Head of Legal / Company Secretary
Mrs. Brenda Semevo Afari is a seasoned company secretary, corporate governance practitioner, and legal counsel with over two decades of experience advising boards and executive management in regulated and development-focused institutions. She was called to the Ghana Bar in October 2000 and brings deep expertise in corporate governance, banking and finance law, and institutional compliance.
Over the period January 2004 and January 2025, Mrs. Afari worked with Universal Merchant Bank Ltd and its subsidiaries, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and Standard Chartered Bank, serving in roles including General Counsel, Director Legal, and Corporate Governance Officer. In these capacities, she supported boards and senior management, led governance reforms, and advised on complex legal, regulatory, and institutional matters.
She has served on the boards of both private and public-sector entities and has led significant corporate governance transformation initiatives. Her experience includes supporting sub-regional agricultural research institutions in securing and administering multi-donor trust funds, bilateral loans, and grants from financial institutions and international development partners. She is the Founder of BAS Consulting, a full-service law firm and corporate governance advisory practice established in 2005 and registered as law chambers in 2015.
Mrs. Afari is a member of the management team of the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Ltd, where she leads the establishment of the Legal Department and supports the Board and Executive Management in achieving the institution’s mandate. She holds an LLM with Merit in Banking and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an LLB from the University of Ghana, and is a British Chevening Scholar. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, Ghana affiliated with the Chartered Governance Institute, UK.
