Isha Johansen

Isha Johansen is a globally respected African football administrator and governance reformer, recognised as a powerful BAME keynote speaker whose work sits at the intersection of sport, integrity and social change. Best known for becoming the first West African woman elected to the FIFA Council, Isha’s leadership journey is rooted in lived experience, resilience and an unwavering commitment to ethical leadership. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, into a family with deep ties to football, her early life combined exposure to the game with the realities of conflict, displacement and rebuilding after civil war.

Forced to leave Sierra Leone as a refugee during one of the country’s most brutal periods, Isha’s sense of responsibility to return and contribute shaped the direction of her career. In 2004, she founded FC Johansen, a youth football club created to support orphaned and vulnerable children affected by war. Her model was both practical and humane, offering access to education, school attendance and daily meals in exchange for commitment to football. The initiative quickly evolved into an internationally recognised youth development programme, culminating in Isha founding and hosting Africa’s first International Youth Football Tournament in Sierra Leone in 2009, bringing together teams from across Africa, Europe and the United States.

In 2013, Isha was elected President of the Sierra Leone Football Association, becoming the first woman to hold the position and one of very few globally to lead a national football body. Her tenure was defined by reform and resistance. She confronted match fixing, financial misconduct and political interference, often at significant personal and professional risk. Despite facing sustained pressure and unwarranted prosecutions, her leadership earned international recognition. In 2016, she became the first woman elected to the CAF Executive Committee, later serving as Chair of the CAF Women’s Committee, where she championed long-term investment in women’s football across Africa.

Isha’s impact reached the highest level of global sport governance in 2021, when she was elected to the FIFA Council, placing her among a small group shaping the future of world football. She currently serves on the FIFA Foundation Board and remains a leading voice on governance, integrity and inclusion. As a keynote speaker, Isha draws on experiences that include addressing the UK Anti-Corruption Summit and speaking at COP26. Her talks are engaging, practical and candid, offering organisations clear insight into leadership under pressure, ethical decision-making and how courage and discipline can drive lasting change.