The Ecobank Foundation has appointed Mrs. Elisa Desbordes-Cissé as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). The Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the Ecobank Group, a Pan-African banking group.
Over the few years, the Ecobank Foundation has made significant progress in Africa through its focus on three pillars of education, healthcare and financial empowerment. In her new role as COO, Elisa will be responsible for continuing that work. Her role will also include overseeing the expansion and strengthening of activities and partnerships across Ecobank’s entire 33-country sub-Saharan Africa footprint. This will further cement the Foundation’s position as the preferred partner for creating positive impact in the lives of millions of people across the continent.
Elisa has impressive experience and expertise in communications and corporate social responsibility, in addition to her strong advocacy skills. Throughout her 15-year career, she has worked for the AfDB, UNITLIFE, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Media Initiative, and the ONE Campaign.
She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Intercultural Management from the Institut d’Études Politiques d’Aix-en-Provence, France. She is a native French speaker and is also fluent in English, as well as proficient in both Spanish and German.
Commenting on her appointment, Ade Ayeyemi, CEO of the Ecobank Group said, “Elisa Desbordes-Cissé’s appointment has come at an opportune time to further strengthen the Foundation’s Africa-focused commitment and purpose. We are certain that we will benefit from Elisa’s experience as we continue to impact our communities through the Foundation’s initiatives and programmes on health, education and financial empowerment.”