The Chairman of Austine and Partners, Sandra Iyawa-Somtochukwu has been celebrated for Pan-African leadership, even as she marks her birthday.

A highly accomplished Fellow of chartered accountants with distinguished professional expertise across Pan-African and European countries in both the public and private sectors, Sandra Iyawa-Somtochukwu has led high-impact projects across Rwanda, Egypt, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, United Kingdom, France, and Nigeria, delivering strategic and transformational outcomes. Her career is defined by leadership at the intersection of finance, transformation, and the creative economy.

She played a pivotal role in shaping the creative vision for the inaugural Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF 2018) in Cairo, convened by Afreximbank, further strengthening Africa’s creative economy.

Prior to joining The LI Corporate Group, Mrs. Iyawa-Somtochukwu reached director-level within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), where she led transformation initiatives to improve economic sustainability, overseeing budgets exceeding £150 million. In Nigeria, she has collaborated with McKinsey & Company and the Federal Ministry of Power, contributing to key stakeholder engagements and the MYTO framework with power distribution companies.

In recognition of her strategic insight and leadership, she was selected by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to participate in the Nigerian Diaspora Africa Approach Roundtable, contributing to high-level discussions shaping UK–Africa trade partnerships.

A results-driven strategist with a strong flair for brand positioning and stakeholder engagement, Ms. Iyawa is known for building consensus, driving innovation, and delivering impactful campaigns across diverse markets. She has delivered partnerships with CNN International, PcW, and MicroSoft, bridging the gap between finance, media, and the creative economy.

She holds a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from North London Business School. She currently serves as Managing Consultant at Tefan Limited, Group CEO LI Corporate group and Chairman of Austine and Partners (Château Vartely Nigeria).

The company represents Château Vartely Nigeria, a distributor of wines from Château Vartely, a globally recognised winery known for producing high-quality European wines, further reflecting its positioning across both essential and lifestyle markets.As she marks her birthday, her focus remains forward-looking, with an emphasis on strengthening partnerships, scaling impact, and contributing to systems that support long-term, sustainable growth across Africa.