Career Biography

Afua Oduro Asante is a seasoned dual-qualified General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer (UK and Ghana) with over 25 years of legal and compliance leadership experience. She currently serves as the Global Director for Compliance, Labour and Employment Law, and Incidence Management at the Mastercard Foundation.

She has held senior roles across multiple sectors, including FMCG, financial services, and professional services, serving as Head of Legal and Company Secretary at Unilever Ghana, Legal Director and Company Secretary at Guinness Ghana Breweries, and General Counsel for Diageo Africa Regional Markets. She also has financial and banking sector experience having worked as the Head of Legal and Company Secretary at Ernst and Young Ghana Limited, Lead Lawyer for EY Africa’s Software Alliances and Technology and the Director for Legal and Compliance at Absa Ghana Limited.

Afua is recognised for her strategic advisory expertise, combining legal insight with business acumen to guide complex negotiations, major transactions, regulatory engagements, and donor-funded initiatives. She has a strong track record of designing and embedding compliance frameworks covering ethics, anti-bribery and corruption, AML, data privacy, competition law, and corporate governance. She is experienced in managing regulatory, conduct, reputational, and financial crime risks across diverse markets.

She holds an LLM in Corporate Law from Nottingham Trent University and a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester. She is a Notary Public, a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, and a Barrister of England and Wales. She is also a Certified Compliance Risk and Governance Specialist and a Certified Ethics Officer.

Afua is passionate about leadership development and is known for building high-performing, diverse teams across Africa and Canada while mentoring emerging professionals.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Modern in‑house counsel have to navigate rapidly evolving and unpredictable environments and therefore in my opinion, strong legal judgment, adaptability and the ability to translate laws into practical, business‑ready guidance that supports decisions, anticipates and manages risk in real time are key. To do this well counsel should have deep legal and industry expertise and stay curious, continuously learning and keeping pace with emerging regulatory, technological, and industry trends.

Equally important is how counsel shows up across the organisation. Clear communication, accessibility, credibility, and strong stakeholder relationships make a real difference. When people see you as a trusted, approachable partner, they’re more likely to seek timely advice, collaborate openly, and integrate legal considerations into strategic conversations early, where they matter most. So I believe that today’s in‑house counsel needs to combine their legal expertise with practical insights, strong relationships, and a forward‑looking risk mindset to contribute meaningfully to their organisation’s priorities and success.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am passionate about creating opportunities for young people to chase their dreams of a better future be it through education, formal/informal work or by establishing their own businesses. I am therefore really privileged and honored to work for an organisation which seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper and therefore partners with visionary organisation to advance education and financial inclusion for young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.