Dr Patrick Conteh

Dr. Patrick S Conteh is a financial sector and development finance professional with experience spanning over twenty-seven years across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. A trusted international advisor and speaker on fintech and other innovative technologies as platforms for leapfrogging Africa’s financial sector development. Patrick is currently the CEO of the Africa Fintech Network (AFN) – the continent’s advocacy voice for the creation of a Pan-Africa Fintech Ecosystem enabled through cooperation and collaboration among the major stakeholders across 40 countries; harmonization of policies and regulations; market integration; and the promotion of home-grown capital. He also doubles as expert advisor on Africa’s digital economic development, fiscal and monetary policy management, financial sector development and international finance. He was USAID Senior Economic Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning of Liberia and before that Resident Advisor at the Central Bank of Liberia. Patrick was Regional Lead for Sub Sahara Africa overseeing a unique collaboration between Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) UK and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA), to strengthen the creation, dissemination, and adoption of fintech related knowledge in the continent. He was Governor of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone, where amongst other reform initiatives, he pioneered one of Africa’s first fintech regulatory sandboxes as part of an overarching financial inclusion strategy. Before that, he served as Minister of State for fiscal affairs Sierra Leone. Patrick also served as Alternate Executive Director at the African Development Bank contributing to the formulation and implementation of major developmental programs and projects across Africa. His earlier career was in commercial/retail banking holding various senior management roles in financial management & control; risk management; administration & operations; credits administration & control; human capital management; business development; strategy and policy, etc., and exiting at the level of Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer. Patrick holds an excellent combination of academic and professional qualifications and competences in economics, finance, and management.