Our Advisory Board
Fatma Samoura
Former FIFA Secretary General
Fatma Samoura is a globally respected leader with extensive experience across international development, governance, and sport. She made history as the first woman to serve as Secretary General of FIFA, holding the role from 2016 to 2023.
Prior to joining FIFA, Ms Samoura spent 21 years with the United Nations, working across complex humanitarian, socio-economic, political, and security contexts. She served in senior leadership roles in seven countries, including as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Madagascar and Nigeria.
Throughout her career, she has led and shaped major development and humanitarian programmes worldwide, with a strong focus on empowering women and youth, protecting the environment, and driving inclusive growth. At FIFA, she played a pivotal role in transforming global football governance and advancing women’s football to unprecedented levels. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand under her supervision, set new global benchmarks and is recognised as the largest and most successful women’s sporting event to date.
Ms Samoura stepped down from her role as FIFA Secretary General in December 2023, leaving a lasting legacy of leadership, inclusion, and impact.
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard
Founder and Chairman, APO Group
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard is the Founder and Chairman of APO Group, the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service. He is widely regarded as a trusted advisor and thought leader across Africa’s business, policy, and media landscapes.
He holds advisory and leadership roles with a broad range of organisations, including the African Energy Chamber, Critical Minerals Africa Group, Future Hospitality Summit Africa, World Football Summit, AWIEF, the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, Rugby Africa, Africa No Filter, the All Africa Music Awards, The ONE Campaign, and Africa Tech Festival (AfricaCom).
Recognised among the 100 Most Influential Africans in both 2023 and 2024, Nicolas is known for his deep understanding of Africa’s media ecosystem and his ability to build trusted relationships with senior business and political leaders globally. He is particularly committed to leveraging communications, sport, and culture to create opportunities for youth and women across the continent.
Under his leadership, APO Group has established long-term partnerships with major global and continental institutions, including the African Union, UNESCO, the World Health Organization
Dalia Ibrahim
CEO, Nahdet Misr Publishing House; Founder & CEO, EdVentures
Dalia Ibrahim is a business leader, angel investor, and leading advocate for education, innovation, and entrepreneurship across the Middle East and Africa. As CEO of Nahdet Misr Publishing House, she leads one of the region’s most established learning groups, delivering integrated solutions across education, digital learning, vocational training, and publishing.
She is also the Founder and CEO of EdVentures, the first education-focused corporate venture capital firm in the MENA region, which has supported over 95 startups and invested in 28 high-growth EdTech ventures. To strengthen the link between education and employability, she launched Ta’heal, a platform offering industry-aligned vocational training programmes.
Ms Ibrahim serves on several prominent national and regional boards, including the Egyptian Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee for Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, the National Council for Women, Endeavor Egypt, the Women Entrepreneurship Network, and Injaz.
Her leadership has been widely recognised, including being named among Forbes Middle East’s Most Powerful Businesswomen in 2024 and 2025, receiving the Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan Award for Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship in 2023, and earning the AWIEF Lifetime Achievement Award in the same year.
Awa Ndiaye-Seck
President, ADES-USA / Former Special Representative UN Women to the African Union Commission
Awa Ndiaye Seck is a seasoned development and governance leader with over 40 years of experience at national, regional, and international levels. Her expertise spans development, policy, governance, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, gender equality, and regional integration.
She spent nearly two decades with the United Nations, serving as Regional Director for Africa at UNDP, UN Women Special Representative to the African Union, and UN Women Representative to the UN Economic Commission for Africa. She has also served as UN Resident Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia, and as Peace and Governance Adviser in Burundi and Chad.
Prior to the UN, she worked with USAID and served for 20 years at Senegal’s Ministry of the Interior, where she was the first Director of Training and Communication at the General Directorate of Elections.
She holds an MBA from Southern Illinois University, a Master’s in Law and Public Administration from the University of Dakar, and has received multiple national honours from the Republic of Senegal.
