Gisele is Vice President of Business Resiliency and Risk Management at Wells Fargo Bank, Treasurer of Mbai Bassa Community and Member of its board of directors. Serving the community keeps her grounded and gives her the satisfaction of making a meaningful difference.
Tell us about yourself
I am Gisele NGO LOGA. I was born in Cameroon. I moved with my family to France when I was 6 year old and spent my childhood there. After high school, my best friend and I, inspired by “California Love” (the nineties West Coast anthem in my opinion), jumped at the opportunity to live in the San Francisco Bay area for a year as au pairs. Our goal was to spend a sabbatical year here improving our English and experiencing a different culture before returning home to start our adult lives. It worked so well that 20-something years and 3 amazing kids later, the San Francisco Bay Area is still home.
I received an MBA from Cal State East Bay and hold the position of Vice President of Business Resiliency and Risk Management at Wells Fargo Bank. I support business continuity planning (BCP) and emergency management for our Commercial Banking group.
Why did you join Mbai Bassa Community?
As one of my colleagues used to say: “BCP is a team sport, everyone participates.” In the same way, at Mbai Bassa Community, our motto is “together we go farther”. Indeed, under the leadership of our president we are building a strong community that is making a positive impact here in the Bay Area, in our individual families and in our communities of origin in Cameroon.
It is this call to reach out, help out and serve in a meaningful way that prompted me to join Mbai Bassa Community, where I am the Treasurer, member of the board of directors and a proud member of its Kine Bisai Club. My role in the leadership team is to make sure we keep our promise of transparency, efficiency and sustainability, comply with regulatory requirements, manage our finances efficiently, and to support our fundraising initiatives including corporate matching programs such as Wells Fargo Community Care and business to consumer giving programs such as AmazonSmile.
What are you passionate about outside work and Mbai Bassa Community?
I am all in for financial literacy. It has the potential to significantly change our communities. That is why I lead a woman’s group whose goal is to build a strong financial legacy by educating ourselves, investing and exchanging ideas and supporting each other in our financial journeys.
One of my favorite activities that helps me stay fit physically and mentally is running. In the past I have volunteered with my kids in Running for a Better Oakland (RBO), a local organization that promotes healthy lifestyles and community service. We ran several 5Ks together and a few half marathons. And although the pandemic has reduced my running activities, I still try to maintain a routine with weekly run with friends and will take on my first virtual running challenge in October with the 2021 35 miles Breast Cancer Walk/Run challenge. I am looking forward to successfully completing this challenge and in doing so raise funds for another cause very close to my heart.
Any final thought?
Being part of Mbai Bassa Community, giving back and engaging with my community has kept me grounded and given me pride in all that we have been able to accomplish so far. Through our Bisai clubs, corporate referral programs, school ambassadors and other initiatives, we continue to strengthen our community engagement and to expand opportunities for our members to make a meaningful difference. I am hopeful that more of us in our community here in the USA and especially our young adults will join us in this amazing journey
