Margaret O’Connor is the London-based Chairperson of Launch Africa. Together with the board, she provides oversight on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, commercial strategy, and investor due diligence. She also supports the management team’s work expanding trust networks with global investors and channel partners.

Margaret’s portfolio includes serving on the Investment Committee of Five35 Ventures, a gender smart VC fund that shares Launch Africa’s back office and is an independent NED of a London Stock Exchange-listed Investment Trust backing pre-IPO tech companies. The governance and risk mitigation insights she brings to her fund management roles are shaped by 30+ years operating in Asia, the US, Europe, and Africa.

The former Silicon Valley funded, New York-based tech entrepreneur exited the company she started and scaled in a trade sale before moving to South Africa in 2002. She was a pioneering member of MasterCard Asia Pacific leadership team and broke gender barriers as the first female professional at the Korean Ministry of Finance early in her global career.   

An adventure capitalist, Margaret’s super power is helping great people making meaningful connections globally.