First name

Desné

 Masie

Desné is a Senior Associate in the financial services practice at Global Counsel. She has 15 years’ experience in financial services, academia, and financial journalism, specialising in capital markets and financial sector policy. 

At Global Counsel, Desné specialises in the regulation of cross-border financial services and financial technologies. She is a specialist in emerging markets frameworks for financial services, with particular experience in the regulatory politics and policy of Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Before joining Global Counsel, Desné’s past roles have included senior roles advising both public and private sector clients at Alexander Forbes Financial Services and thought leadership at Investec Asset Management. 

Desné is a fellow in international political economy at the Wits School of Governance, the leading public policy school in Africa. Desné has lectured on public economics and legal aspects of international finance at Wits and SOAS. She has written for a range of financial media, including the Financial Mail. Desné was named in Innovate Finance’s 2017 Women in Fintech Powerlist for work on financial services.