The National Basketball Association (NBA) on Wednesday December 27 appointed Clare Akamanzi from Rwanda as the CEO of NBA Africa.
Akamanzi, a former cabinet member, will take office on January 23, 2024 and will report to NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.
In this role, she will oversee the NBA’s business and development efforts in Africa and will be responsible for continuing to grow the popularity of the sport, the NBA and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) across the continent, including through of grassroots basketball development, media distribution, corporate partnerships and social responsibility initiatives that improve the livelihoods of African youth and families.
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An accomplished business executive and international trade and investment lawyer, Akamanzi most recently served as CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) between 2017 and September 2023, where she spearheaded Rwanda’s economic development by enabling private sector growth.
Under her leadership, RDB implemented many reforms and business policy initiatives that led to significant investment and growth for the country, including through partnerships with BAL, Arsenal FC, Paris Saint-Germain FC, FC Bayern Munich and TIME Magazine, among others.
“Clare’s business acumen, international experience and familiarity with basketball and the NBA make her the ideal candidate to lead our business in Africa,” said Tatum. “NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League are well positioned for continued growth and under Clare’s leadership we believe these initiatives will transform economies, communities and lives across the continent.”
βI have seen first hand how sports can positively impact businesses, families and communities in Africa and the NBA and BAL is a perfect example of that,β said Akamanzi.
“The NBA has done an incredible job growing basketball and the economy around it across the continent, and I’m excited about the tremendous opportunities ahead of me to build on that momentum.”
Previously, Akamanzi was Chief Operating Officer of RDB and Head of the Strategy and Policy Unit of the Office of the President of the Republic of Rwanda. He has extensive international trade, business and diplomatic experience, having previously worked for the Government of Rwanda at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland and the Embassy of Rwanda in London, England.
Akamanzi has worked or studied in seven different countries and holds an honorary LLD from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, in recognition of her work in Rwanda.
He earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he received three major awards for academic excellence and distinguished community service: the Lucius N. Littauer Fellows Award, the Raymond & Josephine Vernon Award, and the Public Robert Kennedy Service.
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In addition, he holds a Master of Laws in International Trade and Investment from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Akamanzi has served on several corporate boards, including the World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation, ECOBANK and Aviation, Travel and Logistics (ATL). She was recognized by Forbes as one of the top 50 powerful women in Africa in 2020.