Irene OchemFounder and CEO of AWIEF

Irene Ochem, founder & CEO of AWIEF is firmly rooted in reality yet driven by a strength of conviction and determination that will bore their way through any opposing circumstances. This is one quality that has brought her across countries & continents, through daunting obstacles & deep-seated prejudices to where she now stands, spearheading a highly influential pan-African women’s economic empowerment organisation poised to become the number one, globally recognised platform for female entrepreneurship in Africa.

Extensive involvement in international organisations as conference organiser, administrative coordinator, research administration manager, international consultant and development specialist has steadily grown her vision to include the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem, from stakeholders and business experts to policy makers and aspiring entrepreneurs.AAAA She holds bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees as well as an MBA in International Management acquired at the University of London.

Irene’s focus is Africa’s most underutilised resource - women - and she is harnessing high-level, successful female entrepreneurs as well as young emerging businesswomen to create the unique AWIEF platform bringing big & small together to connect & interface. Her programmes, including the annual AWIEF Conference, AWIEF Awards, AWIEF Growth Accelerator to make companies “investment ready”, AWIEF Business Networking Breakfasts and her impressive profile as conference speaker have enabled AWIEF to enter into partnerships with reputable international institutions.

Irene’s winning attributes are her track record, ability to tap into the knowledge & expertise gained globally, to network and understand the international development sector. She is fully aligned with the new SDGs that are taking the woman agenda to new dimensions. Perfectly positioned to promote intra-African collaborations for women, she is set to stimulate a whole new momentum of meaningful change for women in Africa.