The Board of Trustees of the Tony Elumelu Foundation has appointed Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu as chief executive officer at the end of its board meeting on December 12.
The foundation announced the appointment in a statement released on Thursday night.
Mrs Ugochukwu’s appointment takes effect from April 1, 2019.
Accepting her appointment Ugochukwu said: “In my former role within the Foundation, I witnessed first-hand the potential of entrepreneurship in tackling Africa’s key challenges – unemployment and poverty.
“Our recently launched TEFConnect, the digital networking platform connecting African entrepreneurs, investors and mentors for business success will further achieve our Founder’s goal of democratising luck across the continent and fostering business beyond physical borders.
“I am honoured by the opportunity to build on Parminder’s legacy and launch the Tony Elumelu Foundation into its next phase of growth.”
Ugochukwu will lead the team in scaling the impact of the foundation which is globally recognised for pioneering a new approach to philanthropy with its $100 million commitment to empowering African entrepreneurs.
She served as director of partnerships of the foundation since November 2017 and succeeds Parminder Vir who has been elevated to the advisory board of the foundation.
Founder of the foundation Tony Elumelu said concerning the appointments: “As Director of Partnerships, Ifeyinwa demonstrated strong leadership and strategic thinking in delivering the Foundation’s mission to transform Africa, securing major partnerships that scale the impact of the Foundation beyond its targeted 10,000 entrepreneurs.
“She is the perfect candidate to build on Parminder’s immense contribution.”
