Samantha Muhwezi Kassami

Samantha is an oil and gas professional with hands-on experience in the sector. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), a Postgraduate Diploma, and a Master of Laws from BPP University London UK. She is a solicitor qualified to practice in England and Wales and a member of the Law Society, London UK. She trained, qualified, and practiced at Linklaters LLP, a Magic Circle law firm.

She joined TotalEnergies S.E. in 2016 as part of their three-person pipeline project team and led the negotiations for the pipeline and worked on all aspects to lead the EACOP Project to a Final Investment Decision in 2022. Ms. Muhwezi has broad technical and managerial experience across all aspects of oil and gas and an intrinsic understanding of its framework and processes.

She was part of the senior leadership TotalEnergies seconded to EACOP, to establish it as a reputable company, together with the parallel objective of delivering the project. Ms. Muhwezi was EACOP’s Legal Director and Company Secretary, responsible for the implementation of the agreed legal framework for the EACOP in Uganda and Tanzania (Host Government Agreements, Shareholders Agreement, Tariff & Transportation Agreement) and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws to EACOP and its activities. As Legal Director, she was responsible for the management of the legal function to ensure the provision of, high quality, commercial and operational legal services to the EACOP Company and Project. As Company Secretary, she was responsible for the governance and administration of the EACOP Company.

Ms Muhwezi established the EACOP Women’s Initiative, a community-led initiative in EACOP to provide a space and platform for women to network, receive and give mentorship, among other achievements.

Colleen Larsen

Chief Executive-Business Engage

Colleen Larsen is the Chief Executive of Business Engage, with a career spanning 28 years in the financial services market. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work in gender mainstreaming and is considered one of the leading voices for the sustainable advancement of women in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors in South Africa. She advocates for using the business case as a foundation for transformation. One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because

Dr. Naike Moshi

Founder – CVPeople Tanzania

Dr. Naike’s journey, with over 15 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, businesswoman, and gender consultant, is one of resilience, vision, and dedication to empowering others. Her career has focused on advancing business growth, leadership, and gender diversity across Africa. As the founder of CVPeople Tanzania, she established a trusted HR consulting firm that prioritizes people-centered solutions. Her dedication to addressing gender gaps led her to create Women in Management Africa (WIMA), a platform to elevate African women into C-suite roles. WIMA provides mentorship, career development resources, and networking opportunities that empower women across the continent to break barriers and reach new heights.

Nkiru Olumide – Ojo

Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI- Standard Bank Group.

Nkiru is currently the Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI at Standard Bank Group. She leads a diverse team across African countries to deliver business objectives through Brand Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Corporate Social Investment. Over the course of her 20 years across career, she has gotten several recognitions such as Leading Woman in Marketing and Communications 2016, Marketing Personality of the year among others. She is also a published author of the ‘Pressure Cooker-Lessons from a woman at work’ and is a female enthusiast.

Osayi Alile

CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation

Osayi is the CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation and has over 25 years of experience across different sectors. She is an experienced Council Member with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organisation management industry. She has also been named one of the African Women of the Year in 2015.

Yemi Faseun

Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent

Yemi is a business leader with over 30 years of multi-sector, multi-function experience. He is currently the Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent Officer and was a two-term elected council member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). He has received a number of global recognitions such as Top 8 HR Thought Leader in Africa, Top 50 Personality on LinkedIn, 2022 Top 200 Global Thought Leader among others.

Tewa Onasanya

Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd

Tewa Onasanya is a British-Nigerian publisher, philanthropist, Author and Mindset Stylist. She is the Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd, the publishers of Exquisite Magazine and the organizers of EMAC Walk and ELOY Awards. Tewa has been featured in numerous international and Nigerian media which include the CNN, BBC, New York Times, Wikipedia, Punch, Guardian, Thisday, Vanguard and more newspapers, Television and Radio station