Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA). She brings deep expertise and an extensive network on trade and Africa to her leadership, along with a strong track record of engaging the private sector to translate policy into action. Ms. Liser is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993.

Before joining CCA, Ms. Liser served as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) from 2003 to 2016, where she led U.S. trade and investment policy toward49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Her prior roles include Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications (2000–2003); Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Department of Transportation’s Office of International Transportation and Trade (1987–2000); Director in USTR’s Office of GATT Affairs; and Associate Fellow at the Overseas Development Council (1975–1980).

Ms. Liser currently serves as Chairman of the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), where she was also a re-appointed member of the 2023–2024 Committee and previously served from 2019–2021. She has also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and as a Board member of Women in International Trade (WIIT).

Ms. Liser holds an M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Dickinson College.

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