African CEO Council Code of Conduct

The African CEO Council is committed to ethical leadership, professional excellence, responsible enterprise and constructive collaboration among business and institutional leaders.

This Code of Conduct establishes the standards expected of every person participating in the Council. It protects the Council’s integrity, independence, reputation and the trust shared among its members and stakeholders.

Membership and participation in the Council constitute an agreement to comply with this Code.

This Code applies to:

• Members
• Board and advisory council members
• Committee and working-group members
• Country and regional representatives
• Employees and consultants
• Speakers, facilitators and programme participants
• Partners, sponsors and service providers
• Volunteers and authorised representatives

It applies during:

• Council meetings and programmes
• Physical and virtual events
• Business and investment missions
• Members-only communications
• Committee activities
• Council-related social engagements
• Digital platforms and membership directories
• Public activities in which a person represents the Council

Every member and representative is expected to demonstrate:

• Integrity: Act honestly, ethically and consistently with the responsibilities of business and institutional leadership.
• Accountability: Accept responsibility for decisions, commitments and conduct.
• Professionalism: Treat members, partners, employees and stakeholders with courtesy and respect.
• Confidentiality: Protect information shared in confidence through Council activities.
• Inclusion: Respect differences in nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, language, professional background and political opinion.
• Independence: Protect the Council from improper political, commercial or personal influence.
• Responsible Leadership: Consider the long-term effects of decisions on enterprises, employees, communities and society.

Members and representatives shall:

• Act in good faith and with professional competence.
• Treat other participants fairly and respectfully.
• Honour commitments made through Council activities.
• Provide accurate information when representing their      qualifications or organisations.
• Avoid conduct that could damage the Council’s      reputation.
• Respect applicable laws, regulations and professional      standards.
• Cooperate with authorised governance, compliance and      disciplinary processes.
• Use Council platforms for legitimate business and      leadership purposes.

Members shall not use intimidation, deception, abusive language or improper pressure in their dealings with other participants.

Members are expected to promote responsible business practices in their organisations.

They shall not knowingly participate in:

• Bribery or corruption
• Fraud or financial misconduct
• Money laundering
• Tax evasion
• Market manipulation
• Unlawful discrimination
• Exploitation or forced labour
• Improper procurement practices
• Misuse of confidential information
• Deliberate regulatory violations
• False or misleading public claims

Where serious misconduct is alleged, the Council may review continued membership even if formal proceedings have not been concluded.

Members must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest affecting their Council responsibilities.

A conflict may arise from:

• Financial interests
• Business relationships
• Directorships and advisory roles
• Family or personal relationships
• Political appointments
• Procurement or investment decisions
• Relationships with Council partners or suppliers
• Competing professional obligations

A person with a material conflict may be required to:

• Declare the conflict
• Refrain from participating in discussions
• Withdraw from a decision
• Decline access to confidential information
• Recuse themselves from a committee or evaluation      process

Disclosure does not automatically imply wrongdoing. It allows conflicts to be managed transparently.

Council meetings may include commercially sensitive or confidential discussions.

Members must:

• Protect information identified as confidential.
• Respect applicable Chatham House Rule arrangements.
• Obtain permission before attributing statements to another participant.
• Avoid sharing confidential documents with unauthorised parties.
• Protect information relating to transactions, investments and business strategies.
• Maintain confidentiality after membership or participation ends.

Confidentiality does not prevent disclosure required by law. Where legally permissible, the affected party should be notified before disclosure.

The Council’s membership directory is exclusively for authorised members and approved institutional purposes.

Members must not:

• Sell, copy or distribute directory information.
• Provide directory access to non-members.
• Use contact details for unsolicited mass marketing.
• Harvest information for commercial databases.
• Publish personal contact information without consent.
• Use the directory for political campaigning.
• Contact members in a harassing or excessive manner.

Members should honour requests to stop receiving direct communications.

Misuse of the membership directory may result in immediate suspension of access.

The African CEO Council does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on:

• Race or ethnicity
• Nationality
• Gender
• Age
• Religion or belief
• Disability
• Language
• Marital or family status
• Political opinion
• Professional or socioeconomic background
• Any other protected characteristic

Members must help create a professional environment in which participants can contribute without intimidation, humiliation or exclusion.

Prohibited conduct includes:

• Sexual harassment
• Bullying
• Threats or intimidation
• Insulting or degrading language
• Unwanted physical contact
• Repeated unwelcome personal communication
• Retaliation against a person who raises a concern
• Deliberate disruption of Council activities
• Use of professional influence to pressure another participant improperly

This standard applies to physical events, virtual meetings, email, telephone, messaging platforms and social media.

The African CEO Council is a non-partisan organisation.

Members may hold personal political opinions and participate lawfully in public life. However, they must not:

• Present personal political views as Council positions.
• Use the Council’s name to support or oppose a political party or candidate.
• Conduct partisan campaigning through Council platforms.
• Pressure other members to support a political interest.
• Suggest that membership constitutes political endorsement.
• Use Council events primarily for partisan mobilisation.

Engagement with governments and public officials must advance legitimate business, investment, governance or economic-development objectives.

Members and representatives must not offer, request, accept or facilitate improper payments or benefits in connection with Council activities.

Reasonable gifts and hospitality may be accepted where they:

• Are lawful and modest.
• Have a legitimate professional purpose.
• Do not influence a decision improperly.
• Do not create an obligation or appearance of      impropriety.
• Comply with applicable organisational policies.

Cash gifts and secret commissions are prohibited.

Material gifts or hospitality connected to Council decisions should be disclosed.

Members may accurately describe themselves as members during a valid membership period.

Members shall not:

• Claim to speak for the Council without authorisation.
• Imply that the Council endorses a company, product,      transaction or political position.
• Alter or misuse the Council’s name or logo.
• Issue unauthorised membership certificates.
• Use the brand for personal fundraising.
• Suggest that membership guarantees government or      investor access.
• Present themselves as Board members unless formally      appointed.
• Create unauthorised Council chapters or programmes.
• Register confusingly similar names, domains or      social-media accounts.

Use of the logo or membership mark must comply with the Council’s brand guidelines.

Only authorised representatives may issue official statements on behalf of the Council.

When discussing Council-related matters publicly, members should:

• Distinguish personal opinions from official Council      positions.
• Avoid disclosing confidential information.
• Communicate accurately and respectfully.
• Avoid statements that could mislead the public about      the Council.
• Obtain approval before announcing a partnership,      appointment or programme on the Council’s behalf.

Members approached by the media for official Council comment should refer the enquiry to the authorised communications representative.

Members should exercise sound judgement when referring to the Council online.

They must not:

• Publish confidential meeting information.
• Misrepresent Council decisions.
• Harass another member.
• Post discriminatory or defamatory material.
• Use the Council’s logo without authorisation.
• Create the impression that a personal account is an      official Council channel.
• Publish photographs of private meetings without      appropriate permission.

Responsible professional disagreement is permitted. Personal attacks and reputational abuse are not.

Council relationships should be approached professionally and in good faith.

Members must not:

• Pressure another member into a transaction.
• Make false claims about investment opportunities.
• Guarantee financing or government approvals without      authority.
• Collect unauthorised introduction fees.
• Misrepresent access to public officials or investors.
• Use events for aggressive or indiscriminate sales      activity.
• Exploit confidential information obtained through      Council introductions.

Every member remains responsible for conducting appropriate due diligence before entering a transaction.

The Council does not guarantee the performance, integrity or financial capacity of any member, partner or introduced organisation.

Members contributing to Council research or publications must:

• Provide accurate and responsibly sourced information.
• Disclose relevant commercial interests.
• Respect copyrights and intellectual property.
• Avoid plagiarism.
• Obtain permission for third-party materials.
• Distinguish evidence from opinion.
• Cooperate with fact-checking and editorial review.

Advertising, sponsorship or membership does not guarantee favourable editorial treatment.

The Council retains editorial independence over its publications, including the African CEO Journal, African CEO Outlook and Africa Investor Guide.

Speakers, moderators and participants shall:

• Respect the agreed programme and time allocation.
• Avoid discriminatory or defamatory statements.
• Disclose material interests relevant to their      contribution.
• Refrain from unauthorised political campaigning.
• Respect event confidentiality.
• Avoid disguised sales presentations unless the session      is expressly commercial.
• Provide accurate professional biographies and      credentials.
• Comply with venue, safety and security requirements.

Speaking opportunities are based on programme relevance and do not arise automatically from membership, partnership or sponsorship.

Partnerships must be managed transparently and must not compromise the Council’s independence.

No partner or sponsor may purchase:

• Membership admission
• Board appointments
• Awards or recognition
• Research conclusions
• Policy positions
• Favourable editorial coverage
• Government access
• Unauthorised influence over speakers or programmes

Persons involved in selecting suppliers or partners must disclose relevant conflicts and avoid personal benefit.

Members are encouraged to:

• Consider environmental and social risks in business      decisions.
• Promote safe and fair working conditions.
• Strengthen governance and accountability.
• Improve organisational resilience.
• Avoid misleading sustainability claims.
• Support responsible use of natural resources.
• Promote inclusion and workforce development.
• Measure and communicate impact honestly.

The Council recognises that sustainability practices will vary by industry, country and organisational capacity. Members are nevertheless expected to demonstrate continuous and credible improvement.

Members using digital systems and artificial intelligence should promote:

• Lawful and ethical use
• Appropriate human oversight
• Data privacy and security
• Transparency and accountability
• Protection against discriminatory outcomes
• Responsible cybersecurity practices
• Accuracy in automated decisions
• Respect for intellectual property
• Appropriate management of workforce impacts

Council information must not be uploaded into external AI systems where doing so would breach confidentiality, privacy or intellectual-property obligations.

Members must ensure that information supplied to the Council remains accurate.

They should promptly report material changes involving:

• Employment
• Executive position
• Organisation
• Contact information
• Regulatory standing
• Significant conflicts of interest
• Legal or professional matters relevant to eligibility

Providing materially false information may lead to suspension or termination.

Concerns about possible violations may be reported confidentially to the Council’s authorised governance or membership office.

A report should contain, where available:

• The nature of the concern
• Relevant dates and circumstances
• Names of persons involved
• Supporting documents or information
• Whether the matter has been reported elsewhere

Reports should be made honestly and in good faith. Deliberately false or malicious complaints may themselves constitute misconduct.

The Council prohibits retaliation against a person who:

• Raises a concern in good faith
• Participates in an authorised review
• Provides relevant information
• Declines to participate in improper conduct

Retaliation should be reported immediately and may result in disciplinary action.

Where a possible violation is reported, the Council may:

1. Conduct a preliminary assessment.
2. Request information from relevant persons.
3. Refer the matter to an authorised committee or adviser.
4. Impose temporary protective measures where necessary.
5. Give the affected member an opportunity to respond.
6. Determine an appropriate outcome.

The Council will seek to handle matters fairly, confidentially and proportionately.

However, immediate suspension may be imposed where necessary to protect members, information, property or institutional reputation.

Depending on the seriousness of the matter, sanctions may include:

• Informal guidance
• Written warning
• Required corrective action
• Removal from a programme or committee
• Restriction of directory or platform access
• Suspension of membership
• Withdrawal of an appointment
• Termination of membership
• Termination of a partnership or contract
• Referral to an employer, professional body or lawful      authority where appropriate

Payment of membership fees does not prevent suspension or termination.

A member subject to a material sanction may submit a written request for reconsideration within the period stated in the decision notice.

An appeal should identify:

• A material factual error
• New evidence
• A procedural concern
• A reason the sanction may be disproportionate

The appeal will be considered by a person or body not materially involved in the original determination, where practicable.

This Code cannot anticipate every possible situation. Members are expected to exercise sound judgement and ask:

• Is the conduct lawful?
• Is it ethical?
• Is it consistent with the Council’s values?
• Could it withstand public scrutiny?
• Does it protect the dignity of other participants?
• Could it damage the Council’s independence or reputation?

Where uncertainty exists, members should seek guidance before acting.

By accepting membership, appointment or participation in an African CEO Council activity, each person agrees to:

• Read and comply with this Code.
• Protect confidential information.
• Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.
• Conduct themselves professionally.
• Cooperate with authorised reviews.
• Accept appropriate consequences for violations.

Declaration

I acknowledge that participation in the African CEO Council is a privilege carrying professional and ethical responsibilities. I agree to uphold the Council’s values, protect its integrity, respect fellow participants and conduct myself in a manner consistent with responsible African business leadership.

African CEO Council
www.africanceocouncil.org
Email: info@africanceocouncil.org