Governance and Leadership

Dr Edna Adan Ismail commands so much global respect and adulation for her selflessness and incredible fortitude. The octogenarian has single-handedly built a hospital in her hometown ravaged by civil strife which severely scarred the country. Not only is she the vocal critic of the female genital mutilation (FGM) practice but she has also become its face as she galvanises the world against it.

Many people only relate to Mrs Zanele Mbeki as the former first lady from 1998 to 2008 when her husband,Thabo Mbeki, was the President of South Africa. Although she was mostly eclipsed by her husband who was always in the public eye due to the position he held, Mrs Mbeki quietly carved herself a distinct identity through her selfless involvement in community-based developmental and women economic empowerment initiatives.

Ms Sikose Mji is probably one of the few government servants who have the honour of representing her country in three different countries.

Beverly Robertson, current President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber in the US, is a successful entrepreneur, a seasoned corporate executive, a strategic non-profit leader.She holds a record of being the first female leader of the Chamber since its founding in 1838. This African American stalwart signifies strong black woman power and resilience as she takes us through her inspirational journey. Robertson was born and bred in Memphis where she later on graduated from the Memphis State University

Like most children Barbara Nekesa’s mother never knew what the future held for her daughter. She single-handedly raised her eight girls (including Barbara) at the time when Uganda was emerging from a liberation war. These were tough times as the country lacked basics such as sugar, salt, toiletries.

Diplomats and Ambassadors are some of the posts traditionally associated by the geriatrics. But at 36 years old, Ms Roleta Lebelo is surely a young face to occupy such a respected post of a consul-general. The mother of two young boys has been deployed as the key point person in Germany’s two cities of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Her main task is to foster commercial relations between South Africa and two wealthiest German states.

Dr Obiageli (Oby) Katryn Ezekwesili is a revered Nigerian matriarch and a global icon. Given her vast and rich experience, coupled with the strings of qualifications under her belt, she is equipped to take up any top job and hit the ground running. In 2019 she stood as a candidate for the office of the President of Nigeria.