Dr Patrick Conteh is the ACCA Regional Lead for Policy and Insights covering India and Africa. Before that, he served the Africa Fintech Network (AFN) in the capacities of advisory board member and Chief Executive Officer, while concurrently serving as an economic advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning of Liberia, as well as a tutor for Cambridge Fintech Regulatory Innovation Training program. He is a financial sector and development finance professional with over twenty-five years of combined experience spanning the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. A strong advocate for fintech and other disruptive technologies as platforms for leapfrogging financial inclusion in Africa.

In the recent past, Patrick served as an advisor to the Central Bank of Liberia and led a unique collaboration between Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA) to strengthen Africa’s financial markets. As Regional Lead for Sub-Sahara Africa, Patrick successfully led a team embedded within FSDA, in the creation, dissemination, and adoption of FinTech-related knowledge across Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). CCAF is a multi-disciplinary research centre at the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, in the United Kingdom, dedicated to the study of technology-enabled and innovative instruments, channels, and systems emerging outside of traditional finance.

Patrick was formerly the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, where amongst other reform initiatives, he pioneered one of Africa’s first regulatory sandboxes as part of an overarching financial inclusion strategy. Prior to that, he was Minister of State for fiscal affairs and was instrumental in the turnaround of Sierra Leone’s economy following the 2015/16 depression caused by the twin shocks of the Ebola Virus Disease and the unprecedented collapse of iron ore prices- Sierra Leone’s major exports.

Patrick served as Alternate Executive Director at the African Development Bank representing Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, and Sudan, contributing to the formulation and implementation of various developmental programs and projects. His earlier career was in commercial banking spanning over sixteen straight years holding various senior management roles including Director of Risk Management and Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer.

Dr Conteh holds an excellent combination of academic and professional qualifications and competencies spanning the disciplines of economics, finance, and management.

Patrick holds a PhD, MBA, and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-saidu-conteh-phd-24114b16/ 

Owolabi Taiwo Owolabi Taiwo is the Engagement and Partnership Manager, a position he has occupied since 2019. He is a senior management team member at the Africa Fintech Network (AFN). His experience spans over 10 years in Administration and Management with notable achievements in corporate strategy, project and program management, stakeholders’ management, business integration, resource management, and administrative management in the Agricultural, manufacturing, FMCG, and currently in the FinTech sector. 

He is a key member of the team that has positioned and projected the Africa Fintech Network as the go-to institution for FinTech activities and engagements within the African FinTech ecosystem. He co-led the Africa Fintech Radar project of the AFN in partnership with Cenfri and findexable. He is the Project Manager of the team that developed the Africa FinTech Hub initiative which has been approved by the African Development Bank for funding and partnership. He is a member of the organising team of the annual Africa FinTech Festival events in Uganda (2019), Mauritius (2021), and currently Kenya 2023. 

He significantly contributed to the 2020 Global Covid-19 Rapid FinTech Market Assessment study of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), World Bank, and World Economic Forum. Owolabi is an expert speaker and has spoken and moderated at various physical and virtual fintech community/ecosystem events across Africa. He attended Yaba College of Technology where he graduated with National and Higher National Diplomas in Business Administration. He is a Certified Scrum Master (inview). He is also an associate of the Chartered Institute of Administration Nigeria. 

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owolabi-taiwo-39397586  

Adebimpe Talabi is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in operations management, media, and marketing communications. Over the course of her career, she has worked in a variety of industries including media, manufacturing, and fintech, demonstrating a diverse set of skills and an ability to adapt to different environments. With over thirteen years of experience under her belt, Adebimpe has developed a passion for organizational and brand development, using her expertise to drive growth and success for the companies she works with.

Adebimpe's academic credentials include an MBA in Marketing Management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, as well as an HND in Mass Communication from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. She has also earned certifications in Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Fundamentals from Wild Fusion Digital Academy and Google respectively, demonstrating her commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and best practices. Additionally, she holds a Google Project Management certification, which showcases her ability to manage complex projects and meet deadlines.

Aside from her professional skills, Adebimpe also has a knack for event planning and management, having successfully organized a number of events throughout her career.

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adebimpe-talabi-arpa-143ab3112 

Hassan Jacketeh holds a BA in International Business and Trade from the African Leadership University, Rwanda. Hassan is super observant and detail-oriented. He loves to listen rather than speak. Hassan has invaluable hands-on experience handling administration duties,  planning and arranging schedules, training, data collection, project management, data analysis, and report writing. He is passionate about using data to help make informed business decisions and transform enterprises toward attaining sustainable growth in new markets.

Hassan aims to help grow and disrupt Africa's Financial Technology (Fintech) sector. He aids African countries' fintech associations, including but not limited to thoughtful industry leaders with the day-to-day engagements/developments happening within the industry across Africa and the global market. His day-to-day activities at the Africa Fintech Network allow him to engage with people from across Africa and beyond. He loves working with people as well as individually. 

He believes that fintech is a necessity for the African economy and its people. Fintechs are weapons that will strengthen the continent’s stability and provide a sustainable future. 

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-jacketeh-116439180/