplished entrepreneur, business strategist, and community leader passionate about advancing socio-economic opportunities for women and youth. She believes in leveraging entrepreneurship and technology as empowerment and financial inclusion catalysts. As the founder of Nyayo Moms Sokos Limited, Maureen has spearheaded initiatives that generate substantial revenue and empower women entrepreneurs through impactful training programs and digital marketplaces. She founded Usafi Sanitation Limited to address school sanitation challenges and co-founded Beyond Colours to support startups and women entrepreneurs with business development and digital skills training. Maureen is dedicated to driving innovative solutions, building strategic partnerships, creating sustainable impacts, and fostering a supportive ecosystem where women entrepreneurs can thrive.

Joy Rwamwenge is a seasoned Economist and inspirational leader in SME development, with over 35 years of experience empowering young entrepreneurs and women across Africa, including Rwanda, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Uganda, and Kenya. She currently leads New Faces New Voices Rwanda, a part of a Pan-African movement advocating for women’s financial inclusion through access to finance, capacity building, and voice representation. As the Executive Director at the Women for Women International Empowerment Center LLC / Urugo Women’s Opportunity Center, she transformed it into a dynamic hub for women entrepreneurs. In her role as SME Advisor and Division Manager at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), she implemented strategic initiatives for SME growth in Rwanda.

As Business Development Manager at LEAP, Limkokwing University in Botswana, she pioneered business incubations for young entrepreneurs across three African countries. Joy’s dedication to SME development and women’s economic advancement has significantly impacted multiple countries, inspiring and driving sustainable growth and entrepreneurship for the next generation of business leaders.

Valence Kimenyi is the current Director of the Financial Sector Development and Inclusion Department at the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR). He leads BNR’s agenda of promoting financial inclusion, financial education, and innovation. Previously, he served as director of the financial stability monitoring department at NBR, helping the central bank design and implement macro- prudential policies, publish financial stability reports, and coordinate the financial stability committee.

Valence has also worked as an economist at the World Bank and NBR, focusing on macroeconomic diagnostics, monetary policy design and implementation, economic modelling, and forecasting. He is passionate about making financial markets work for the poor.

Winnie Terry is an accomplished microfinance practitioner with over 20 years of experience in enhancing the microfinance sector in Tanzania. As the Executive Director of the Tanzania Association of Microfinance Institutions (TAMFI), she spearheads initiatives to establish a nationwide responsible, inclusive, and sustainable framework for microfinance operations.

Her microfinance journey began at FINCA Tanzania, where she excelled as the Financial Services Manager, overseeing management, development, and operations. She later founded Tujijenge Tanzania, serving as Managing Director and establishing the organization’s foundational structures and operations. Winnie is committed to empowering low-income individuals through affordable, customer-centric financial solutions. She strongly believes such support contributes significantly to their growth, well-being, and resilience. Her leadership at TAtMFI ensures high-quality support for microfinance practitioners and stakeholders throughout Tanzania.

Caroline Armstrong’s 28-year career is a unique journey exemplifying authentic leadership and adaptability. Rising to the C-suite level and holding several board seats, her extensive experience spans local and multinational organizations where she has held management and board roles. She has amassed vast experience in both the profit and non-profit sectors and the public and private sectors.

Her ability to identify and focus on key issues in complex situations has enabled her to navigate multiple environments simultaneously and achieve desired goals. As the Chairperson of New Faces New Voices (NFNV) Kenya, she combines her deep experience and expertise in the financial sector with her passion for enabling women to be heard and appreciated as economic drivers.

Ms. Esther Waititu is a distinguished leader in financial services with over two decades of experience. She serves as the Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom PLC, underscoring her ability to drive strategic development. At Safaricom, a trailblazer in mobile money technology and the originator of MPESA, she oversees the strategic development and execution of financial solutions. Before joining Safaricom in May 2023, Esther was Director of Corporate Banking at KCB Group, instrumental in delivering bespoke financial solutions to corporate clients across Kenya.

Her extensive background includes senior leadership roles at Standard Bank Group, Standard Chartered Bank, and NCBA, as well as professional stints in Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa. In her current role, Esther champions the transformation of financial services, leading her team in creating innovative financial products, services, and solutions for consumers, enterprises, and corporations through M-PESA. Committed to economic advancement, she continues to significantly impact the community by promoting financial inclusion.

Alice Akiding focuses on implementing data-driven insights to enhance the uptake and utilisation of Digital Channels. She is a product analyst at Stanbic Bank Uganda, specialising in FlexiPay e- wallets. Her role involves delivering rapid value to target markets through this mobile-based financial service channel, catering to banked and unbanked customers with essential and advanced financial services.

At Stanbic Bank, Alice has also served as a Mobile and Internet Banking Consultant, an Executive Assistant, and a Team Leader for Customer Retention. Under her contributions, the bank won several awards for Digital Services Excellence. She excels in providing excellent customer service in every aspect of her work. After transitioning from teaching, Alice pursued her passion for Digital Channels, which was supported by certifications in Agile Project Management and Digital Money, among others.

Mrs. Emma Kawawa is a visionary leader. She is the Chairperson of New Faces, New Voices Tanzania( GMT’s Women in Finance) and the Founder and CEO of Tanzania Women CEOs Roundtable. She knows the transformative power that lies within women’s potential. With an expert grasp on transformational leadership, Mrs. Kawawa passionately advocates for women’s collective power, trust, and togetherness.

Mrs Kawawa envisions a future where prominent women in business, selected leaders, philanthropists, academics, civil societies, and thought leaders unite to pave the way for women’s economic advancements and promote social change. She is a member of the East African Women in Business Platform and the Tanzania Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She has extensive experience in business development for the past 15 years. She has worked in the public and private sectors in different capacities and the Tanzania Government as Board Director of the Tanzania Investment Centre.

Dr. Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula is a distinguished lawyer dedicated to women’s economic advancement and financial inclusion. She leads the Expert Leaders Group on Women’s Financial Inclusion in the Digital Economy in Africa under the Graça Machel Trust. Previously, Dr. Tukiya served as the Deputy Governor for Administration at the Bank of Zambia for 12 years. During her tenure, she championed gender equality in financial services, integrating gender mainstreaming into the Bank’s Strategic Plan and the National Financial Inclusion Strategy. She also developed frameworks for collecting sex-disaggregated financial data.

Dr Tukiya has been instrumental in embedding gender considerations in Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) activities and co-created the Women World Banking, Oxford University, and AFI Leadership and Diversity Programmes. She holds advisory roles with the World Bank Group Advisory Council on Gender and Development, the UNECA African Women’s Leadership Fund Advisory Board, and the Women’s Financial Inclusion Data Partnership (WFID) and serves as the Chairperson of United.

Ethan Musolini, the “Merchant of Success,” is the CEO of Success Africa, a human resource development firm, motivational speaker, and success coach committed to enabling organizations and individuals to maximize their potential. A training consultant for the British Council since 2004, he has successfully consulted for other organizations, including Barclays Bank, World Vision, MTN, UN agencies, the World Bank, and Coca-Cola.

He has authored transformational books like Confidence and Self Esteem Secrets Exposed, Get Motivated in 30 Seconds or Less, Wisdom and Success Quotes (co-authored), and Public Speaking Secrets Exposed. He has also produced 40 video-based training programmes emphasising soft skills like exceptional performance and business and social etiquette.

Ethan has developed, facilitated and delivered trainings in 25 countries for corporate and non-governmental sectors in the areas of leadership, communication, sales, personal development, stress management, public speaking, work-life balance, customer service, confidence and self-esteem.