Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, born on June thirteenth, nineteen fifty-four, is a distinguished Nigerian economist and diplomat who has made history as the first woman and the first African to serve as the director-general of the World Trade Organization since March twenty twenty-one.

Her impressive career includes significant roles on the boards of various prestigious organizations, such as Danone, Standard Chartered Bank, and the Rockefeller Foundation. She has also contributed to global initiatives through her involvement with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among others. Notably, she was a member of the Twitter Board of Directors until February twenty twenty-one, when she stepped down to assume her current position.

Okonjo-Iweala's extensive experience at the World Bank spans twenty-five years, culminating in her role as Managing Director for Operations from two thousand seven to two thousand eleven. She is recognized for her leadership in Nigeria, having served two terms as Finance Minister under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, and briefly as Minister for Foreign Affairs in two thousand six. Her contributions to finance were acknowledged in two thousand five when Euromoney named her Global Finance Minister of the Year.

Currently, she is a non-resident distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution, focusing on the Africa Growth Initiative. Additionally, she serves as a Commissioner Emeritus and Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, further solidifying her influence in global economic and environmental discussions.