Meet the Woman Shaping Corporate Governance, People Policy at Sierra Leone’s Largest Mines

In Sierra Leone, women account for about 47 percent of the mining labor force, most of them are artisanal miners. Then there is Aminata Kamara, a C-suite mining executive who has shaped corporate governance and policy in two of the country’s largest mining companies over the past decade. 

Her story is not one of overnight success. Aminata Kamara’s leadership journey is defined by discipline and grit. She is proof that no matter what life throws at you, you can always emerge stronger with unshakeable conviction and a willingness to rise to the challenge.

How did a British-Sierra Leonean repatriate rise from banking executive to the mining boardroom? 

Aminata Kamara’s Early Life, Education and Career

Born in the UK to Sierra Leonean parents, Kamara spent her teenage years in Freetown between her parents’ home and her maternal grandmother. Her father Samba Mohamed Kamara had returned home after serving as Information Attache at the Sierra Leone High Commission in the UK. He was a distinguished journalist, the General Manager of the Daily Mail and later Press Secretary to Vice President S.I. Koroma.

Kamara’s father died when she was only 15 and his passing changed everything.

In January 1989, at 18 years old, Kamara returned to the UK where she filled a job application on the way home from the airport. 

“On my first day in the UK, my sister took me to KFC to apply for work right after helping me get my temporary national ID,” she said. 

Kamara was hired on the spot and began work the following Monday. 

Her dream was to work and study law and international relations. Life had other ideas. By October, she discovered she was pregnant. Her relationship with her partner, once built on shared dreams of education and career success, soon became turbulent and abusive. 

Refusing to be defined by her circumstances, Kamara walked away and began life as a single mother. Her daughter, Anita, became her source of strength and purpose.

“There was no choice but to go back to school,” Kamara said. 

While raising Anita, Kamara worked full-time. She studied at night, and earned her vocational qualifications (NVQ Level 4), being one of the best performing people to take the exams. With mentorship from her HR Manager and support from her College Lead , she continued her various certification studies, including the completion of a Master’s Degree at North London University (now Metropolitan University), all while working and parenting. During this period she also rose from HR Assistant to HR Officer and then into senior HR roles. 

Her journey through those years was one of sheer persistence. “Those lessons about patience, consistency, and standing tall through loss, became the same qualities that defined who I am today,” she said. 

Kamara’s career took off. She joined Connex UK (later Vivendi) where she served in the Communications Department before becoming an HR Project Manager in the Human Resources Department overseeing major welfare projects for 6,000 plus employees. Later, she rose to the rank of Management Trainer, an experience that sharpened her leadership skills and global perspective. 

“Landing my first management position at Connex UK was a pivotal moment. Considering the field, others with more direct HR experience could easily have been chosen. I directly asked my interviewer, ‘Why did you pick me?’ His answer was simple: ‘You have a strong work ethic, and I believe you can do the job.’”

In 2008, Kamara made a bold move: taking voluntary redundancy to explore professional opportunities in West Africa. Between 2010 and 2012, she worked in Nigeria back and forth before finally settling in Sierra Leone in March 2012. 

Back home, she joined the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, where she honed her skills in compliance, people management, and organizational development. At Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, the environment was predictable and safe. However, an unexpected opportunity came from the mining industry and she was faced with a choice: stay in her comfort zone or step into the unknown. Against the whispers about instability in mining and how male-dominated the industry was, she chose to leap. 

“My instinct is often to pursue what I’m advised against. After thoughtful prayer and meditation, I felt a strong conviction and guidance from the universe: ‘Go! This is a good challenge’,” she recalls. 

Aminata Kamara’s journey in Shaping Corporate Governance in Sierra Leone

Aminata Kamara, Founder of Amikam Leading Edge Consulting

In 2015, Kamara joined Sierra Rutile Limited as Human Resources Director, one of the country’s largest mining companies. The industry was volatile and women in leadership were rare.

Within two years, Kamara rose to Director of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, and later to Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Director. She played a pivotal role during a critical transition that saw the acquisition of Sierra Rutile to Australia’s Illuka Resources in 2016. 

“The process of selling the company was my biggest challenge because when I joined a month earlier, I had no idea it was going to be sold,” Kamara said. 

When Illuka took over, Kamara was indispensable. Unlike others who felt threatened by the strict international compliance standards, she thrived. 

“Governance is not just about policies. It’s about culture, how people at all levels behave when no one is watching. That’s what determines whether an organization grows or collapses,” she said.

Kamara’s approach to leadership, both firm and empathetic, often bridged divides between expatriates and local staff. In tense moments between different stakeholders, Kamara was the mediator between conflicting interests. Her grace and gift of persuasion without aggression became her trademark. 

From Sierra Rutile, Kamara was recruited as Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Marampa Mines Limited (MML). There she led the company’s corporate office and represented MML in its engagement with government, regulators, and key stakeholders. She also led the Human Resources and Community Relations departments, supporting the CEO in advancing the company’s ESG agenda. 

Beyond her executive duties, Kamara serves on several boards, including as Chair of Bloom Bank Africa SL, Executive Board Director for MML, and Board Member of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation, and the AA Kamara Foundation which supports women and girls through education and empowerment programmes. 

In September 2025, after two and a half years at MML, Kamara resigned. After over a decade in the mining sector, she’s looking to help from without. Her newly formed corporate governance, people, organizational development and policy advisory firm, Amikam Consulting, will allow Kamara to support existing and incoming investors in the mining sector. 

With her wealth of experience, she will guide institutions toward enhanced compliance, ethical leadership, and sustainable growth, championing the integrity and accountability that have been the hallmark of her career.

From the quiet girl who lost her father at 15 to the single mother who worked her way through school, to the leader shaping governance in companies in Sierra Leone, Kamara’s journey is a testament to discipline, courage, and grace. She knows she couldn’t have come this far alone. 

“I’ve been blessed with mentors who believed in me. So now, I see it as my duty to create that same belief for others.”

For Kamara,  leadership is service; a continuous effort to make systems better, people stronger, and opportunities more accessible. She credits her success to not just technical competence but also emotional intelligence and the ability to listen, empathize, and see the world through another’s eyes.

“I’ve learned that life will test you. But every challenge prepares you for where you are meant to be. You just have to keep moving, boldly, and with integrity.”

Aminata Kamara’s story reminds us that true leadership is not born from privilege, but from perseverance; from those who choose to rise, rebuild, and redefine what strength looks like in everyday life and in the corporate space. 

About Aminata Kamara, CEO, Amikam Consulting

Aminata Kamara is the visionary Founder and CEO of Amikam Consulting, a corporate governance, people and policy advisory firm.

With over 18 years of executive-level C-suite experience in corporate governance, organizational development, and strategic human resources in the UK and Sierra Leone, Ms. Kamara is a trusted expert on aligning corporate structures and policies with national and international benchmarks.

Her executive tenure includes over a decade in Sierra Leone’s mining industry, where she served in key roles such as Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Marampa Mines Limited (MML), Corporate Affairs and Government Relations and Director of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at Sierra Rutile Limited. In these positions, she was instrumental in managing corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and leading critical crisis and stakeholder management strategies, and leading people — often bridging complex divides between expatriate and local staff.

Through Amikam Consulting, Ms. Kamara applies her expertise to build internal capacity, design foundational processes, and drive the localization of talent. She is a strong advocate for developing Sierra Leonean professionals, focusing on the transfer of knowledge and establishing robust operational policies.

Beyond her consultancy, Ms. Kamara is an active leader in the business community, currently serving as:

• Board Chair of Bloom Bank Africa Sierra Leone (BBASL).
• Executive Board Director of Marampa Mines Limited.
• Board Member of the Sierra Leone Employers Federation (SLEF).

She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Human Resources Management and Employment Studies from North London University and is a highly credentialed professional: a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD) and a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (FIL). She is also a Co-Founder and Board Member of the AA Kamara Foundation, dedicated to supporting women and girls’ empowerment through education and entrepreneurship.