Groupe THOP, West and Central Africa’s fast-rising strategic communications group, has announced the appointment of three highly respected professionals to its Board of Directors as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs): Bridget von Holdt, Gilles Masson and Lionel Kpenou Chobli. These appointments reinforce Groupe THOP’s long-term strategic ambitions, notably as it deepens its partnerships.
THREE LEADERS. ONE SHARED VISION.
Bridget von Holdt is a Johannesburg-based communications leader with over 35 years of experience providing executive-level counsel to multinationals, regulators, and boards. She has held senior positions at Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) Africa and co-founded Glasshouse Communication Management. Currently, she leads Inzalo Consulting, providing strategic communications, C-suite media training, and crisis advisory across sectors including energy, finance, healthcare, and mining. She holds an APR certification, is a Fellow of both PRISA and PRCA, and serves as ICCO Africa President. Her lifetime contribution to the industry has been honoured with the PRISM Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gilles Masson is one of the most influential figures in France’s creative and branding industry. He co-founded BETC, one of Europe’s most iconic agencies, and later served as President of both Publicis Conseil and Leo Burnett France. Today, he leads Australie.GAD, a creative agency renowned for its strategic clarity and cultural impact. With academic roots at HEC Paris, Sciences Po. Paris, and Université Paris Nanterre, Gilles brings unmatched strategic and creative governance. He is also an advocate for protecting diversity in communication, challenging the “monotonisation” of global branding.
Lionel Kpenou Chobli is a Franco-Béninois-Guinean leader with over 15 years of experience in public-private partnerships, infrastructure development, and political risk advisory. He currently leads GFO, a national fiber-optic infrastructure company in Guinea, through a $50 million PPP between Electricité de Guinée and private stakeholders. A board member at Ciments de Guinée (formerly LafargeHolcim) and Managing Partner of Optimum Group Africa, Lionel has advised institutions and investors across Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. His academic background includes The London School of Economics, Ecole Polytechnique, ESSEC and University Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas. He also co-leads the SWOT Foundation, dedicated to education, health, and digital equity in Benin and Guinea.
GROUPE THOP’S GOVERNANCE: BUILT ON INDEPENDENCE AND INFLUENCE
Groupe THOP is building one of the most trusted strategic communications and public affairs group in West and Central Africa, anchored in local insight, governed by global standards, and driven by measurable impact. Through its agencies (THOP, Opinion & Public, Gazelle Touch), the group delivers tailored solutions in corporate reputation, crisis and risk advisory, advocacy, digital engagement, and institutional storytelling. Its model combines pan-African execution with board-level expertise, helping governments, development actors, and forward-looking companies shape narratives, mobilize stakeholders, to build trust for leading in complex markets across West and Central Africa.
What sets Groupe THOP apart is its ability to solve complex communications challenges for organizations looking to build trust in West and Central Africa. With a presence in Abidjan, Lagos, N’Djamena, Groupe THOP brings together deep local intelligence, continental execution capacity, and globally benchmarked advisory. Whether navigating reputational risk, launching nation-level campaigns, or managing stakeholder relations, the group offers a unique blend of political, cultural, and business fluency, backed by senior advisors, multilingual teams, and proven results across the public and private sectors.
These appointments mark a turning point for Groupe THOP, as it scales its regional reach and embarks in a growth journey. Kwame Senou, Founder & Executive Director of Groupe THOP, commented: “We are building a platform for trusted influence in West and Central Africa. The addition of Bridget, Gilles and Lionel, elevates our governance, challenges our thinking, and ensure our clients benefit from world-class counsel rooted in African reality. We want to build a different company, remaining true to our mission as we scale and grow.”
Groupe THOP is a pan-African network of strategic communications and public affairs agencies, comprising THOP, Opinion & Public and Gazelle Touch. With operations in Abidjan, Lagos and N’Djamena, the group advises institutions, multinational companies, and governments on reputation, crisis, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and digital transformation.
