ALSF welcomes Olivier Pognon as its new Director and CEO

The ALSF announces the appointment of Olivier POGNON as the new Director and CEO of the Facility. Mr POGNON was appointed by the ALSF Management Board for a term of 5 years, and will take up office in October 2021 after the end of the term of the current Director.

Brief facts about Olivier POGNON

Olivier is a Beninese national and joins the ALSF after spending 7 years  at Airtel Africa Plc (Nairobi, Kenya), a telecommunications company listed on the London Stock Exchange, as the Chief Legal Officer, where he was responsible for the oversight of the group legal practice, including litigation management, legal compliance, corporate governance and merger and acquisition transactions among others.

Prior to joining Airtel Africa, he worked as senior legal counsel for MTN Group in Accra, Ghana and Johannesburg, South Africa(2009 to 2014); legal counsel at Agence Française de Développement (2008-2009) and as an associate specializing in corporate law and project finance, respectively at EY Law, CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre and Mayer Brown in Paris, France.

With 15 years’ experience as an international lawyer, Olivier brings a strong background in strategic leadership, stakeholder management skills alongside a global outlook, and a collaborative and business approach to building organizations. His responsibilities as Director and CEO will include the day-to-day administration of the Facility and oversight of the Facility’s operations  in providing legal advisory services, negotiations support, and capacity building to African countries in relation to debt management and creditor litigation, infrastructure, extractives, and energy transactions, as well as  investment agreements and related commercial transactions. As the legal representative of the Facility, he will also foster collaboration with relevant partners and organizations to enhance the impact of the ALSF’s programmes for its beneficiaries in Africa.

Olivier holds a master’s degree in Project Finance and Structured Finance from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, France (2005-2006), post-graduate degree in business law from Paris V Malakoff University, France (1996-1998) as well as qualifications in strategic leadership and finance from INSEAD (France). He is married with 3 children.

“I’m humbled and excited to join the ALSF, an organization I have known and appreciated for many years and I thank the Management Board for their trust. Together with the Facility’s experienced and versatile team, I am certainly looking forward to building up on the remarkable achievements of my predecessor, Mr Stephen Karangizi, towards establishing sustainable legal capacity across the continent”, said Olivier Pognon.