The Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) is pleased to announce the appointment of three distinguished leaders to its Advisory Board: Ambassador (ret.) Reuben E. Brigety II, President of Busara Advisors; Chipokota Mwanawasa, Policy Advisor to the President of Zambia and Deputy Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit; and Henry Finnegan, former Chief Operating Officer of TechMet.
“Expanding CMAG’s Advisory Board with leaders of this calibre marks an important step in strengthening the depth and range of expertise guiding our work. Africa’s mineral endowment represents one of the most significant untapped industrial opportunities globally—but realising that potential requires alignment between policy, capital, and execution. By bringing together global experience across diplomacy, investment, and operations, we are better positioned to advance a more coordinated, outcomes-focused approach that supports long-term value creation on the continent.” – Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO, Critical Minerals Africa Group
These appointments further strengthen CMAG’s mission to advance responsible mining and develop commercially viable, end-to-end supply chains across Africa—focusing on practical industrial sequencing, from extraction through to processing and value addition. Central to this approach is broadening and diversifying the investor base engaging with the continent, while ensuring projects are structured to deliver tangible outcomes: scalable industries, skilled employment, and more resilient, locally anchored economic growth.
Ambassador (ret.) Reuben E. Brigety II brings decades of experience in diplomacy and African affairs, having most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa (2022–2025). He previously held senior roles including U.S. Representative to the African Union and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. His expertise in international relations and strategic engagement will support CMAG’s global partnerships and policy positioning.
Chipokota Mwanawasa offers a unique blend of public sector leadership, legal expertise, and private sector experience. As Policy Advisor to President Hakainde Hichilema and Deputy Head of Zambia’s Presidential Delivery Unit, she plays a key role in shaping national development priorities. With a background spanning mining, law, and entrepreneurship, she brings valuable insight into governance, investment frameworks, and inclusive economic growth.
Henry Finnegan is an experienced executive in the critical minerals investment space, having served as COO and a founding member of TechMet, a company focused on building sustainable supply chains for energy transition minerals. TechMet grew to a valuation exceeding $1.2 billion. His background in investment, operations, and international markets will support CMAG’s efforts to align capital with high-impact opportunities across the continent.
They join the inaugural members of CMAG’s Advisory Board:
- Natznet Tesfay, Executive Director, Head of Insights and Analytics at S&P Global, who brings deep expertise in market intelligence, economic forecasting, and resource analysis.
- Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman of APO Group, a leading communications strategist with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and investment promotion across Africa.
- Richard Morgan, former Head of Government Relations at Anglo American, whose background in policy and regulatory affairs provides critical insight into government engagement and partnership building.
Together, the Advisory Board brings a powerful combination of expertise across mining, finance, policy, diplomacy, and communications. Their collective guidance will help steer CMAG’s strategic direction as it works to unlock Africa’s critical minerals potential in a way that drives sustainable industrialisation, supports education and skills development, and creates meaningful employment opportunities across the continent.
Africa Fact: The ancient Egyptians had Afro combs. One writer tells us that the Egyptians “manufactured a very striking range of combs in ivory: the shape of these is distinctly African and is like the combs used even today by Africans and those of African descent.”
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