The Anglo American Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Elaine Smith Genser and Mamadou Biteye to its Board of Trustees.
Jon Samuel, Chair of the Anglo American Foundation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Elaine and Mamadou to the Board. As our first independent trustees, they will play an integral role in strengthening the Foundation’s governance, while their wide range of expertise and experience will guide us as we embark on our refreshed mission to empower young people to create a greener, fairer future, made possible by Anglo American’s generous endowment in 2021. The Board of Trustees looks forward to activating its new strategy in South Africa and Peru before scaling up more broadly across the Foundation’s footprint, working with our partners to trial new approaches and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing young people in many countries.”
The Anglo American Foundation empowers young people to create a greener, fairer future. Covering a portfolio of 26 grants in 12 countries in 2022, the Foundation operates as a fully independent charity, funded by Anglo American. The lasting, positive impact that the Foundation seeks to create for society is guided by Anglo American’s Purpose and Values.
About the new trustees
Elaine Smith Genser is a finance professional who has previously worked as a trader and research sales manager for global investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and J.P. Morgan in Brazil. In line with her passion for social development, Elaine has focused on mobilising resources from the private sector for institutions including the United Nations, World Bank, and World Economic Forum during the last decade. Currently, Elaine leads engagement and partnerships for the UN Joint SDG Fund, a facility created by the UN Secretary-General to blend US$1 billion annually from member states with private sector investments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for the 2030 Agenda.
Mamadou Biteye is currently the Executive Secretary of The African Capacity Foundation, focused on improving Africa’s skills-base and capacity-building through partnerships, grant-making, and provision of technical support. He has initiated and led programs on youth empowerment for the past decade, first as Managing Director for the Rockefeller Foundation’s regional office in Africa, where he led the “Digital Jobs Africa” initiative, then as Vice President for Inclusive Growth and Global Social Impact at Visa, and also previously chaired the S4YE (Solutions for Youth Employment) Group at the World Bank. Mamadou recently joined the Board of Directors at the Global Mentorship Initiative, a non-profit organisation that mentors students and refugees to secure their first job. He also sits on the Board of myAgro and is an Advisory Board member at the University of Witwatersrand’s African Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investments. Mamadou is a member of the African Leadership Network and part of the Africa Strategy Group at the World Economic Forum.