London, United Kingdom – [April 2025] – At the most exciting 2025 Global Power Women Awards (GPW Awards), an international celebration of groundbreaking female leadership, Mrs. Solange Amichia, Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Promotion Center of Côte d’Ivoire (CEPICI), was proudly presented with the African Female Leadership Impact Award for her outstanding contributions to economic transformation and investment promotion across Africa.

Hosted in the iconic city of London, the GPW Awards shines a global spotlight on the achievements of visionary women driving change and economic growth across sectors and borders. Among this year’s distinguished honorees, Mrs. Amichia stood tall for her unwavering commitment to positioning Côte d’Ivoire as a premier destination for investment and innovation.

With a formidable background in global finance and investment banking, Mrs. Amichia has brought visionary leadership to CEPICI since assuming the role of Director General in September 2021. Prior to this, she served as the Deputy Director General from 2014, building on a career that spans over 20 years—including her tenure as Senior Vice President at Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking (SGCIB) in New York.

Her academic journey includes graduating from EDC Business School in Paris, with a specialization in SME management, and obtaining various certifications in finance, project management, and information system design. Fluent in both French and English, Mrs. Amichia is widely regarded for her acumen in capital markets, strategic investments, and public-private partnerships.

Under her leadership, CEPICI has recorded landmark successes, including the mobilization of over $1.8 billion in investment commitments during the “Invest In Sud-Comoé” forum in 2024—a historic milestone for regional development in Côte d’Ivoire. She also serves as Special Advisor for Economic Projects to the President of the Regional Council of Agnéby-Tiassa, further amplifying her footprint in policy design and economic planning.

Celebrating a Trailblazer of Economic Empowerment

The GPW Awards, organized by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), a UN ECOSOC-accredited organization recognizes women like Mrs. Amichia who redefine leadership and contribute to inclusive, sustainable growth across Africa and beyond.

Diplomatic Prestige on the Global Stage

The event welcomed a distinguished delegation of Ambassadors, Diplomats, and Global Leaders from across the world. In attendance were H.E. Ignacio Higueras Hare, Ambassador of the Embassy of Peru in London; H.E. Mrs. Manorie Mallikaratchy, Acting High Commissioner of the Sri Lanka High Commission in London; H.E. Christiane Aquino Bonomo, Deputy Consul-General of the Brazil Embassy in London and Mr. Ivan Romero-Martinez, Ambassador of the Embassy of Honduras in London. Representing grassroots empowerment, Delyth Panneth, UK Country Coordinator for Days For Girls, joined as a key Resilient Voices Project Partner, championing dignity, health, and opportunity for girls everywhere.

Icons of Influence: Powerful Women Honoured and Present

The event was graced by some of the most influential women shaping policy, business, and social change. Among the distinguished special guests and honorees were: H.E. Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, The Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, H.E. Dr. Ana Dias Lourenço, First Lady of the Republic of Angola, and H.E. Mrs. Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia. Other trailblazers included Mrs. Dagmawit Moges Bekele, Director of the African Union Peace Fund; Ms. Yaa Amoako-Adu, Executive Director of Above Inspections Limited; Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, CEO of the Electricity Regulatory Authority in Uganda; Dr. Mandas Marikanda, CEO of Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank; Dr. Fatoumata M’Balou Sanogo, CEO of Petroci Holdings; Mrs. Roseanna Onyia, CEO of Clinique Research Development; Mrs. Flora Mutahi, CEO of Melvin Marsh International Limited; and Mrs. Michelle Kilpin, CEO of Tanzania Breweries Limited—alongside many other global powerhouses whose impact resonates beyond borders.

An Evening of Elegance and Impact

The evening featured riveting fireside chats on gender-responsive economic policy, powerful documentary screenings, red carpet moments, and a gala dinner that culminated in the prestigious awards ceremony. The celebration closed with a dynamic networking reception that emphasized the power of collaboration across borders.

Mrs. Amichia’s recognition not only honors her personal journey from Wall Street to Abidjan, but also reinforces the importance of African-led economic empowerment and female-driven policy innovation on the global stage.

About the Global Power Women Awards

Organized by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), in special consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC, the GPW Awards is a signature initiative celebrating the extraordinary achievements of women in leadership. This platform ignites dialogue, honors changemakers, and champions the mission of gender equity on a global scale.

About Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)

Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD) is a leading human capacity, gender empowerment and development-based organisation that sees itself as a catalyst and thought leader in developing the theory and practice of leadership, social, educational and economic empowerment particularly in Africa, and also the developing countries of the Middle East and Asia. As an organisation currently in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2012, we strive to advance our partnership with public and private sector organisations at different stages to develop, refine and effectively execute strategies that deliver superior corporate/institutional excellence. We empower the men and women folk for peak performance.