Director, Middle East, Africa & India

Jersey Finance

Faizal is a UK qualified lawyer and for many years has worked and advised, and is a trusted advisor to institutions, corporates and families across the Middle East Africa and India. Faizal specialises in banking and finance and has advised corporates, family offices and families including on their international investment and holding structures.

Faizal is responsible for developing the strategy for Jersey Finance’s engagement in Africa, the Middle East and India. He is focussed on his key markets, regularly travelling to all these countries, liaising and working with key stakeholders, including public and private institutions, corporates and families, building long-term mutually beneficial relationships.

David Lekerai is a Partner and Head of the Corporate practice group at DLA Piper Africa, Kenya (IKM Advocates). He has a wealth of experience in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate law, commercial law, structured trade finance (including Islamic finance), corporate restructuring and capital markets. David has been involved in many domestic and international transactions involving joint ventures, private equity investments and divestments, corporate reorganizations, and capital raising via equities, debt, and convertible debt instruments.

Ngetha is General Partner of Norrsken22 based in Nairobi, Kenya. Norrsken22 is a tech growth fund backed by an international network of tech founders and institutional investors partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs in scaling disruptive businesses on the African continent.

Ngetha has over 12 years of investing experience on the African continent having previously worked at Actis, investing primarily in the financial services and consumer sectors spanning Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. Ngetha brings significant experience sourcing investment opportunities, implementing operational improvement and exit strategies within his portfolio companies.

Ngetha holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Frank is a Partner and the Eastern Africa Markets Leader at EY. He leads Strategy, M&A and business development across Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. In addition to other Leadership roles, Frank is the Global Client Service Partner for several multinational accounts and sit on various Boards in Africa and UK.

He has 22+ years of professional experience (including 15+ years in London) in investment banking and management consulting advising investors, shareholders, boards, CEOs, government executives and regulators in Africa, UK, EU, US and Russia.

He previously held senior management roles in London (UK) at UBS Investment Bank, Deutsche Bank, PwC and Afrika Kapital.

He is a CPA(K), holds a Law degree and Executive Management qualifications on Strategy from MIT (US).

Njeri Wagacha is a Partner in the Corporate & Commercial practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Kenya
(Kieti Law LLP) and specializes in Mergers Acquisitions, Private Equity, Competition Law,
Employment Law and Technology, Media & Telecommunications. She is the Head of East Africa for
the Industrials, Manufacturing and Trade Sector.

Njeri started off as Trainee Solicitor at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP. She later worked as
an associate with a leading local law firm in Kenya before joining CDH Kenya as a Partner.

The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 recognized Njeri for her work with a Tier 3 ranking in the Corporate/ M&A
category, as well as Tier 3 ranking for her work in Employment. Njeri was also named
Commercial/Conveyancing Practitioner of the Year at the Nairobi Legal Awards 2022 as well as
second runners-up for 2022 Lawyer of the Year.

Njeri runs the podcast NjeriTalks Law.

Amalia is a practicing Advocate in Tanzania with twelve years’ experience dealing with
complex legal matters relating to M&A, Mining, energy, Regulatory and the overall
commercial practice.

Currently Amalia heads our Corporate Team in Tanzania. Prior to
joining Clyde & Co, Amalia worked with international law firms based in London and
has done numerous cross border transactions within and outside of East Africa across
various sectors. Also, she has represented clients and been involved in negotiations
with Government authorities particularly on matters relating to framework agreements,
power purchase agreements, production sharing agreements, gas supply agreements
and the like. Her knowledge and experience in Tanzania laws is exceptional and she
has a unique ability to analyse legal transactions from both the legal and commercial
perspectives which is appreciated by Clients.

He advises financial institutions, investors, and local and multinational corporations on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, restructurings, commercial, data protection, insurance, finance and regulatory, and employment matters.

Jared has experience advising on matters across Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Jared is recognized by the Business Daily “Top 40 under 40” as a leading commercial lawyer in Kenya which extends to his practice in banking and insurance and most recently listed in the Hall of Fame of Commercial Lawyers in Kenya 2023.

Jared has advised on several large and complex matters, working with clients operating in the education, energy, financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail and consumer, and technology sectors.

Jared is an English trained Advocate and admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. His status enables him to understand matters governed under English Law, and act as local counsel within Kenya.

Danny Cutherell is an experienced project director and team builder who has led programming that supports forcibly displaced people across Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining RIN, Danny developed and managed a $55 million portfolio of refugee-focused education and livelihoods projects as the East Africa Director for the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). Previously he led Mercy Corps’ economic development programs in Pakistan, and the Aga Khan Foundation’s community development portfolio in Afghanistan. He has also worked in a variety of research and policy roles for the Center for Global Development, the World Bank, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Danny holds an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a BA in English Literature from the College of William & Mary.

Christina Nduba-Banja is a corporate partner in our Nairobi office.

Christina leads the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team at Bowmans Kenya. She advises clients on all aspects of environmental, climate change and societal issues across various sectors. She is heavily involved in advising various actors in the carbon markets space in Kenya.

Christina has extensive experience in all aspects of corporate practice, including public and private M&A, debt and equity capital raisings in
private and public markets, including IPOs, corporate restructurings and private equity deals representing both target companies and funds.

Christina has transactional experience across East Africa and has worked in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Christina’s recent deal experience includes; acting for Amethis and the founder shareholder’s stake in the sale of a stake in the Kenyan
retailer, Naivas to Mauritius-based IBL Group, advising Bioline Agrosciences in its acquisition of the Kenyan biocontrol company, Dudutech
from Flamingo Group International, acting for Kasada Hospitality Fund in its acquisition of the former Crowne Plaza Upper Hill in Nairobi,

Kenya and the Old Mutual Group in relation to the restructuring of their life insurance business in Kenya.
specialises in banking and finance and has advised corporates, family offices and families including on their international investment and holding structures.

Edward is the CEO of I&M Burbidge Capital.

He founded Burbidge Capital (now I&M Burbidge Capital) in
September 2010 runs the businesses in Kenya and Uganda. Edward has led the execution of 50 Mergers
and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Mezzanine, Debt and Capital Markets transactions in Eastern Africa.
Edward previously worked in the City of London for over 10 years, initially as a fund manager with
Deutsche Bank Tilney Private Wealth and later as an investment banker with Arbuthnot Banking Group
Plc, working with a number of corporate clients in developing markets.

Edward is a CFA Charter holder.

Edward was formerly a member of President Kenyatta’s Taskforce for Parastatal Reforms and a member
of the Nairobi Securities Exchange’s Board Finance Committee.
Edward sits on the Red Cross Nairobi’s Resource Mobilization Board Committee and is a Goodwill
Ambassador for Childline Kenya

Maryanne is an impact driven professional passionate about entrepreneurship and its impact on job
creation and long-term economic growth.

She’s worked with entrepreneurs across twelve African markets as a commercial banker, impact
investment professional and a network builder. Her expertise lies in supporting high-growth companies’
access to capital, markets and talent and working on turnaround strategies for SMEs. Maryanne has a
deep understanding of the evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem in East Africa and its key actors.

She’s also a trained financial journalist passionate about fueling economic growth in Africa through data
driven journalism. Maryanne holds an MBA from IE Business School.

Experienced Professional in Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Venture Capital and Sustainable Impact

Hiram Githuku brings a decade of experience across Corporate Finance, Private Equity, Impact Investing, and Sustainable Finance. Holding an MBA from the University of Suffolk and a Chartered Accountant designation from ACCA, Hiram’s journey is defined by strategic leadership and innovation. He is currently an Investment Manager at Goodwell Investments, where he seamlessly integrates private equity insights with an unwavering commitment to sustainable finance, reshaping investment models to provide positive and sustainable solutions to local problem.

Connect with Hiram G:
LinkedIn: [LinkedIn Profile]

Ylva Lindberg is Executive Vice President of Strategy and Communication at Norfund, the Norwegian development finance institution. Prior to this, she founded and led SIGLA, a boutique consultancy, worked for McKinsey&Company, as an equity analyst at the life insurance company KLP and marketing professional with the FMCG company Orkla. She is a non-executive director at the global medical equipment company Lærdal Medical, senior associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and member representing the public on the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission. Previous positions of responsibility include Member of Council on Ethics for the Norwegian oil fund, the world´s largest sovereign wealth fund, board chair of the WWF–Norway, board member of Basecamp Explorer and member of the BMO GAM Responsible Investment Advisory Council. She is based in Norway, but currently living in Kenya with her husband and three children.

Sapna started her career in international banking, initially at Lloyds TSB and later at HSBC, working with entrepreneurs and SMEs at various stages of their business lifecycle in the UK, US, Europe and the Middle East. She returned to Kenya in 2012 to continue her passion for working with entrepreneurs, this time as an investor at Acumen and co-founder of a food start-up. She joined Novastar in 2015. Sapna graduated from the London School of Economics with a Bsc (Hons) in Government and Economics.

Marvin is the Co-Founder and CEO of ShopZetu, Kenya’s leading fashion and lifestyle e-tailer. He is also the Managing Partner of Mizizi Africa Consumer Holdings, a consumer investment firm with investments in Kenya and Ghana. He was previously a banker with Citi in Nairobi, Mombasa and New York.

Amena Arif joined IFC in 2012 after building a career in commercial banking with Citibank and ABN AMRO Bank. She was appointed IFC’s Country Manager for the Kenya cluster in March 2020. Prior to moving to East Africa, she led IFC's debt and equity investment transactions working with financial institutions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Lebanon and served as IFC's Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, based in Colombo, where she helped grow IFC's portfolio and deepen its impact.

Michael Selassie is the Principal & Country Director of Ascent Capital Ethiopia. As an African entrepreneur, he is passionate about contributing to the development of a robust private sector across the region. Michael has spent the last 12 years starting and growing Health, Telecom, Trading and Construction businesses in Ethiopia. He started his career in IT services and then project management before returning to Ethiopia in 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, USA.
In addition to his appreciation of developing ambitious enterprises, Michael enjoy spending quality time with my family, reading and watching NFL football

Sophie is a Government and Stakeholder Relations, Business Strategy and Communications expert with multiple years’ experience across both private and public sector.

She currently holds the position of Group Head of Public Affairs at KOKO Networks where she is responsible for engaging Governments to understand how KOKO Fuel can enable the transition from charcoal and firewood to a clean and renewable energy source. In addition, she loves engaging with various audiences to understand the role of carbon markets as an enabler.

She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of women and children and in mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Martha is a Partner at Adenia. She has 15 years’ experience as a private equity professional in the US and Africa, covering a range of sectors, particularly in the consumer retail and healthcare industries. Martha established Adenia’s East Africa office in Nairobi, Kenya, where her responsibilities include sourcing and screening investment opportunities, negotiating and executing deals, and providing ongoing advice to investees.

Martha developed her investment skills at RFE Investment Partners, a lower middle-market buyout firm based in New Canaan, Connecticut. She began her career as an analyst in the Leverage Finance portfolio group at Citigroup in New York. Martha previously worked with both General Electric and Catalyst Principal Partners in East Africa.

Reflecting her passion for supporting the most promising businesses and entrepreneurs in Kenya, and her commitment to advancing the private equity industry across the region, Martha is a two-time winner of the East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA) Awards' Woman Investor Award. She also received EAVCA’s East Africa Leadership Award in 2021. Recently, she was featured on Private Equity International's Future40 list, which recognizes individuals under 40 who are expected to play a leading role in shaping the future of Private Equity.

Martha sits on the Board of Directors of four Adenia portfolio companies: Quick Mart, Africa Biosystems Limited (ABL), Red Lands Roses and Proximed. She is also a director at hair company Harvest of Sunshine and MICO Bright Star Primary School.

Martha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Affairs from Lafayette College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Franck-Astère Ndiyo-Butoyi is Investment DIrector at Amethis. He is based in Nairobi.

Mr Ndiyo-Butoyi’s responsibilities at Amethis include financial sector deal sourcing and
executing, as well as overseeing due diligences and executing transactions.

Prior to joining Amethis in 2015, Mr Ndiyo-Butoyi worked for KPMG’s Transaction Services department in Paris, mainly in the financial services sector, conducting due diligence and valuation missions, primarily in Central and West Africa. Previously, he worked for two years at Société Générale in New York, after starting his career with HSBC and Natixis Finance in Paris.

Mr Ndiyo-Butoyi holds a degree in global markets and investment banking from Dauphine University (Paris). He is a native of Burundi and is fluent in English, French, Rwandan and Burundian.

Simon is an astute Finance practitioner. He is the CFO at Quick Mart, a position he has held since 2018. He previously worked at Ernst & Young as an Audit Manager having joined the firm as an audit assistant where he served clients in diverse industries ranging from financial services, agriculture, oil & gas, education institutions, retail companies and public benefit entities. His over 15 years of experience in finance has been integral for Quickmart to accelerate growth through well thought out financial strategies.

He holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from the United States International University (USIU) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi. Further, he is a Certified Public Accountant

Belvas is an Investment Officer at IFC covering private equity funds and co-investments across Africa. He has been investing in African PE funds for more than a decade, having previously worked at Sango Capital, a Pan-African fund-of-funds.
Belvas holds a Bsc in Actuarial Science from University of Pretoria and is a CFA Charterholder.

Sophy is a serial entrepreneur with a strong passion for starting and rapidly growing businesses.
She started her career at 17, when she opened African Queen (an FMCG distribution business based in Uganda) the business is responsible for launching and exclusively growing a variety of well-known brands including: BIC, Afia, Imperial Leather, Lucozade, L'Oreal, Fay & Sensodyne. Her journey has taken her from a small shared shop in downtown Kampala (Kikuubo) to a business that employs over 250 people and covers over 80% of Uganda's geographic territory.

She partnered with Ascent Rift Valley Fund in 2015 to grow African Queen and has since become the largest FMCG distributor in Uganda. The business has since then more than tripled its revenues.

Sophy has additional business interests across transport, quick-service restaurants and real-estate.

She accredits her business success to positive thinking and the importance of teamwork as a core pillars for driving productivity and performance.

In her personal life, she is a mother of twelve and is passionate about interior design and fitness.

Joanna Bichsel is the Founder and CEO of Kasha, a leading digital retail and last mile distribution platform for health products and household goods in Africa that aims to disrupt the global health industry. Kasha started in Rwanda in 2016 and now also operates in Kenya and South Africa delivering health and household goods in retail and wholesale around the country. Joanna was born in Poland, raised in Toronto Canada, has a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and has worked on technology solutions around the world. Earlier in her career, Joanna spent 11 years at Microsoft first as an engineer and later as a business leader. Prior to starting Kasha, Joanna was the Principal Technology Advisor for Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, working across East and West Africa and South Asia on technology strategies and solutions to optimize the supply chain of vaccines, family planning and other public health commodities, health services delivery, agriculture and fintech. Joanna lives in Nairobi with her husband and two children.

Akshay Shah currently serves as the Group Executive Director of Silafrica, and provides his expertise & experience of 30 years through the Silafrica Board in the areas of strategic planning & alignment, technology-led product & systems innovation, manufacturing operations excellence, championing Sustainable & Circular Packaging legislation & innovation, and leveraging his global, regional & local network across the plastics packaging value chain. Besides his role in Silafrica, Akshay also serves as the Global Chair of YPO Plastics Network, Board Chair of KEPRO, a Steering Committee Member of the Kenya Plastics Pact, and a member of the KAM Environment Committee.

Lise Janice ARAKAZA is the Investor Relations and Business Development Manager at Rwanda Finance Limited, the company promoting and developing Rwanda as a leading financial destination for international investment and cross-border transactions in Africa.
With a strong background in finance and a deep commitment to Africa’s socioeconomic development, Lise plays an integral role in bridging international investors with Rwanda's thriving financial landscape. She facilitates cross-border transactions and forges global strategic partnerships within the investment community, contributing to Rwanda’s growth as a premier financial destination for international investment.
Prior to joining Rwanda Finance, Lise worked on Mergers and Acquisitions at Wilmington Trust in the United States, focusing on global capital markets entity administration serving high net-worth private and institutional clients. She also worked at the Rwanda Development Board where she honed her financial analysis skills and specialized in structuring PPP deals.
Lise is a certified compliance expert accredited by the International Association of Compliance, UK. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Financial Economics from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and is finishing an Executive Masters in Financial Services Industries from Luxembourg School of Business.

Mr. Wyckliffe Shamiah, is the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Markets Authority, Kenya. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Shamiah served in various capacities at the Authority, having been Acting Chief Executive, Director Market Operations, Manager- Market Supervision, Assistant Manager- Compliance among others, over a career of more than 26 years. He represented the Capital Markets Authority on the Council of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) from 2009 to 2020. Regionally, he sits on Financial Stability Board Regional Consultative Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa, Consultative Committee of Association of Securities Markets Regulators in East Africa (EASRA), which he chaired between 2020 and mid-2022. He sat on the International Organizations of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) representing Growth and Emerging Markets Committee Board (2020-2022) and he is a member of AMERC committee of IOSCO. He also sits on several other local boards including Retirement Benefits Authority of Kenya (RBA), Insurance Regulatory Authority of Kenya (IRA) and Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Board. He is highly appreciated for his efforts towards development of capital markets in the region, having contributed immensely in capacity building programmes in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Mr. Shamiah is a recognized speaker and facilitator on capital markets regulation both regionally and internationally.
Mr. Shamiah is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (FCPA), a CISI Level II, holds a Masters in Business Administration (Finance Option) from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Economics from Egerton University. He is an associate member Toronto leadership Centre.

Asif Noorani is a Principal at Phatisa. Based in the Nairobi office, he is responsible for executing investments in East Africa. Previous to Phatisa, he was a Senior Investment Manager at I&P, an investor in early stage SMEs and start-ups. He started his investment career at Fanisi Capital, an SME investor in East Africa where he spent 7 years.

Edward has been in the accounting, finance, impact investment, and private business administration fields for well over 20 years and developed experiences in various areas and SME business operational management over time. He is currently a renown East African regional agri-business impact investing and SME Private equity professional.
He previously worked as Chief Accountant at Nakasero Soap Works - Kampala and later as the Financial Controller of both African Agricultural Capital Limited – AAC and Kilimo Trust (www.kilimotrust.org), before being involved in the establishment and formation of Pearl Capital Partners -PCP (www.pearlcapital.net) in 2010 where he is currently the Managing Partner and team leader. He serves on several PCP group managed Investees business boards and mentors young professionals especially in areas of PE/VC in EA.
Edward was a part-time lecturer and has mentored many accountants from MAT Abacus Business School in Kampala for over 15 years until 2016 when he retired from active lecturing. He is an FCCA Chartered Accountant and also holds a UK MBA from the Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University (UK) in addition to a PhD in Business Administration from the London Graduate School of the Commonwealth University.

Joshua is the Head of Ecosystem Engagement & Investor Relations at Briter Bridges, a data driven research firm in Nairobi. He works closely with the local community of tech founders, hubs and investors to forge friendships and collaboration in a bid to unlock growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in Africa.

Makenzi is a Partner at KPMG leading the Strategy, Mergers and Acquisition, Restructuring and Insolvency practice in East Africa.
In his capacity, he works closely with the Strategy and Deals, Consulting, and International Development Advisory teams to deliver innovative solutions that drive value throughout the transaction lifecycle.
He has over 22 years of experience having worked across restructuring & turnaround planning, mergers and acquisition, financial due diligence, business valuation and private equity advisory, helping decision makers to make the right moves confidently and swiftly.
He holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Nairobi. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He is also a licensed insolvency practitioner.
Away from his role as a business leader, Makenzi is a visiting speaker at Strathmore university where he speaks to MBA students on contemporary subjects such as the role of geopolitics in shaping corporate strategy.
Makenzi joined KPMG as a Partner from Ernst & Young (EY) where he was the Managing Partner at EY Consulting in East Africa and a board member at Endeavor and the British Chamber of Commerce. He has also held various roles within PwC Kenya and Deloitte in the UK.

Martha Mbugua is a Partner in the Corporate & Commercial practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH Kenya) and specializes in private equity and venture capital investments, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), corporate and debt restructuring and general corporate and commercial law.

She has more than 13 years of experience gained in various globally ranked law firms in Nairobi, including Law3Sixty, a boutique firm she run prior to joining CDH Kenya. She also worked briefly in South Africa and in the legal departments of Barclays Bank of Kenya (now Absa Bank Kenya Plc) and East Africa Breweries Limited.

Martha has been ranked in IFLR 1000 2021 and 2022 as a highly regarded lawyer private equity and M&A. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 she was as a rising star in private equity, mergers, and acquisitions. The Legal 500 EMEA also listed Martha as a recommended lawyer in 2018. In addition to the above, Martha was one of the Top 40 under 40 Women for the year 2017 where she was noted as one of the youngest female partners specialising in private equity and mergers and acquisitions transactions.

Kaye (Kotsanai) Matereke embodies ambition and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Driven by a profound passion, he is a proactive self-starter who relishes
tackling community challenges head-on. With over 17 years of experience, Kaye has excelled in the realms of business development within emerging markets and
the orchestration of program development, spanning from grassroots initiatives to the management of global teams. As a serial entrepreneur, he has co-founded
multiple ventures and played pivotal roles in founding teams. His skill set encompasses stakeholder management, the intricate art of crafting comprehensive
business strategies, team cultivation, and fundraising prowess, spanning Seed and Series A capital to Series B preparations and Structured Debt instruments.
Kaye has expertly overseen global supply chains, navigating the manufacturing of goods in Sub-Saharan Africa and their seamless exportation to destinations as
diverse as the United States, Europe, and Asia. Over the past three years, he has made substantial contributions as a Business Coach, Management Consultant,
and Board Advisor, closely collaborating with over 100 SMEs. Notably, he takes immense pride in supporting women-owned businesses (40%) and youth-owned
enterprises (70%). In his role as a Pan-African social leader, Kaye boasts an exceptional track record of nurturing high-growth business models that have thrived
within the region. He perpetually seeks fresh challenges, remaining dedicated to continuous learning and rapid assimilation of product and program knowledge.
His unswerving dedication revolves around the assessment of needs and the empowerment of individuals and businesses to flourish.
Throughout his illustrious career, Kaye has forged formidable partnerships with esteemed organizations such as Stanford University (SEED Alum), FCDO,
Mastercard, Essence Ventures, KEPSA, Growth Africa, iHub, and B Lab. His passion for embarking on new endeavors remains unshaken, as he remains steadfast in
his commitment to personal and professional growth while leaving a positive imprint on both individuals and businesses alike.
Kaye Matereke holds a prestigious position on the Standard Advisory Council of B-Corp Global and has steered the growth of four high-potential startups, serving
as Chief Operation Officer/Growth Officer.

Paul has extensive experience in sub-Saharan Africa in corporate finance, venture capital and private equity including investment fund design and set-up. Most recently, he was the Head and Chief Investment Officer, Kenya Climate Ventures, an early stage investment program in conjunction with the World Bank. Prior to that, Paul was the Director and Head of the Agriculture Fund at Quantum Global, a Swiss based USD3bn private equity fund investing in sub-Saharan Africa. Paul is a seasoned senior fund professional with an engineering background and an MBA. He has many years of experience in managing funds including fundraising, full transaction and portfolio management and Board representation. Paul is currently the Senior Director, Africa. New Forests Kenya Asset Management Ltd which is a subsidiary of New Forests Pty Ltd in Australia.

Amos Ndung’u is the General Manager, Investments of Kenya Power Pension Fund that has Defined Benefits, Defined Contributions, and Income Drawdown Schemes. Cumulative assets value of over Kshs. 35 Billion. He has wide experience and training in Investments, Finance, Pensions Administration, Leadership, Management and Corporate Governance spanning over 16 years in different roles of increasing responsibility.
He has a Master of Business Administration (Finance) and a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Sciences. He is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA K) and a Certified Investment and Financial Analysts (FA). He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) and a Member of the Institute of Certified Investment and Financial Analysts (ICIFA). Amos is a certified Trustee.

Joyce-Ann Wainaina is the Founder and Managing Partner of Chui Ventures, a Pan-African Seed Fund with a gender-inclusive focus, backing local
founders building mass-market solutions. Joyce-Ann is passionate about enabling entrepreneurs in Africa and has been an active investor with a track
record across Africa.
Prior to her current role, Joyce-Ann had an extensive career with Citibank for over 30 years where she held senior positions across Africa including
Managing Director, Global Network Banking - Sub-Saharan Africa, and CEO of Citi East Africa.
Joyce-Ann supports talent development in Africa; She co-designed the Sapphire Leadership Programme, targeting senior talent mentoring and
development in Citi across Emerging Market countries. She also partnered with the Kenya Bankers Association and the Central Bank of Kenya to establish
a mentorship program for Women Leaders in the Banking Industry in Kenya. She is a founding Trustee of the JB Wanjui Education Trust focused on
providing grants to girls in universities in Kenya.
Joyce-Ann is a Senior Fellow - at Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University. She holds an M.S Financial Economics from the University of London
(SOAS) and a B.S Finance from Duquesne University Pittsburgh, USA.

Mbuvi started his career in Audit and Consultancy working for Price Waterhouse in the UK and Kenya (1990-98), and then for Lafarge in various positions (1998-2011).At Lafarge, he was first Finance Director for Bamburi Cement in Kenya, Managing Director Hima Cement in Uganda, VP Group Internal Communications at the Lafarge HQ in Paris, and GM Mbeya Cement Tanzania.
He then joined Kenya Airways in 2011 as Chief Operating Officer, before his appointment as Group Managing Director and CEO in 2014-2017.

He has been a consultant and Senior Advisor on a PE fund where he sits on 2 of the funds Boards. He is Chairman of Safarilink Aviation Limited, Cannon General Insurance (K) Limited, and Sustainable Power Solutions (a Pan African solar company) . He sits on the Board of Bamburi Cement plc as a Non-Executive Director and serves on the Audit & Risk Committee, and is the Chair of the Nomination, Remuneration & HR Committee.
As part of his paying it forward, Mbuvi sits on the Board of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the foremost conservancy organisation in Kenya as Vice Chairman, and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Board of Northern Rangeland Trust. He is also Chair of the Board of St Andrews School Turi, Chair of the Kenya Association of Air Operators, and provides mentorship to scale up entrepreneurs with Endeavor Kenya.

He has previously served on the Boards of Bamburi Cement, Hima Cement, Mbeya Cement, (all Lafarge majority owned companies), and served as Secretary to the East African Cement Producers Association. He also served on the Boards of Kenya Airways plc, Precision Air Tanzania and Jambojet, Chaired the Executive Committee of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), and was a member of Board of Governors of IATA.

He is the Chief Executive Officer and Trust Secretary in-charge of KenGen PLC Retirement Schemes with investments in traditional and alternative assets.
He holds an MBA – Finance, BSc (Actuarial Science and is a Certified Investment and Financial Analyst (CIFA), A member of Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment CISI, Certified Information and Security Auditor (CISA), Certified Pensions Trustee (CPT).
He has detailed experience and training in Pensions & Investments Management spanning over 14 years and have won several awards among them being named Top40under40 in 2017 by Business Daily and CEO of the Year during Champion of Governance Award by ICS in 2022.
He is also a known speaker/trainer locally and internationally with additional deep understanding in Retirement Schemes Governance.

Reshma has over twenty years’ experience on a broad and rare combination of expertise spanning Business Strategy & Performance, Risk Management, Finance, Tax and Sustainability. In the last fifteen years, her work has focused on the Extractives and Infrastructure Sector primarily in Africa and the Middle East.

Reshma brings practical experience of working in highly complex operating environments having led and worked on areas such as M&A; Government and third party negotiations; litigation and arbitration; new country entry; risk and performance management; shared infrastructure projects. She has also managed a number of Above Ground Risk areas such as Corporate and External Affairs, Local Content and Capacity Building, Land Acquisition, Water Resource Management, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) studies, Security and Conflict Management and Shared Prosperity including strategic partnerships.

Her work to date has been at both corporate and operational levels with experience ranging from Board and Senior Leadership to working with communities on the frontline. Some of the corporates she has worked with include KPMG UK, Shell, BP, Tullow Oil Plc as well as some small to mid-cap organisations. She is now the Group Director for Sustainability for Equity Group Holdings Plc and a non-executive board member of the Kenya Shipyards Ltd. Reshma also seats on a number of international advisory boards.

Reshma’s career has shown her ability to both design strategy that embeds Sustainability in commercial businesses, from SMEs to large corporates, and also the ability to implement this from a risk management to driving increased impact. Given this experience, Reshma is a regular speaker at regional and international events including UNDP, UNFCCC and IFC Forums, Africa National Capital Alliance (ANCA), Global Association for Risk Professionals (GARP) and United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

Reshma holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Manchester in the UK and an Executive MBA from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) in Paris. She is also a UK qualified Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor. Reshma is also certified in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge and in Green, Social and Sustainability (GSS) Bonds from the IFC and the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).

Nick Joshi is the CEO and Founder of Leta, a Kenya-based logistics company transforming logistics for companies across Africa.

Nick is a career entrepreneur, and prior to Leta Nick was Director of Product, leading product, business development and partnerships at MakerBot Industries, a 3D printing company, which was acquired by Stratasys (the largest 3D printing company at the time), for $600 million in 2013.

Nick moved on to become Director of Product at Spring, a consumer marketplace that was acquired by Compass, which went public in 2021. Most recently, Nick was Head of Product at delivery.com, which he helped scale across 35 states in the US providing last-mile solutions for food, grocery and alcohol delivery.

After his experience building in the US, Nick came back to Kenya. After helping with his family’s tea business in Kericho in Kenya, he experienced the inefficiency and struggles of delivery first hand so he founded Leta - an operating system to power logistics in Africa by optimizing routes and improving delivery speed. Now Leta powers companies like Chandaria and Simbisa Brands (behind Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn and Galitos. Nick firmly believes that solving logistics in Africa is core to helping businesses grow and for economic prosperity.

Taeya joined BII in 2015, initially focusing managing key African relationships via The Africa List. In 2021, she joined the Investor Desk to lead on African institutional investor relationships. She is a finance and relationship-building expert with 15 years’ experience in UK and Ghana building strong professional networks across the African continent. She has also worked across UK financial institutions focused on credit funds, CLOs and alternative assets, and as an advisor to start-ups in Ghana. She holds an MFin from London Business School.

Ceasar Nyagah is a seasoned finance professional with 15 years of experience in sell-side M&A, technology operations, and private equity and venture capital investing. He has played a key role in sourcing and executing deals across a range of industries over the last decade. In addition to his work as an investor, Ceasar is an angel investor and advisor to several early-stage startups, where he is passionate about helping founders navigate the fundraising process and achieve their growth goals.
Ceasar is a chartered accountant (ACCA) and holds a BSc. in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University. He is currently completing his MBA thesis at Strathmore Business School. He is also a Global Shaper alumnus, the youngest community of the World Economic Forum. In his training session for the East African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Ceasar will share his insights and experience deal sourcing.

Fred Murimi is the Managing Partner of Centum Capital Partners Limited (CCAP), a private equity fund
manager, managing a peak of US$250 million of private equity funds for its parent company, Centum
Investment Company PLC, East Africa’s largest quoted Investment Company with over 36,000
shareholders and total assets of over US$ 600 million.
Fred has served in the position of Managing Director since July 2015, in which position he has been
responsible for the management of Centum’s private equity investments across financial services, fast
moving consumer goods (FMCG), manufacturing, education, agribusiness and energy. He has driven the
value creation and value realization activities in Centum’s private portfolio, which has seen the portfolio
deliver a gross US$ IRR of over 20%. CCAP has also been the most active private equity fund manager in
the region having achieved 5 exits in the last 5 years alone, in line with Centum’s vision to be Africa’s
foremost investment channel.
In his capacity heading the private equity business of Centum, he sits on the board of several companies
including Almasi Beverages Limited, Longhorn Publishers Limited, Isuzu East Africa Limited and NAS
Servair Limited. He has previously served on the boards of Platcorp Holdings, Genafrica Limited and
Kenya Wine Agencies Limited and served as Centum’s Group Corporate Affairs Director & Company
Secretary from January 2013 until June 2015.
Fred has over 15 years’ experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining Centum, Fred worked in
investment banking with Dyer & Blair Investment Bank and later with Renaissance Capital (Kenya Limited)
as Vice President. Fred has also worked as a regulator with the Capital Markets Authority, Kenya.
He is passionate about developing the investment industry in East Africa and has previously served on
the board of the Kenya Association of Stockbrokers and Investment Banks (KASIB) and on the Board
Finance sub-committee of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). He is a certified trainer of the NSE
Securities Industry Training Institute (SITI) and has most recently been appointed as a member of the
capital markets law review panel by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to review the capital markets
legal framework to ensure its robustness in supporting a functioning financial market.
Fred holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from University of Nairobi, a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degree from USIU–Africa and is qualified in Kenya as a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) and as a Certified Public Secretary (CPS). He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a member
of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK).
In 2014, he was awarded Certified Secretary of the Year in the Champions-of-Governance (COG) Awards
by ICPSK and is a year 2015 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow.

Vimal Rabadia is the Chief Executive Officer of Kisumu Concrete Products Limited.

He is a distinguished leader in the field of construction and infrastructure development with a proven track record of success spanning over a decade. As the CEO of Kisumu Concrete Products he has played a pivotal role in driving innovation and excellence in the construction industry in East Africa. Under his leadership the company has become renowned for high quality building materials and sustainable construction solutions. He successfully navigated expansion efforts of the company working with Ascent Rift Valley Fund that has seen the company cement its leadership status in western Kenya – the first company to do so in the region - and also seen it improve its governance practices, adopt sustainable business practices and best in class ESG practices.

Mike Mbari is the investment principal at Zephyr Acorn where he leads the investment activities of the fund for the last 3 years. Zephyr Acorn is a VC fund manager investing in pre-seed to Series A technology startups in financial services, logistics and agribusiness sectors in East Africa. Prior to joining Zephyr, Mike spent 6 years in private equity, investing in SMEs primarily across East and Southern Africa. For this panel, he shares his experience having worked in both PE and VC.

Ms. Dia Martin, CFA is a Managing Director on the Social Enterprise Finance team at the DFC where she originates debt financings across multiple emerging markets. She also leads the Portfolio for Impact & Innovation program, which is focused on financing scalable, earlier stage projects that are highly developmental. Through this program, DFC has provided over $500 million in financing to over 75 innovative businesses and funds that are committed to having a positive social impact.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Martin was in Germany for three years for Finance in Motion GmbH and was a recipient of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship in 2007-2008 with a focus on development finance. Ms. Martin has also held positions with Citigroup’s Public Finance department, Moody’s Investors Service and J.P. Morgan.
Ms. Martin is a member of Kaufman Fellows, Class 24. She has a MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and a MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.S. in Finance from Hampton University.

Nonnie is an Investment Principal at Zephyr Management, Acorn Funds based in East Africa. Prior to this Nonnie founded and led an innovative cloud kitchen multi brand platform that received pre-seed funding from Antler.
Before turning to entrepreneurship, Nonnie was a Vice President at Emerging Capital Partners, one of Africa’s largest PE firms. Nonnie spent 4 years as the Founding Executive Director of East Africa Private Equity and Venture Capital Association and sat on the board for a period of 2 years after leaving the day to day management of the organization.
Prior to joining EAVCA, Nonnie worked briefly at TBL Mirror Fund as an Associate. Nonnie moved back to Kenya in 2011 and joined africapractice as a Consultant.
Nonnie holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Bristol, England.