Ms. Oleskiv has been working in the tourism industry with a focus on convention and marketing sectors for over 20 years, three of which she travelled all over Ukraine studying tourism potential of both big cities and small towns of the country. In addition, Ms. Oleskiv worked at the three largest Ukrainian tourism centers – Kyiv, Odesa and Lviv.

In March 2020 she was appointed Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, the main mission of which is to implement state policy in the field of tourism and resorts of Ukraine. The Agency’s activities primarily focus on the development of the tourism potential of regions, as well as conducting marketing campaigns to promote the country as an appealing tourist destination, both domestically and internationally.

Since his appointment as Minister of Tourism on November 17, 2023, Mr. Ibrahim Faisal has become a key advocate for sustainable tourism in the Maldives. As one of the Co-Chairs of the Visitor Economic Council at the President’s Office, he is committed to enhancing the tourism sector while preserving the country’s unique ecological heritage.

Under his leadership, the ministry has introduced an eco-tourism framework that encourages environmentally friendly practices among tourism service providers. This initiative focuses on protecting sensitive ecological areas and ensuring tourists explore these areas responsibly, while generating economic benefits for local communities.

Mr. Faisal’s commitment extends to addressing the challenges faced by islands in distress by establishing policies that ensure ongoing projects attract investment and are effectively released to the market, thereby increasing capacity through the addition of beds and infrastructure.

Mr. Faisal began his career in 2004 as a Constable Officer at the Maldives Police Services. He transitioned to various government roles, including Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports in 2013 and Additional Secretary at the High Commission of Maldives in Kuala Lumpur from 2015 to 2018. Since 2018, he has represented the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) as a Senator.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies from Westminster International College in Malaysia, Mr. Faisal leverages his educational background and extensive public service experience to foster a thriving, sustainable tourism industry in the Maldives.

Anne’s career spans journalism, business, academic and philanthropic sectors. She is currently CEO of Project Le Monde, a charity helping to improve access to education for children in Uganda so that they can go on to live successful and fulfilling lives. She also teaches Entrepreneurship at the American International University in London, covering business models, communication and leadership and succession planning.

Initially training in journalism, Anne worked as a press adviser for senior government ministers for nine years before leaving to set up her own manufacturing business producing a range of breakfast cereals. A passion for education and a desire to help others less fortunate lead Anne to set up the charity in Uganda. The not-for-profit organisation has delivered a programme building four primary schools and partnering with a secondary school in Kampala, educating over 4,000 children to date.

Anne has a degree in Business and Finance, a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism an MSc in Anthropology and is currently working on her PhD in Anthropology with a research focus on disadvantaged immigrants in London.

Mrs Nabeela Farida Tunis is the current Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the new SLPP Government. Minister Tunis has vast experience in Development Management, International Relations, Diplomacy, Political Analysis and Governance, Conflict Prevention and Mediation, Gender Analysis and Mainstreaming, Environmental Governance and Human Rights issues.

Prior to her nomination as Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Minister Tunis was Regional Minister of Western Region from May 2021 to July 2023. During that two-year stint, Minister Tunis transformed community governance in the region and demonstrated beyond doubt that when ordinary people sit at the heart of development activities, successful outcomes are guaranteed. Apart from the several tangible development actions she pioneered in communities across the region, ranging from the provision of solar streetlights to dozens of dark communities, providing automated boreholes in deprived communities, refurbishing of schools and health centres, to providing soft loans to women and youths, Minister Tunis succeeded in restoring self-worth and value among the vast majority of the people of the Western Region.

Minister Tunis was also Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for two years (2019-2021). As Foreign Minister, she championed the rebranding of Sierra Leone and helped restore international respectability to the country. Madam Tunis contributed to institutional strengthening and reform of the foreign service through the delivery of a foreign policy guideline, the construction of the foreign service academy, a management and functional review, and the conceptualization and introduction of a foreign service carrier scheme. She also expanded diplomatic relations, chaired Regional/Continental forums, and raised Sierra Leones profile by securing the election of nationals to notable international positions. Minister Tunis initiated and was the driving force behind Sierra Leones bid for the United Nations Security Council non-permanent category, 2024-2025.

From May 2019 to May 2020, Madam Tunis was Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED). During her tenure, she oversaw the change management process that transitioned the Ministry from an appendage of the Ministry of Finance to a stand-alone Ministry. At MoPED, Minister Tunis provided the leadership and strategic direction in the production of several policy documents including Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan 2019-2023, Sierra Leone’s Development Cooperation Framework and the Population Policy. Furthermore, Minister Tunis was pivotal in coordinating Development Partners and Non-Governmental Organizations around the development priorities identified by the government and people of Sierra Leone. She also served as the Chair of the g7+ Group of Fragile and Conflict Affected states and Co-Chaired the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and State building.

Prior to her appointment as Minister in 2018, Minister Tunis excelled and distinguished herself at the United Nations in various capacities. Minister Tunis served as a Senior National Officer within the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone and later at the United Nations Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone. While serving the United Nations, Minister Tunis championed women empowerment issues, child protection issues, youth empowerment issues, and good governance. She was pivotal in the formation and institutionalization of cross Political Party Associations including the All Political Parties Youth Association and All Political Parties Women’s Association.

Minister Tunis was Co-Founder and Program Manager of Women’s Network for Environmental Sustainability (WoNES) and served as member of the Sport and Environment Commission. As an independent consultant and researcher, she has been a strong voice in promoting gender equality, inclusive growth, development and environmental protection at both national and international fora.

Minister Tunis holds a Master’s degree in Rural Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from the University of Sierra Leone. She has postgraduate certificates in Peacebuilding, Conflict Analysis and Management, Environmental Governance, Gender and Human Rights.

Minister Tunis is recognized for delivering an inclusive, participatory, and transformative national development plan as well as transforming new ministries into formidable state institutions that are central in the coordination of development. She is also recognized for the heightened international recognition and respectability Sierra Leone earned under her tenure as Foreign Minister. Her passion for development and humanity is manifested through her several philanthropic and mentoring undertakings for women, youths and the aged across the country. Minister Tunis possesses an unwavering love for nature and an innate talent for building. She is married with three children.

Warrick serves as a Principal within Nedbank’s Advisory division, where he specialises in Mergers and Acquisitions, particularly in the consumer, retail, and leisure sectors. He possesses over a decade of experience in the financial services industry.

His recent notable public transactions include:

• Advising Sun International on its acquisition of Peermont, which is regarded as one of the largest travel and leisure transactions in South Africa.
• Advising SA Corporate on its acquisition of Indluplace, a significant property-focused transaction that specializes in affordable accommodation.

Warrick is a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) and a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Successful Business Leadership,legal passion and corporate governance specialist are some of the attributes that are used to describe the property mogul that is Xoliswa Daku. She is the Founder and CEO of DAKU (PTY) Ltd, a 20-year-old privately held entity with subsidiaries in property, law and energy. Daku Properties focuses on property development, facilities, and asset management. Her property development vision is to develop corridors of excellence, turn small towns into economic hubs, and redevelop underutilized properties.

Whilst Daku Legal focusses on mergers and acquisitions and Daku Energy specializes in investment for energy efficiency and development. She is an astute Lawyer, with 26 years experience, the Chair of SEDA and Deputy Chair of the University of the Western Cape, holding LLM, EMBA and various international post grad business diplomas in her bag.

Daku has served on various boards for the past 26 years specializing on governance, institutional framework, FDI, trade and industry. Her company footprint is nationwide and carries an international flavour. She has worked with multinationals globally, seeking opportunities for the growth of the country. Her generosity and community development approach describes where she comes from.

Vera Kamtukule, the current Minister of Tourism in the Malawi Government, commenced her political journey as Deputy Minister of Labour in President Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s Government on 8th July 2020. Within 18 months, she ascended to a full ministerial role, becoming the youngest member of the cabinet.

In addition to her political engagements, Vera Kamtukule is a versatile figure with a profound commitment to personal development, especially among women and girls globally. Her extensive repertoire encompasses roles as a life and leadership coach, analyst, and accomplished author of eight published books. Notable among her scholarly contributions is “The Supply and Demand of Housing in Malawi,” published by Lambert Academic Publishing, and her undergraduate thesis titled “The political suppression of women in the doctor Banda Era as portrayed in the smoldering charcoal” by Tiyambe Zeleza.

Acknowledged for her influential leadership, Vera has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential career women in Africa for the years 2022 and 2023. Concurrent with her political and literary pursuits, she actively pursues academic endeavors, currently undertaking a Ph.D. while holding a Master of Science Degree, a Bachelor’s Degree, and several Diplomas.

Before assuming her governmental position, Vera served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP), underscoring her dedication to fostering international relations. Through her social enterprise company Patch Malawi, she has distributed over 50,000 copies of her book ‘Made to Bloom’ to girls in public secondary schools across Malawi, empowering them to realize their full potential.

Rebecca Miano is the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Tourism and Wildlife, succeeding Alfred Mutua, who has been reassigned to the Ministry of Labour. In addition to her political role, Miano serves as the Managing Director & CEO of Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) Company PLC, a position she has held since October 2017. With nearly 30 years of experience in the energy sector, she has built a distinguished, multifaceted career that has earned her global recognition as a leading business figure in Africa.

Rebecca attended Kapropita Girls School in Baringo County before pursuing a law degree at the University of Nairobi. She later earned a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. Miano further pursued postgraduate studies in Comparative Law at the University of Australia. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi and attended the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law. Similarly, Miano is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya.

Miano’s career started at a law firm in Nairobi called Musyoka Annan & Company Advocates. Thereafter, she worked at the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) before joining a law firm in Queensland, Australia known as Slater and Gordon. In 1998, she joined Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) as an assistant legal officer and rose through the ranks to become the assistant company secretary. By August 2017, she had been serving as the Director of Legal Affairs and Company Secretary at KenGen since 2008. In the same month, she was promoted to Acting Managing Director.Furthermore, in November 2017, Miano was appointed as Managing Director, beating 90 other candidates. She replaced Albert Mugo, who retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60. She became the first and only female chief executive at KenGen. At the time, she was one of only two women leading a parastatal company in Kenya, the other being MaryJane Mwangi of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya.