Leadership
Our leadership is inspired by the passion to harness the cultural capital and unlock the dynamism of African countries. We believe the weaving of culture across the African continent will create a fabric that leads to continental integration and economic growth.
Meet The Leadership
Meron Demisse – Founder & CEO
Born in Ethiopia, raised in Kenya, and having grown up in the United States, and now back living on the African continent, African culture has been embedded into my life from a very young age—from a multitude of African languages to cultural heritage.
Early in my professional career, I recognized that African culture was not at the forefront of policy and business discussions. The conversation on African culture was consumed on the sidelines—never positioned as a strategic imperative.
Fast forward to 2017, I was propelled to launch C&C Africa—a premier platform focused on elevating the cultural economy across the African continent, driving economic growth, and facilitating regional integration.
I created this platform to spotlight the African continent’s cultural vibrancy and ensure that its creative capital would get the deserved recognition.
“Culture has always been the heartbeat of my existence. I consider myself a passionate champion of African culture—an African cultural activist”
MERON DEMISSE
Lincoln Ajoku – Managing Director
Growing up in the United States, I had parents and relatives who made sure that I learned about and could take pride in my Nigerian heritage.
I was eight years old when I traveled to visit Nigeria for the first time. Arriving in Lagos and seeing the skyscrapers, teeming markets, and its cultural vibrancy was at odds with the simplistic and negative image of Nigeria and Africa more broadly that was presented in the American media.
From then on, I wanted to know more about the African continent – and my gateway to African culture and news would be the library or the newspapers, magazines, music, and movies my parents would bring from their travels to Nigeria.
By the time I reached my college years, I knew I wanted to spend my career working on the African continent. I have been fortunate to work in fields as diverse as education, economic development, and now with the Africa Culture Group, amplifying the power and dynamism of Africa’s cultural economy.
“African culture, in all its diversity, is one of the most compelling facets of a dynamic continent. It deserves to be celebrated at every opportunity.”
Lincoln Ajoku
Selassie
Atadik
CHEF & CULINARY ARTIST
MAFI MAFI
Ghana
Mahlet
Afework
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MAFI MAFI
Ethiopia
Betty
G
RECORDING ARTIST
MAFI MAFI
Ethiopia
Solomon
Omogboye
VISUAL ARTIST
MAFI MAFI
Nigeria
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Ibrahima Cheikh Diong has over 30 years of professional leadership and management experience in Africa, USA, Europe and Asia.
As Director-General of the African Risk Capacity Group (ARC Agency and ARC Ltd), Ibrahima is responsible for defining and executing the strategic vision of the institution.
As an ex-officio member of each of the affiliate managing organs including the Board of Directors, he is responsible for ensuring that the overall ARC Group Strategy is aligned with each affiliate. This includes coordination of the ARC Group management team, and ensuring the financial sustainability of each affiliate.
Leveraging on his versatile expertise, knowledge, experience and vast networks, the Group Director-General will chart a new path towards strategies and partnerships that will continue to place ARC as a leader in Disaster Risk Management and a true partner to Africa’s populations and governments in alleviating the impact of natural disasters on the continent.
Ibrahima’s areas of expertise include: corporate and investment banking, structured and blended finance, transaction advisory, financial engineering, resource mobilization, business re-engineering, change management, human capital development, public-private partnership design, merger and acquisition management, project management, environmental policy and impact assessment management, monitoring and evaluation design, strategic communication and planning, private sector development, water resources management, among others.
Prior to joining ARC, Ibrahima founded and served as the Chairman of the Dakar-based pan-African management, communication and investment advisory firm, Africa Consulting and Trading (ACT Afrique Group). Prior to ACT Afrique Group, Ibrahima held several senior positions; Senior Africa Banker at BNP Paribas out of London; Minister, Special Adviser and Ambassador- at-Large to the President of the Republic of Senegal; Ambassador and Director General of International Cooperation of Senegal; Permanent Secretary of Energy of Senegal; Chairman of the Board of Senegal Airlines; Manager at Africa Department of International Finance Corporation; Regional Coordinator for Africa for Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility at the World Bank.
He has also served as the Africa Director at the US-based international management consulting firm, Booz-Allen and Hamilton, where he led its public utility privatization work in in Africa, senior independent adviser to African and US governments, UN agencies, international foundations and NGOs, international private companies and think tanks; Manager of the Environment Unit of the Dakar-based Pan-African Agency for Research and Consulting. He was also the Director of the Water Resources and Environment Department of the African Network for Integrated Development. While living in Taiwan, he founded an intermediary firm, Africa Consulting in Taiwan (ACT), to support investment flows from Taiwan to Africa.
Ibrahima graduated from the School of Int’l and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in New York City with a Master’s degree in Int’l Affairs (MIA) specialized in international finance and environmental policy. He also holds a BSc. of Civil Engineering specialized in water resources mgmt. from Hohai Int’l University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China. He also holds a diploma in BOOT design.
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Patricia Miller Zollar is a Managing Director of Neuberger Berman and a leader of the Firm’s Private Investment Portfolios practice. She is a member of the Co-Investment and Private Investment Portfolios Investment Committees. Additionally, Ms. Zollar sits on the Limited Partner Advisory Boards of a number of funds. Before rejoining Neuberger Berman in 2004, Ms. Zollar was a vice president in the Asset Management Division of Goldman Sachs. Ms. Zollar began her career as a Certified Public Accountant in the Audit Division of Deloitte & Touche. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BS, with highest distinction, from North Carolina A&T State University, where she is Chairperson Emeritus of the Board of Trustees and the recipient of an honorary Doctorate degree. Ms. Zollar is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the Harvard Business School Alumni Board and was a former member of the executive board of the National Association of Investment Companies. She serves as Vice Chairman of The Apollo Theater and a member of the Investment Committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Neuberger Berman Foundation Board of Trustees.
