Opening remarks
Said IBRAHIMI
CEO of
casablanca finance city authority (CFCA)
Said Ibrahimi was appointed as CEO of Casablanca Finance City Authority in April 2010 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
He started his professional career in France in 1986, where he held various operational roles within the BNP Paribas Group in France and Morocco. In September 1995, he was appointed Managing Director of Banque Marocaine pour l'Afrique et l’Orient.
Two years later, His Majesty the late King Hassan II appointed him CEO of Caisse Nationale du Crédit Agricole (now Crédit du Maroc). In 2003, His Majesty King Mohammed VI entrusted Mr. Ibrahimi with the role of General Treasurer of the Kingdom.
Said Ibrahimi is an engineer alumni of « Ecole Centrale de Paris » and holds a graduate diploma of industrial engineering.
Chakib Benmoussa
High Commissioner for Planning of Morocco
Former Ambassador and Minister
Chakib Benmoussa has been High Commissioner for Planning since October 2024. An engineer by training and a graduate of École Polytechnique in Paris, École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he has extensive experience in the public and private sectors, as well as in the economic, diplomatic, and institutional fields.
He notably served as Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports (2021–2024), Ambassador of Morocco to France and Monaco (2013–2021), Chair of the Special Commission on the New Development Model (2019–2021), and Minister of the Interior (2006–2010).
Philippe Aghion
2025 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences
Winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, shared with Joel Mokyr and Peter Howitt for their work on the impact of new technologies on economic growth, Philippe Aghion has been a professor at the Collège de France since 2015, where he holds the Chair of "Economics of Institutions, Innovation, and Growth." He also teaches at INSEAD and at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he serves as a Centennial Professor.
Philippe Aghion entered the Department of Mathematics at the École Normale Supérieure in 1976. He continued his studies in applied mathematics for economics at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, earning a DEA (Master's degree) in 1981 and a Doctorate (Third Cycle) in 1983, before obtaining a PhD in Economics from Harvard University in 1987. He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1987 to 1989. He then became a Research Fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) from 1989 to 1990, and an Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 1990 to 1992. He was subsequently a Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, until 1996, and then Professor of Economics at University College London until 2002. That same year, he joined Harvard University as a Professor of Economics before moving to the Collège de France in 2015.
His research focuses on the economics of growth. Together with Peter Howitt, he developed the paradigm of Schumpeterian growth, based on the mechanism of creative destruction. With Rachel Griffith, he examined the relationship between competition and economic growth (MIT Press, 2006), demonstrating how competitive pressure can stimulate innovation and how institutions transform individual creativity into collective progress. With Alexandra Roulet, he analyzed the effects of innovation on inequality and social mobility in Rethinking the State (Le Seuil, 2011). In 2020, together with Céline Antonin and Simon Bunel, he published The Power of Creative Destruction (Odile Jacob / Harvard University Press), a synthesis of his work on the foundations of economic prosperity and the future of capitalism. More recently, with Simon Bunel, he has explored how artificial intelligence can increase productivity and support employment, provided that institutions adapt education, training, and labor reallocation to this technological transformation.
Throughout his career, Philippe Aghion has received numerous distinctions, including the Yrjö Jahnsson Award for the best European economist under the age of 45 in 2001, the CNRS Silver Medal in 2006, the John von Neumann Award in 2009, the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in 2020 (shared with Peter Howitt), and finally, in 2025, the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, shared with Joel Mokyr and Peter Howitt. These honors recognize a career that has profoundly transformed our understanding of the role of innovation, competition, and institutions in driving economic growth.
Philippe Aghion is also a member of the Econometric Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Cercle des économistes.
Panel 1 - Global Transformation: What Levers for Africa's Sovereignty and Growth
Amina Benkhadra
Director General of the National
Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines
Former Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment
A civil mining engineer from the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy, Ms. Benkhadra also holds a PhD in Mining Sciences and Engineering from ENSM Paris and completed management studies at Columbia University.
She began her career in 1982 at the Mining Research and Participation Bureau (BRPM), where she held several positions of responsibility in mining project feasibility studies and in managing the portfolio of more than 30 subsidiaries of the former BRPM.
In 1994, she was appointed Director of Mines at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and subsequently served as Secretary of State in charge of the Development of the Mining Sector (1997–1998). In this capacity, Ms. Benkhadra led and supervised the implementation of a new strategy for the development of the mining sector.
In 1998, she became Director of the BRPM, and subsequently Director General of the National Office for Petroleum Research and Exploitation (ONAREP) from August 2000 to November 2003, before being appointed Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) on November 11, 2003. In this role, she contributed to the restructuring of the former ONAREP by establishing a new exploration and promotion dynamic. She led the creation of ONHYM through the merger of the former BRPM and ONAREP and revitalized exploration activities.
In October 2007, she was appointed Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment.
In this capacity, Ms. Benkhadra implemented, in accordance with the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, new strategies for energy, water and the environment, with the launch of numerous programs, particularly in the fields of renewable energy, water and sustainable development, as well as the enactment of new laws and decrees.
Since 2012, Ms. Benkhadra, in her capacity as Director General of ONHYM, has overseen the exploration and production of minerals and hydrocarbons.
She is also responsible for several strategic projects:
- - Delimitation of the extension of Morocco's Atlantic continental shelf.
- - The Atlantic African Gas Pipeline project.
- - Implementation of reverse flow on the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline.
- - Development of Morocco's midstream gas infrastructure, including gas transportation and storage.
LIONEL ZINSOU
Former prime Minister of Benin
Co-Founder & Managing Partner at SouthBridge
Lionel Zinsou is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SouthBridge, a financial and strategic advisory firm focused on Africa. An economist and investment banker, he previously served as Prime Minister of Benin from 2015 to 2016. Before entering public service, he held senior leadership positions at Rothschild & Co and PAI Partners, and also served as Chief Executive Officer of Danone UK. Throughout his career, he has advised governments, international institutions and leading corporations on investment, economic development and public policy across Africa. He is widely recognized for his expertise in finance, private equity and African economic transformation.
Patrick DUPOUX
Managing Director and Senior Partner
Member of BCG Global Executive Committee
Patrick Dupoux joined the Paris office of The Boston Consulting Group in 2001. Since 2022, he is an elected-member of BCG's Global Executive Committee.
Patrick currently serves as Chairman of BCG Quantis, BCG science-based Sustainability unit, helping Companies operate within Planetary boundaries, with 300 experts based in France, Switzerland, USA, Italy and Germany.
He also leads BCG Social Impact Practice for Europe, Middle East, South America and Africa, serving Development Finance Institutions, PE investors and Governments in deploying impact investments.
Between 2017 and 2023, Patrick led BCG Africa (5 offices, 700 professionals), after opening BCG's Casablanca Office in 2010. He authored several BCG reports on Africa: "The African Challengers" in 2010, "Winning in Africa" in 2013, "Dueling with Lions" in 2015, "Why Africa remains ripe for Private Equity" in 2016 and "Pioneering One Africa" in 2018, which focuses on the economic integration of Africa.
Patrick co-led with the UN Global Compact the creation of the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC), the first-ever coalition of 70 leading African CEOs, launched at COP27. In 2018, he co-chaired the Regional Business Council for Africa of the World Economic Forum.
Amal EL FALLAH SEGHROUCHNI
Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform of Morocco
Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni is a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI), she is also a Full Professor at Sorbonne University and a specialist in Distributed Artificial Intelligence and Multi-Agent Systems. She previously served as Executive President of the International Center for Artificial Intelligence of Morocco (AI Movement), a strategic initiative of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), and currently serves as its Honorary President.
With a PhD in Computer Science and a French Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR), she has built an extensive academic and research career focused on AI, intelligent systems and digital innovation. She has also been involved in international initiatives related to AI governance, ethics and scientific cooperation, including through UNESCO.
In her current role, she oversees Morocco's digital transition and administrative reform agenda, with a particular focus on digital transformation, artificial intelligence and the development of Morocco's digital ecosystem.
Panel 2 - Africa in the Global Competition for Capital
Elisabeth Moreno
Former Minister
Chair of the Board of Directors of Ring Capital & Ring Africa
Elisabeth Moreno is a French business leader, entrepreneur, and former government
Minister, recognized for her action-oriented leadership and her commitment to more
responsible, inclusive, and sustainable governance.
Born in the Cape Verde Islands and raised in France, she studied law and founded her first
company at the age of 20, before pursuing an international career in the technology sector
across four continents.
She held senior leadership positions at Orange, Dell Technologies EMEA, Lenovo France,
and Hewlett Packard in Africa.
A former commercial court judge, she joined the French government in 2020 as Minister
Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, where she championed a
demanding vision of equality as a driver of justice, social cohesion, and competitiveness.
Today, she leads Leaders Engagés, chairs Ring Capital and the Africa Chair of France
Invest, and serves on several boards, including those of the Central Bank of Cape Verde and
Sanofi.
Recipient of several high distinctions, she chairs the Femmes@Numérique Foundation and
founded La Puissance du Lien and ADWIN.
Didier Acouetey
Special Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Africa's New Financial Architecture, CEO of AfricSearch
Didier Acouetey is Senior Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank Group, where he is responsible for the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD) and private sector mobilization. He contributes to the implementation of this strategic initiative, which aims to mobilize, structure and deploy greater African resources to support investment, economic transformation and job creation across the continent.
With more than thirty years of experience in Africa and internationally, he operates at the intersection of development finance, private sector development, human capital and economic transformation. He has advised and supported governments, financial institutions, international organizations, investment funds and companies on issues related to resource mobilization, institutional development, competitiveness and job creation.
Founder of AfricSearch in 1996, Didier Acouetey and his partners established the Group as a pioneer in executive recruitment and Africa-focused human resources consulting. Today, operating in more than 40 countries, AfricSearch supports numerous companies and institutions in strengthening their management capabilities and recruiting senior executives and strategic talent.
A longstanding advocate for entrepreneurship and the development of African SMEs, he launched the Africa SME Champions Initiative in 2014, a platform that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, financial institutions and development finance institutions each year to address challenges related to access to capital, business growth and the transformation of African companies.
In 2012, he co-founded the Africa–Southeast Asia Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, where he serves as Secretary General. The Chamber works to strengthen economic relations between the two regions by facilitating investment, industrial partnerships, technology transfers and the development of high-potential value chains.
He serves on the boards of various companies and pan-African institutions, where he brings his expertise in governance, strategy, transformation, risk management and human capital development. Alongside his professional responsibilities, he remains engaged in a number of institutional, intellectual and public-interest initiatives.
Didier Acouetey holds an MBA from ESCP Business School and has also completed several international executive education programs, including at Harvard Business School.
Dr. Vera Songwe
Chair and Founder of the Liquidity
and Sustainability Facility
Dr. Vera Songwe is a globally respected economist, development finance expert, and senior
international leader with deep experience across public, private, and multilateral sectors. She
is Chair and Founder of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility, a financial mechanism designed
to improve liquidity for emerging markets and support sustainable development and climate
finance. She also served as a senior advisor to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS),
focusing on financial stability, credit risk cycles, and regulatory innovation. She is Visiting
Professor of Practice at CETEx–LSE and Non-resident Senior Fellow, Global Economy
Development and the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution.
Dr. Songwe's thought leadership extends to climate finance and global economic policy. She
is Co-Chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Panel on Climate Finance, has served multiple
G20 commissions and contributes to key international initiatives at the intersection of
sustainability, finance, and economic transformation.
Wolfgang Engel
General Manager & Chief Representative at the Institute of International Finance (IIF)
Wolfgang Engel is in charge of the IIF Middle East & Africa Regional Office and he leads the Institute's efforts to engage and advise our private- and public sector members in the region. He maintains ongoing dialogue with senior decision makers and he identifies and addresses their most important and critical challenges, opportunities and risks. He also brings relevant global perspectives, insights and trends to our members as an objective and trusted advisor. He assumed this role in 2014 when the IIF opened its Middle East & Africa Regional Office in Dubai.
Prior to this appointment, Wolfgang Engel was the Director of Global Membership at the IIF's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Before joining IIF, he was a member of the Management Committee at Société Générale in charge of the Financial Institutions Group Germany and Austria. In that role, he was primarily responsible for advising institutional clients on regulatory issues and debt and equity capital markets solutions.
Wolfgang Engel held several positions at BNP Paribas, including Head of Debt Capital Markets Europe in London, Head of Institutional Clients Coverage Group for Germany and Austria and Head of Corporate Banking Division in Germany, among other roles.
His earlier career included roles at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in Frankfurt, the Asian Development Bank in Asia and JPMorgan in Frankfurt and New York.
Fireside chat
François Gemenne
Member of the IPCC and co-author of the IPCC's sixth assessment report
Researcher specializing in the Geopolitics of the Environment
François Gemenne was the executive director of the interdisciplinary research programme Politics of the Earth at Sciences Po (Médialab) in Paris. A specialist of environmental geopolitics, he is also a FNRS senior research associate at the University of Liège (CEDEM) and at the University of Versailles (CEARC). He also lectures on environmental and migration policies in various universities, including Sciences Po (Paris and Grenoble) and the Free University of Brussels.
His research mostly deals with populations displaced by environmental changes, including natural disasters, and the policies of adaptation to climate change. He has conducted field studies in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, Tuvalu, China, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mauritius and Japan, after the Fukushima disaster. He has been involved in a large number of international research projects on these issues, including EACH-FOR, HELIX and MECLEP, for which he is the global research coordinator. He also coordinated the DEVAST project, one of the first international projects to examine the social and political consequences of the Fukushima disaster.
In 2015, he was recipient of a Fulbright scholarship to pursue research at Princeton University. He has also been the scientific advisor of the exhibition "Native Land. Stop Eject" at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, in Paris. He has consulted for several organisations, including the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, the ACP Observatory on Migration and the British government (Foresight). In 2010, he was awarded the ISDT-Wernaers Prize for achievement in the communication of science to the general public.
He holds a joint doctorate in political science from Sciences Po Paris and the University of Liege (Belgium). He also holds a Master in Development, Environment and Societies from the University of Louvain, as well as a Master of Research in Political Science from the London School of Economics. Between 2008 and 2010, he was awarded a post-doctoral scholarship from the AXA Research Fund.
He has published in various journals, including Science and Global Environmental Change, and has authored six books, amongst which "Géopolitique du Climat" (Armand Colin, 2009 & 2015) as well as "The Anthropocene and the Global Environmental Crisis" (edited by C. Hamilton and C. Bonneuil, Routledge 2015). He is currently preparing an Atlas of Environmental Migration with D. Ionesco et D. Mokhnacheva (Routledge 2015). He is also the director of the Sustainable Development series at Presses de Sciences Po, a leading French academic publisher, and the president of Ecosphere, a Brussels-based think-tank on environmental issues and human rights.
Panel 3 - Connecting Africa: Infrastructure, Capital and the Imperative of Integration
LIONEL ZINSOU
Former prime Minister of Benin
Co-Founder & Managing Partner at SouthBridge
Lionel Zinsou is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SouthBridge, a financial and strategic advisory firm focused on Africa. An economist and investment banker, he previously served as Prime Minister of Benin from 2015 to 2016. Before entering public service, he held senior leadership positions at Rothschild & Co and PAI Partners, and also served as Chief Executive Officer of Danone UK. Throughout his career, he has advised governments, international institutions and leading corporations on investment, economic development and public policy across Africa. He is widely recognized for his expertise in finance, private equity and African economic transformation.
Mehdi TAZI-RIFFI
CEO OF TANGER MED
Mehdi Tazi-Riffi is the CEO of Tanger Med, an integrated developer and operator of ports, logistics and industrial platforms. The group manages Tanger Med Port Complex, the leading port in the Mediterranean and Africa, as well as the adjacent industrial platform. Through «Marsa Maroc», it also manages 35 container and bulk terminals across 21 ports.
Mehdi started his career in 1998 as Marketing Manager for Nokia Networks in Germany before joining, in 2001, the Swiss-based Kudelski Group as Head of Business Development, then as General Manager MENA based in Dubai until mid-2010.
Mehdi holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Technology Management from HEC.
Alain Ebobissé
CEO OF Africa 50
Mr. Ebobissé is the Chief Executive Officer of Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform, with 33 African countries as shareholders, the African Development Bank and two African Central Banks.
Prior to joining Africa50, Mr. Ebobissé served as the Global Head for the World Bank Group's Global Infrastructure Project Development Fund ("IFC InfraVentures"), where he oversaw a team of experienced infrastructure specialists and led the development of and investment in numerous infrastructure projects in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Mr. Ebobissé led the design, structuring, and implementation of IFC InfraVentures from its inception.
He also served as Chief Investment Officer in the Global Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, based in Washington.
Prior to joining the IFC in 1998, Mr. Ebobissé held several positions in the financial services industry in France, including Deputy Head of Project and Structured Finance at Caisse des Depots et Consignations, based in Paris.
He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the International School for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Philipe Valahu
CEO OF Private Infrastructure
Development Group (PIDG)
Philippe joined PIDG as Chief Executive Officer in 2014. He has 30 years of international experience in emerging markets infrastructure project and export finance in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Prior to joining PIDG, Philippe was one of the founding partners of an EM infrastructure finance advisory firm and before that worked for Depfa Bank's infrastructure finance unit. Philippe spent 13 years at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (World Bank Group) in Washington and Singapore, where he headed the guarantees department and was global head of infrastructure. Philippe's infrastructure experience covers power, renewables, water, transportation, and social infrastructure. He attended Harvard University's Business School Executive Program and holds an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor's degree from George Washington Univers
Introducing the Africa Insights Report - Talents in Africa
Rob Thakur
Managing director at fitch learning
Rob has overall responsibility for the training programs and learning solutions that Fitch Learning design and deliver for their financial services clients. He has over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, bringing that expertise to the design of learning pathways and skills curricula. As Head of Client Learning Solutions, he has been involved in a wide array of global learning programs, encompassing AI enabled digital learning, interweaved with impactful training delivery.
Rob has worked with all the major financial services organizations across the globe, to support the design of their skills architecture and embedding of learning for future skills development. This includes working with all of the major Pan African banks, providing Fitch Learning with a footprint across 33 countries in Africa.
Panel 4 - Mobilising Talent: From Brain Drain to Skills Circulation
Abdellatif Mâzouz
President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council
Abdellatif Mâzouz is the President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council and a key
actor in territorial development. He represents the Regional Councils within the Higher
Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS). Mr. Mâzouz has held
several ministerial positions, including Minister of Foreign Trade and Minister Delegate to the
Head of Government in charge of Moroccans Living Abroad. He has also served as Director
General of the Maison de l'Artisan and Director of Development and member of the Scientific
Committee at the Moroccan Center for Conjuncture (CMC). He was a Senior Consultant to
USAID for Regional Development and Investment Promotion as part of the support program
for Regional Investment Centers (CRI). Mr. Mâzouz holds a State Doctorate in Economic
Sciences from Hassan II University in Casablanca, a PhD in Management Sciences from
Toulouse I Capitole University, a postgraduate diploma (DESS) from the Business
Preparation Institute (IPA), a DEA in Organizational Management from Toulouse, and a
Master's degree in Economic Sciences, specializing in Business Economics, from the same
university. In recognition of his service to the country, Mr. Mâzouz was decorated with the
Wissam of National Merit by His Majesty the King in 2006.
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills at
the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have
created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations
and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.
He has worked for over 20 years with Ministers and education leaders around the world
to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan said that Schleicher "understands the global issues and challenges as well as or
better than anyone I've met, and he tells me the truth" (The Atlantic, July 11). Former UK
Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher "the most important man in English
education" – even though he is German and lives in France.
Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association
for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied Physics in Germany and received a
degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous
honours and awards, including the "Theodor Heuss" prize, awarded in the name of the
first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for "exemplary democratic
engagement". He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
ÉLISABETH MEDOU BADANG
SVP Chief HR Officer, Orange Middle East & Africa
With over twenty-five years of executive leadership across telecommunications, digital transformation and people strategy, Élisabeth Medou Badang is SVP Chief HR Officer at Orange Middle East & Africa (OMEA), shaping human capital strategy across 18 countries and approximately 18,000 employees. A committed champion of African talent, she has spent her career building local leadership pipelines, accelerating the localisation of senior positions, and creating conditions for African professionals to grow — and to stay.
Élisabeth served as CEO of two Orange affiliates: Orange Botswana (2010–2013), where she became the first African woman to lead an Orange affiliate, and Orange Cameroon (2013–2018), where she drove the mobile money revolution across Central Africa. From 2018 to 2022, she oversaw operations and governance across a six-country cluster in the Indian Ocean region, before taking on her current role leading the HR function for the entire OMEA zone.
In her current role, Élisabeth is redefining what talent circulation means in practice within a major pan-African group: designing cross-border mobility frameworks, accelerating localisation of senior leadership, and embedding coaching and development as strategic levers of retention. She brings to this panel both the operational experience of a seasoned CEO and the strategic lens of a Group HR leader who has seen — and acted on — the talent challenge from every angle.
Élisabeth has received numerous recognitions, including African Telecommunication Manager of the Year (2014), Best Mobile Money Operator Southern Africa (2013), Best Mobile Operator Cameroon (2017), and Female Innovator of the Year at AfricaCom (2019). She was named among the 50 Most Influential Women in African Business (2018). She holds a post-graduate degree in Finance and executive certifications from EM Lyon Business School, Cranfield University and ESCP, a certification in corporate governance from IFA – Sciences Po Paris, and holds an Executive Coaching Certification from HEC Paris.
Moderators
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Manal BERNOUSSI
Founder & Managing Director at
Leaders On Purpose
Manal Bernoussi is the Founder and Managing Director of Leaders On Purpose in Morocco, an international MC, moderator, and host of the Leaders On Purpose Podcast. She holds an engineering degree from INSA Lyon and the National University of Singapore, as well as an Executive MBA from Columbia University and Africa Business School.
Before founding Leaders On Purpose, Manal spent nearly two decades in the corporate world, including over a decade at Casablanca Finance City, where she held several leadership roles and served as a member of the Executive Committee.
Driven by a passion for meaningful conversations, Manal has moderated hundreds of high-level discussions across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, bringing together CEOs, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Through Leaders On Purpose, she is also building an international network of Associates who share the same commitment to purpose-driven leadership and impactful conversations. Her work has been recognized internationally, most recently with the Creative, Media & Entertainment Excellence Award at the 2026 Africa Business Awards in London.
Christine OCKRENT
journalist & producer of the "affaires étrangères" program on france culture
Born in Brussels, Christine Ockrent graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) before pursuing further studies at the University of Cambridge. She began her journalism career with NBC News' European current affairs documentary unit between 1967 and 1968. She then joined CBS, where she worked as a producer and journalist for the renowned program 60 Minutes from 1968 to 1976, before serving as the network's correspondent until 1977. She subsequently worked as a journalist and producer for FR3 and ABC News.
In 1980, she joined Europe 1 and, in 1981, became one of the presenters of Antenne 2's flagship 8:00 p.m. television news alongside Patrick Poivre d'Arvor. She was the second woman, after Hélène Vida, to anchor France's leading evening news broadcast. She remained in this role until 1985, when she joined RTL as Editor-in-Chief and Editorialist, before moving to TF1 in 1987.
Christine Ockrent later served as Editor-in-Chief of the weekly magazines L'Express and L'Européen, and went on to host several political programmes on France 3. From 2008 to 2011, she served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France.
She is currently Vice-President of the Aspen Institute France, a member of the Board of the French-American Foundation – France (Young Leader, Class of 1983), a member of the Paris Committee of Human Rights Watch, and of the French office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Christine Ockrent is also the author of numerous books focusing on the United States, international affairs, and the role of women in society.
Arnaud LE GAL
Editor-in-Chief
OF Les Echos
A historian by training, Arnaud Le Gal has been a journalist, moderator and media professional for over 40 years. He is Editor-in-Chief at Les Échos, where he oversees the Thema editorial channels and special reports dedicated to major ecological, digital, strategic and managerial transformations. He also supervises the development of editorial content across print, digital, podcasts and video formats, notably for Les Échos Entrepreneurs.
A faculty member at CELSA – Sorbonne University since 1995, he serves as Associate Professor, teaching courses on the impact of digital transformation on the media and entertainment industries, entrepreneurship, project management and organisational transformation. He is also Co-Director of the CELSA Executive MBA in Management, Communication and Leadership, coordinates a geopolitics seminar on the challenges of today's multipolar world, and teaches in the Master's programme in Marketing, Management, Communication and Media at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.
For more than 25 years, Arnaud Le Gal has advised senior executives, entrepreneurs and family businesses on communication strategies, networking, international development and geopolitical intelligence. He also supports the next generation of leaders in family-owned businesses as they navigate governance and transformation challenges. In addition, he serves as the anchorman of EY's Entrepreneurs Academy, where he moderates discussions between business leaders and experts on major economic and strategic issues.
Fathallah SIJILMASSI
Director General of
African Union Commission
