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Fatima Beyina-Moussa

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Fatima Beyina-Moussa
CEO of ECAir (2011 to date), Chairwoman of the African Education Foundation (2011 to date), Chairwoman of the AISB Board of Directors
Personal details
Born31 March 1973
Dakar, Senegal
NationalityCongolese
SpouseBel-Gaza Beyina
ChildrenBesylan Beyina, Haymon Beyina
Parents
  • Pierre Moussa (father)
  • Aissata Moussa née Traoré (mother)
RelativesBinta Moussa, Jessica Moussa, François Moussa
Alma materHEC Montréal - University of Ottawa - Sciences Po - Harvard University
OccupationCEO of ECAir (2011 to present) and Chairwoman of the African Education Foundation (2011 to present)
Websitehttps://www.fatimabeyinamoussa.com/
NicknameFBM

Fatima Beyina-Moussa, born March 31, 1973, in Senegal, is a business leader and a prominent political figure deeply involved in the education sector. She is the chairwoman of the African Foundation for Education (FAE) and was elected to the Brazzaville City Council in July 2022.

Since the establishment of ECAir in 2011, she has been leading the flag carrier of the Republic of the Congo. In late 2014, she became the first woman elected by her peers, airline executives, as President of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

An economist with a background in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a financial auditor at Ernst & Young, and a senior executive at the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), she is passionate about Africa's future.

Family background

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Born in Dakar, Fatima Beyina-Moussa is the eldest of four children of a Malian mother, Aissata TRAORE, and a Congolese father, Pierre MOUSSA.[1]

Her father, Pierre MOUSSA, is the current secretary general of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT). He was the president of the CEMAC Commission from 2012 to 2017 and has held various ministerial positions in Congolese governments from 1979 to 2012.

Her mother, Aissata MOUSSA, née Traoré, is an insurance specialist who served as Director of Reinsurance at the Société Nationale d’Assurances du Congo (ARC) and co-founded the General Insurance Company of Congo (AGC) in 2000. She held various leadership roles within AGC before retiring in 2013 and also served as President of the Board of Ecobank Congo and Governor of Lions Club District 403B.

Early life and secondary education

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Fatima began her education at La Poste Primary School in Brazzaville and continued at Collège Mafoua Virgile in Brazzaville. In the fourth grade, her parents sent her to the European International School in Paris (Draveil, France). She completed her secondary education at Lycée Notre-Dame des Oiseaux (Verneuil-sur-Seine), where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (Economic Series) with honors.

Higher education

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Fatima holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) from HEC Montreal, an MBA from the University of Ottawa, and a DEA (Advanced Studies Diploma) in Economics from Sciences Po Paris. She has also participated in numerous professional trainings, including at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (Boston) and the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC.

Professional career

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Fatima began her career as a financial auditor with the international firm Ernst & Young. She was recruited in Paris and sent to their office in Pointe-Noire, Congo, where, over a two-year period, she took part in a large number of audit and statutory audit assignments, first as an assistant and then as head of mission.

BEAC

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On the strength of her experience as a financial auditor, she passed the competitive examination for senior management staff at the BEAC (Bank of Central African States) and took part in the training of senior managers at the Bank's head office in Yaounde (Cameroon).

At BEAC's National Directorate for the Congo, she was head of the Money Market Department and then head of the Balance of Payments and External Financial Relations Department. It was at BEAC that Fatima met her future husband, the Central African economist Bel-Gaza BEYINA.

UNDP Economist - New York Office

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After BEAC, Fatima and her husband moved to New York, where she joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an economist in the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation. In this role, she worked on documents related to the Least Developed Countries during the second committee of the UN General Assembly.

Program manager - Innovation Fund

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After New York, Fatima follows her husband to Lagos, Nigeria, where he has just been recruited by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as director of their expansion in Francophone Africa. There, she is hired as the manager of an Innovation Fund at EFInA (Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access), a project of the British development agency (DFID, Department for International Development).

EFInA aims to increase financial inclusion in Nigeria, and the Innovation Fund managed by Fatima funded small projects that had a positive impact on improving Nigerian people's access to financial services.

Advisor to the Ministry of Finance of Congo

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Upon her return to Congo after her stay in Nigeria, Fatima Beyina-Moussa was hired in early 2010 as an Economic and Reform Advisor to the Minister of Finance, Economy, and Budget. In this role, she played a key role as the focal point in discussions between Congo and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

She was also responsible for leading various reforms, notably in the area of Congolese taxation, where she chaired the steering committee for tax reform, as well as in the insurance sector, overseeing the restructuring of Assurance et Réassurance du Congo (ARC) as General Administrator. It was also within the ministerial cabinet that she was entrusted with the task of creating the national airline of Congo.

Director General of ECAir

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After leading the creation of the national airline, ECAir, Fatima Beyina-Moussa became its first General Manager in 2011. Under her leadership, ECAir experienced rapid growth, developing a network that served strategic international destinations while strengthening its regional presence. She established solid partnerships with major players in the aviation industry and, thanks to her bold vision and commitment to excellence, positioned ECAir as a leading airline in Central Africa.

In November 2014, Fatima Beyina-Moussa was elected President of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA)[2] for the year 2015, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She chaired the annual AFRAA General Assembly in Brazzaville in November 2015.[3] After expanding ECAir's fleet and network across three continents, the company faced financial challenges and temporarily suspended its flight operations.

In 2024, ECAir resumed its flights, marking a new phase under the leadership of Fatima Beyina-Moussa. The airline resumed operations, serving Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Ollombo. The resumption of flights is the result of sustained efforts to meet national and international regulatory requirements, culminating in the acquisition of the Air Carrier Certificate[4](CTA).

Since the resumption, Fatima Beyina-Moussa has continued to work towards ensuring the company's sustainability and consolidating its position in the African aviation market. ECAir is currently working on opening new routes in the sub-region to further connect Central Africa with the rest of the continent.

Her leadership and determination have not only contributed to the growth of ECAir but have also inspired a new generation of female leaders in the African aviation industry.

Social and Community Involvement

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Passionate about education, Fatima actively contributes to this field. Recognizing the privilege of receiving quality education, she stated in an interview with HEC Mag: “It is now my duty to give back to the next generation and to facilitate young people's access to education through FAE.[5]”

In 2011, she put her commitment into practice by founding the African Foundation for Education (FAE), which would lead to the creation of the American International School of Brazzaville (AISB) in August 2012. Fatima is the founding president of both FAE and AISB, where she also serves as the chairman of the board of directors.

Creation of the African Foundation for Education

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The FAE has developed several programmes of educational excellence in the Congo and the sub-region. Its achievements include the creation of the AISB, the renovation of local schools, the creation of a vocational and language training centre and an information and guidance centre for young people. All these actions have contributed to the FAE becoming a UNESCO club.

Fatima has led the establishment of partnerships between FAE and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, as well as with the BEM Africa group, with which FAE has just created BEM Management School Brazzaville, the first international business school in the Congo.

Since its creation, the FAE has been the Congo partner of HEC Montréal (one of Canada's most renowned business schools[6]), the Alma Mater de Fatima, with which it has maintained very strong links and with which the FAE has set up several training programmes for executives in the Congo and the sub-region.

Creation of the American International School of Brazzaville

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The American International School of Brazzaville (AISB) was established in 2013 to meet the growing demand for high-quality international education in Brazzaville, Congo. The school offers an American-based curriculum with local elements, serving both international and local students.

The school accommodates over 100 students from kindergarten to secondary levels, with a team of qualified educators, most holding international degrees and certifications. AISB is the first school in Congo accredited by the Middle States Association (MSA)[7] and the International Baccalaureate (IB), ensuring the quality and recognition of its academic programs.

Launch of EsMBA with HEC Montreal

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Since its establishment in 2011, FAE has formed a solid partnership with HEC Montreal, Fatima’s alma mater. This partnership, based on strong ties and a shared vision of educational excellence, has led to several training programs for executives in Congo and the region.

Among these initiatives is the "Essentiel d'un MBA" (EsMBA), designed to accelerate leadership development and equip leaders with the knowledge, management tools, and analytical frameworks needed for success in modern business. In addition to EsMBA, FAE and HEC Montreal have organized two cohorts of the DESS Energy in Brazzaville, a preparatory session for the BAA International Track, and two previous sessions of EsMBA.

Creation of BEM Brazzaville

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BEM Brazzaville is a business school located in Brazzaville, Congo, and is part of the BEM (Bordeaux School of Management) network, which has established a strong presence in Africa. BEM is also present in Dakar, Abidjan, and Douala.

BEM Brazzaville offers a range of academic programs, including bachelor's, master's, and continuing education in fields such as management, finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. The school emphasizes quality education tailored to African realities while maintaining international standards.

BEM Brazzaville is the result of a collaboration between KEDGE-BEM and FAE through its training institution, the Institut Supérieur de Technologie et de Gestion (ISTEG). Fatima Beyina-Moussa is a member of BEM Brazzaville’s board of directors, a position stemming from the partnership between FAE and BEM Africa to provide high-level educational opportunities in Central Africa.

Political career

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As a member of the central committee of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT), she was elected to the Brazzaville City Council. Fatima BEYINA-MOUSSA has been secretary for economic, environmental and sustainable development issues on the Poto-Poto PCT committee since 2020.

Her political commitment led her to stand in the 2022 local elections on the PCT Poto-Poto list. She is now a member of the Brazzaville City Council, where she contributes to the well-being of her fellow citizens and proposes solutions, particularly in the education sector, where she says: ‘Education guarantees human development and the complete transformation of a society’.

Personal life

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Fatima Beyina-Moussa is married to Central African economist Bel-Gaza BEYINA. The couple resides in Brazzaville with their two children. She enjoys family life and is actively involved in several community initiatives.

References

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  1. ^ Brazzaville, U. S. Embassy (2023-11-22). "Ambassador Eugene Young met Pierre Moussa, the Secretary General of the Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT). Ambassador Eugene Young met Pierre Moussa, the Secretary General of the Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT)". U.S. Embassy in the Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  2. ^ "Fatima Beyina-Moussa named President of AFRAA | Times Aerospace". www.timesaerospace.aero. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  3. ^ "Fatima Beyina-Moussa, one year at the head of AFRAA". 2015-10-30. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  4. ^ communication, La (2024-05-18). "ECAir de nouveau dans les airs". ECAir (in French). Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  5. ^ MAG, HEC (2021-10-25). "L'éducation peut changer des vies, mais aussi des pays!". HEC Montréal Mag (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  6. ^ Gingerich, Charity (2024-01-15). "15 Best Business Schools in Canada - 2024". College Transitions. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  7. ^ "IB Diploma Programme – AISB". Retrieved 2024-08-31.

Further reading

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