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Fatimatou Zahra Diop is a distinguished financial executive and board leader with over 30 years of experience in central banking and financial sector reform in West Africa. She was the first woman to serve as National Director of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) and later held the position of Secretary-General at its headquarters.

She spearheaded transformative reforms in regional payment systems, leading to the creation of STAR-UEMOA (real-time gross settlement), SICA-UEMOA (automated clearing system), and GIM-UEMOA (regional interbank card system), which have significantly strengthened financial integration and inclusion across the WAEMU zone.

Since her retirement from BCEAO in 2014, Fatimatou Zahra Diop has continued to contribute to Africa’s financial development as a non-executive director on several boards, including banks in Senegal and Burundi, and as a member of the Advisory Board of AfricaNenda, which promotes inclusive instant payments across the continent.

A committed advocate for women’s economic empowerment, she is a founding member of the Women’s Investment Club (WIC) and serves as Board Director of WIC Capital, supporting women-led enterprises in Francophone Africa.

She is also Vice-President of the AFRIVAC Foundation, promoting vaccine equity for African children.