KIGALI, Rwanda — Former Coca-Cola executive and Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress, Alexander B. Cummings, has joined some of Africa’s most influential political and business leaders at the 2026 Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, positioning himself among key voices shaping the continent’s investment and economic future.
The 13th edition of the forum, regarded as Africa’s premier private-sector gathering, has brought together more than 2,800 chief executives, investors, heads of state, and ministers under the theme: “Scale or Fail: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership.”
Among the high-profile participants are Paul Kagame, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote. Cummings, widely seen as a contender in Liberia’s 2029 presidential race, is also participating in the strategic discussions focused on investment, industrialization, and Africa’s economic transformation.
“The Africa CEO Forum is where the conversations that shape this continent’s investment agenda take place,” Cummings said. “Being at the table with the leaders and decision-makers who are driving Africa’s economic future is important for Liberia.”
Cummings arrives at the Kigali forum with more than four decades of global corporate leadership experience. Before retiring in 2016, he served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Administrative Officer of The Coca-Cola Company, where he also led the company’s Africa Group operations. Earlier in his career, he became the youngest senior executive and highest-ranking person of African descent at The Pillsbury Company.
He currently serves on the board of S. C. Johnson & Son and previously held board positions with Chevron Corporation and the Africa-America Institute.
Since transitioning into politics, Cummings has built his platform around governance reform, anti-corruption measures, and expanding investments in healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. In 2025, he was re-elected unopposed as standard bearer of the ANC during the party’s national convention.
Political observers say his participation in the Kigali summit strengthens his profile as a regional economic and investment-focused figure at a time when Liberia faces mounting calls for economic diversification and private-sector growth.
The Africa CEO Forum, organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation, is widely viewed as one of the continent’s most influential platforms for business and policy engagement.
