Our Team
Our core leadership team and deployment experts bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the African Collaborations Group (ACG).
Executive Chairman
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard
Executive Chairman, African Collaborations Group (ACG)
In 2022, Nicolas was appointed by then FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura to the FIFA Task Force for Infrastructure Development in Africa, established to advance FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s vision of enabling at least one FIFA-standard stadium in every African country. Read more
More information at www.Pompigne-Mognard.com
Founding Chief Executive Officer
Paulo J. Cruz
Founding Chief Executive Officer, African Collaborations Group (ACG)
Paulo J. Cruz is the Founding Chief Executive Officer of African Collaborations Group (ACG), where he leads the development of a pan-African platform for structuring institutional-grade sport and entertainment district ecosystems.
Mr Cruz joins ACG from DAMAC Group, one of the largest privately held real estate developers in the Middle East (close to USD 10 billion in property sales in 2025), where he served as Senior Vice President from 2022 to 2026. He brings over 28 years of senior executive experience across real estate, infrastructure and large-scale development in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, having originated and structured projects ranging from USD 50 million to over USD 5 billion.
His expertise lies in transforming early-stage concepts into financially structured, investable developments.
Prior to DAMAC Group, he held senior leadership roles at BlackIvy Group, BP, Movares and Cushman & Wakefield, and previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer of LandAfrique.
At ACG, he leads the execution of the Victory District™ framework, driving investment and sustainable growth while advancing integrated district ecosystems across Africa.
Our Advisory Board
ACG is supported by an Advisory Board of senior, highly experienced leaders who bring independent perspective, credibility, and real-world execution insight to the development of Victory District™ and future projects.
The Advisory Board exists to strengthen decision-making at the earliest stages of project origination – helping ACG stress-test assumptions, accelerate stakeholder alignment, and ensure the concept evolves into a model that is technically credible, commercially viable, and institutionally deliverable.
Advisory Board members serve in a non-executive, strategic advisory capacity.
They do not manage day-to-day operations; instead, they provide guidance, introductions, and constructive challenge across the core dimensions that make or break complex infrastructure programmes, including governance, bankability, sport ecosystem fit, and long-term operational sustainability.
Fatma Samoura
Former Secretary General of FIFA
(2016-2023)
Paulo Gomes
Chairman of the Orango
Investment Corporation;
Former Executive Director
of The World Bank
Carlos Carrión
Former Head of the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Renovation Project
Jan Alessie
Co-Founder & Managing
Director of the World
Football Summit (WFS)
NJ Ayuk
Executive Chairman of
the African Energy
Chamber (AEC)
Rick Taylor
Founder of The Business
Tourism Company
Herbert Mensah
President of Rugby Africa;
World Rugby Executive Board
Member; Chair of the World
Rugby Regions
Andrew Skipper MBE
Former Chair of the Hogan
Lovells Africa Practice
Grégoire Ndjaka
CEO of the African Union
of Broadcasting (AUB)
Lee Martin
Senior Advisor of Getty Images
Kenny Jean-Marie
Former Chief Member
Associations Officer of FIFA
(2021-2024)
James Williams
Former Senior Director
of Events of Informa Tech
(Africa Tech Festival)
Mike Dada
Founder of
All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA)
Diamil Faye
Acting General Manager
of the Riyadh 2034 –
Asian Games
Jonathan Worsley
Chairman and
CEO of The Bench
(Future Hospitality Summit)
Joâo Peseiro Monteiro
Broadcast and Media
Sports Events Consultant;
Former Head of Service
of Euronews
Jason Jennings
Former Chief Operating Officer
of Event Horizon (Afro Nation)
Gianni Merlo
President of the
International Sports Press
Association (AIPS)
Dr. Adesegun Adeosun Jr
(King SMADE)
Co-Founder of Afro Nation
Aida Diarra
Former Senior Vice President of
Sub-Saharan Africa of Visa (2018-2025)
Fleur Tchibota
Former Chief of Staff,
Office of the CEO of Africa50
(2022-2026)
Ahmed Abas
Head of Sports, Leisure and Entertainment MEA of JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)
Aïcha Diop
Former Head of Brand Marketing & Advertising of NBA Africa and Basketball Africa League (BAL) (2020-2026)
Clare Barrell
Director International Relations Investment & Member Services of World Rugby
Our Research and Impact Advisory Panel
To complement our Advisory Board, African Collaborations Group (ACG) is establishing a Research and Impact Advisory Panel: a focused group of independent researchers and practitioners who strengthen the evidence base behind Victory District™ and ensure ambition is translated into measurable, credible and bankable outcomes.
The Panel supports the feasibility phase by providing independent challenge, helping define a robust theory of change, and validating an impact framework that DFIs, investors and government counterparts can rely on for institution-grade decision-making.
Composition of Our Research and Impact Advisory Panel
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