Dr. Lucy Surhyel Newman is an international consultant, governance expert, and policy adviser whose work focuses on governance, systemic performance, institutional effectiveness, and Africa’s transformation agenda. She currently serves as Chairperson of both the Advisory and Executive Boards of the Africa Private Sector Summit (APSS), providing strategic leadership across the continent through a network of regional deputy chairs. A respected voice on leadership and systems thinking, she is the author of African Leaders’ Tête-à-Tête: Navigating Entity Design and Prioritization for Systemic Outcomes, published in both English and French and listed in the Library of Congress.

Over the course of her career, Dr. Lucy has advised governments, multilateral institutions, and private sector organizations on governance, performance, and development. Her recent engagements include serving as an International Consultant to the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Corporate Governance Thematic Lead for country review missions to Namibia and South Africa, Domestic Resource Mobilisation Expert for the African Union Commission (AUC), and a member of the B20 South Africa Trade and Investment Task Force. She also serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board Audit and Risk Committee of International Energy Services Limited (IESL).

Dr. Lucy holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (Leadership and Performance) from the University of Phoenix, Arizona, an MBA in International Business, and a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. She also earned an International Director Certification in Corporate Governance from INSEAD Business School, France. As a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT), she has spent more than two decades helping organizations improve performance by systematically identifying and removing barriers to success. Her contributions have been recognized globally, including the 2024 Modern Governance 100 Award from Diligent Corporation and the Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI).

A passionate advocate for Africa’s sustainable development, Dr. Lucy believes the continent’s next growth frontier will be driven by stronger institutions, deeper regional integration, effective policy implementation, and disciplined systemic execution powered by technology. Her interests span Agenda 2063, AfCFTA implementation, youth development, education and human capital systems, women’s empowerment, industrialization, and monitoring and evaluation for systemic impact. Through her advisory work, writing, mentorship, and service on boards and think tanks, she continues to influence conversations shaping Africa’s future.