2017 Tutu Fellow Mimi Kalinda has been appointed as a board member of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), a specialized agency of the African Union focused on strengthening institutional and human capacity across the continent.

With more than 27 years of experience in reputation management, brand positioning, and business growth, Kalinda brings expertise in communications strategy and leadership development to the ACBF board. She is the Co-Founder and Group CEO of Africa Communications Media Group (ACG), where she has led pan-African and global communications efforts for organizations such as MTN Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, the African Development Bank, and the Bezos Earth Fund.

For more than 30 years, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has been building human capital and institutional capacity for Africa’s sustainable development. Forty African countries are members, as is the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), The African Union (AU), and The World Bank.  The ACBF recognizes the importance of improving the effectiveness of Africa’s public sector institutions at local, national, regional, and continental levels to become effective systems integrators and catalysts of sustainable and transformative change.

Mimi is the Founder of Storytelling & Leadership, a platform that equips business leaders with narrative-driven leadership skills. She has coached executives at LinkedIn, the Obama Foundation, Absa Bank, and leading business schools including IE University, Oxford University, and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

In addition to her seat on the ACBF board, she also serves on the Global Board of The Hunger Project, Catalyst for Growth, and Africa Works Ventures, supporting initiatives in social impact, entrepreneurship, and investment in Africa.

Header Image: Mimi Kalinda from Humble Beginnings Stories.