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Florence was elected to Parliament in 2019 and served on the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark prior to her election. Florence was asked by the Business Secretary and Prime Minister to become the UK Trade Envoy for Nigeria earlier this year, and has been the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee since September 2024.

Ambassador-designate of Ethiopia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (MFA) in 2002, and with 22 years of experience as a career diplomat, he has contributed to Ethiopia’s foreign relations
through various roles within the MFA and at diplomatic missions abroad.

Ambassador Biruk began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Public and Media Relations (2002-2006). He then served as Head of Political Affairs, Public Relations, and Tourism at the Ethiopian Embassy in London, United Kingdom (2006-2011); Head of Media Relations at the Public Diplomacy Directorate General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2011-2014); Head of Political and Public Diplomacy at the Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin, Germany (2015-2016); Minister Counsellor at Ethiopia's
Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York (2017-2020) and Head of Situation Monitoring and Analysis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020-2024).

He holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations (2013) and a BA in Ethiopian Languages and Literature (2001) from Addis Ababa University. He also earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomatic Communications, Economics, and
International Relations (2002) from The International Institute for Peace and Development.

Zambian High Commissioner to the UK / Ambassador, Holy See and Ireland.

H.E. Ms. Macenje “Che Che” Mazoka has over 30 years’ experience in the communications sector in the areas of business development, executive leadership, strategy, partnerships, technical, education and on-air presenting. Her professional experience also encompasses strategic business negotiations, social justice/advocacy, NGO support, Board leadership, team management and fundraising. Prior to her diplomatic appointment, Mazoka managed Regional Communications and Stakeholder Relations for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) after having launched and led the Corporations Funding and Partnerships Department. Coupled with operational experience, Ms. Mazoka’s contribution to the SABC also extended to policy development and securing strategic business partnerships, both
financial and otherwise.

Hannah has recently taken over the role of Director of Trade Promotion, Africa at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), working as part of DBT’s network to support UK companies maximise commercial opportunities across the continent. Hannah has significant experience in trade promotion, having previously worked as part of the Department’s global life sciences team, to support inward investment and trade in the UK’s biopharmaceutical sector, working with both large global pharmaceutical companies and innovative UK biotechs. Hannah has also served as Head of Investment for Belgium and Luxembourg based in Brussels, working with companies in the region to support their UK expansion and investment plans.
Hannah has a degree from University College London and is an alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme.

The High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia, Linda Scott, arrived in London in December 2018. Her posting in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland is the second, as she began her diplomatic career in 1990 by opening the High Commission in London shortly after independence.

Aside from her diplomatic career, the High Commissioner has obtained an Advanced Life Coach certification, and has translated several works from German and French. In her spare time, she loves coaching, reading, dancing and cooking.

Lekan Adelekan is FirstBank UK’s Executive Director-Business and has the direct responsibility
of overseeing and implementing the Business Strategy of the Bank across all its origination and clientele base. Prior to his appointment with FirstBank UK Ltd, he spent the last 10 years of his career with the Parent Commercial Banking Group (First Bank of Nigeria Limited) as a Senior Management Staff where he was responsible for the Oil & Gas businesses of the Bank, covering four key energy hubs (Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bonny and Abuja) and driving business synergies across the Banking Group presence countries in the UK, China, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and DR Congo. Prior to joining First Bank of Nigeria Ltd in 2011, he had worked with Zenith Bank, Access Bank and First City Monument Bank where he managed various Projects, Structured Commodity Finance and Relationships for Multinational Corporates and Commercial Clients.

Lekan is a seasoned banker with over 24 years’ experience covering Operations, Cash Management, Public Sector, Retail, Commercial and Corporate Banking businesses. His skill sets involve Origination & Client Coverage, Risk Management, Trades & Structured Commodity Finance and Portfolio Remediation. He has led and participated in several Asset Acquisition via Bi-Lateral and Syndicated Financing Arrangements as well as Tombstone Corporate and Project Finance structures in Gas To Liquid (GTL) and Infrastructural Developments within and outside Nigeria.