President Joe Biden of the United States has selected two outstanding Nigerians, Osagie Imasogie and Chineye Ogwumike, to serve on the 12-member Advisory Council for African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.
Osagie Imasogie and Chineye Ogwumike have been appointed as esteemed members of the President’s Advisory Council, as announced in an official statement released by the State House on Wednesday.
The distinguished members of the council include Silvester Scott Beaman, who assumes the role of council chair, along with Mimi E. Alemayehou, Rosalind Brewer, Viola Davis, Helene D. Gayle, Patrick Hubert Gaspard, C.D. Glin, Osagie Imasogie, Almaz Negash, Chinenye Joy Ogwumike, Ham K. Serunjogi, and Kevin Young.
In response to this significant appointment, Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), extended her heartfelt congratulations to the duo. Her statement, as conveyed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations, hailed the nomination of these two exceptional Nigerians as a momentous occasion. She emphasised that their recognition and appointment to the 12-member Advisory Council serve as a source of motivation and pride for Nigerians and Africans at large.
Chinenye Ogwumike, a two-time WNBA All-Star for the Los Angeles Sparks, adds to her accomplishments by holding a full-time, multi-platform role as an ESPN commentator and NBA analyst. She is a rare example of a full-time professional athlete concurrently holding a national sports media broadcast position. Notably, Chineye Ogwumike, who proudly identifies as Nigerian-American, was awarded the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2014 and has been named a two-time WNBA All-Star in 2014 and 2018. She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in International Relations, having been mentored by Dr. Condoleezza Rice. In August 2020, Chineye Ogwumike made history as the first black woman to host a national, daily sports talk radio show. Additionally, as a 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, she holds the title of Executive Producer, overseeing the production of an ESPN Films documentary titled “144,” which provides an in-depth look at the 2020 WNBA season.
On the other hand, Osagie Imasogie serves as the Chairman of the Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer, Quoin Capital, and Quoin Advisors. Moreover, he co-founded PIPV Capital, a private equity firm specialising in the life sciences sector, with investments exceeding $1 billion. Before his involvement with PIPV Capital, Imasogie played a key role in establishing GlaxoSmithKline Ventures, where he served as the founding Vice-President. Throughout his career, he has held significant commercial and R&D positions within pharmaceutical giants such as GSK, SmithKline Beecham, and DuPont Merck. He also boasts experience as a Price Waterhouse Corporate Finance Partner and a practicing attorney with the renowned U.S. law firm Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis.
Osagie Imasogie stands as a serial entrepreneur and investor, actively contributing to several financial institutions, including FS-KKR Capital Corp. and Haverford Trust, collectively managing over $28 billion. He serves as an advisor to Brown Advisory, a firm overseeing assets exceeding $140 billion. Imasogie’s contributions extend to his role as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and his position on the Executive Committee, where he chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Centre. In addition, Osagie Imasogie holds the position of Trustee at the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Executive Committee of the University. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property. Imasogie holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is a member of the New York State Bar, in addition to being admitted to practice in various other jurisdictions.
