Board Members
The American Chamber of Commerce in Zimbabwe is governed by a board that is elected by its members. Each board member brings a unique skillset to the organization. With representatives from both the United States and Zimbabwe, board members work together with different association members to carry out initiatives successfully. The Secretariat is led by the Director of Member Services, who collaborates with the board members and the association to execute projects and activities. Get to know the team for 2024-2025 below.
Richard Griffiths, Founder
Senior Advisor ARENT, Fox Entertainment Law Firm
Government and Head of State Practice Lead
Richard Griffiths was actively involved in the establishment of the American Chamber of Commerce in Zimbabwe under the leadership of Marc Holtzman. Richard counsels, advises, and leads international strategy efforts on behalf of foreign governments in multiple regions. He brings significant experience in Head of State advisory, crisis and reputational management, international lobbying, and foreign policy advisory services to national governments, including those of Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Libya, The State of Qatar, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Tanzania, Thailand, Madagascar, Uganda, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe.
J.W. Oliver Jr, Chairperson
Managing Partner, ZimWorX and Support DDS
J.W. Oliver Jr. is a Founding Member of the American Chamber of Commerce Zimbabwe and is also the Visionary and Managing Partner for Zimworx and SupportDDS who currently employ 1,200 team members with a vision of reaching 20,000 by December 2032.
Lillian Mbayiwa, Vice-Chairperson
Marketing, Public Affairs & Sustainability Executive, Old Mutual ZW
Lillian Rutendo Mbayiwa is an experienced Business Strategist with expertise in Marketing, Public Affairs, and Sustainability in the financial services industry across Africa. She holds an MBA from the University of Warwick and is currently Marketing, Public Affairs and Sustainability executive for Old Mutual Zimbabwe and current president of the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe.
Caroline Mbofana, Treasurer
Risk Services Managing Director, WFDR
Caroline has over 20 years of experience in insurance and medical aid and is the Managing Director of WFDR Risk Management with. She specializes in strategic direction, business development, and operational effectiveness, delivering cost-effective risk solutions. She is actively involved in industry boards and is committed to community growth.
Benjamin Pierce, Ex-Officio Board Member
Political-Economic Counselor, U.S. Embassy Zimbabwe
Benjamin Pierce is a career Foreign Service Officer and serves as the Political-Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe since August 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan from 2019 to 2023. His previous diplomatic assignments include Hermosillo, Mexico; Yerevan, Armenia; Asuncion, Paraguay; Washington; and Cairo, Egypt. Benjamin worked closely with the business communities in Paraguay, Egypt, and Jordan during those tours, partnering closely with the AmCham chapters in each of those countries.
Never Ncube, Board Member
CEO, Dandemutande Investments
Never brings over 29 years of experience in, Corporate strategy and governance, Financial accounting and reporting, Treasury and internal audit. His impressive career spans senior roles at Delta, Innscor, and Spar Zambia Limited. Never is a Chartered Governance Professional and a registered Public Accountant with the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB).
Leroy Mugova, Secretary
Head Of Business Development and Professional Services, OmniContact BPO
Leroy K Mugova currently serves as the Head of Business Development at OmniContact, a BPO within the Econet Global Group. He brings a wealth of knowledge, with postgraduate qualifications in Economics from Rhodes University, Mechanical Ventilation from Harvard, and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe.