Franca Ciambella

Franca Ciambella (B.Com., LLL (Canada), LLM (New York), LLM (Singapore))

Franca is a highly qualified lawyer, mediator and advisor with an excellent business background and acumen, and a solid track record operating at top levels in large global firms and multinational organizations. Based primarily in Lagos, Nigeria, she is the Founder of CIAMB Consultancy, where she currently provides legal management, business advisory and mediation services throughout Africa and in other parts of the world.

Franca has a degree in business from McGill University, and law degrees from New York University, National University of Singapore and Universite d ’Ottawa (in both civil and common law systems). She has practised law for over 30 years including in the areas of fintech, cryptocurrency & blockchain, corporate compliance(international anti-bribery), cross border M & A, contracts, and foreign investment law, and in top tier firms such as Norton Rose and Stikeman Elliott. In her role as Tyco International Ltd.’s (a Fortune 500 US company) General Counsel for Asia, she had responsibility for 257 entities, and oversaw compliance of boards as well as Sarbanes Oxley requirements. As Founder & Managing Director for Consilium Law Corporation in Singapore, her practice was focused on Asia, Africa & Canada. Consilium merged with Global Law Alliance in 2021, where Franca continues in an advisory role.

In the past, she has held prestigious board, committee and other leadership positions with MNC’s, SME’s and start-ups, as well as in social, government and private institutions. Her experience on boards has been in the areas of fintech and cryptocurrency platforms, software and technology, and infrastructure development, health care, and manufacturing. In West Africa, she is currently on boards of distribution & retail, fintech and project development entities.

Franca founded and operated Riau (Canada) Inc. from 2020-2023 in Canada, which was a social impact fair trade company manufacturing superior eco-friendly scented candles, while employing people reintegrating into the workplace after homelessness and other personal challenges.

She is on the International Advisory Board of McGill University’s Faculty of Management (where she lectures regularly) and is an Executive in Residence at their David Laidley Centre for Business Ethics.

Franca was recently awarded the Sovereign Medal by Canada’s Governor General, and has in the past been the recipient of many other awards and prizes for her professional excellence and personal contributions to society.

Fluent in English, French and Italian, she is married to Mr. Chizoba Nnamchi and they have three adult sons.