Archives: Speakers

Richard Bennett, is the founder and CEO of Sunbird Bioenergy Africa. His vision is to create a profitable pan-African renewable fuel company that delivers job creation, import substitution, energy security and reduced carbon emissions for our host governments and communities. Richard Bennett has more than 30 years entrepreneurial experience in the technology, cleantech and renewable… Read more »

Onyebuchim Obiyemi is currently a Senior Vice President at CardinalStone Partners Limited and leads the Investment Banking Division. She has over 10 years hands on investment banking experience spanning various sectors including Financial services, FMCG, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas and Public sector. Her entire investment banking experience spans Afrinvest West Africa Limited and then… Read more »

John Block is the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for Kado Partners, a real estate development firm with operations in Cameroon. Kado Partners primarily invests in residential developments with a focus on midrise multifamily, furnished apartments, and for sale single-family homes. Prior to Kado Partners, John Block worked at several institutional real estate private… Read more »

Helena Riese Harstad is the Co-Founder and working Chairperson of Optimizer Foundation. Helena Riese Harstad leads the overall strategic direction of the foundation, including assessment of investment opportunities, and manages donor engagement. She is a trained lawyer and has a background within Banking and Financing.

Reginald Massawe holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also holds a Diploma in Personnel Management and has more than twenty years of experience holding senior management positions, in multinational organizations. He began his career in HRM in 1996 and has since held a variety of posts covering a wide range of responsibilities…. Read more »

Paul Jackson is the founding CEO of TUHF and began his career in Development Finance at the Development Bank of South Africa, as an Agricultural Economist. He has overseen the financing of over R4bn of inner-city affordable, residential property developments and 44,000 affordable rental housing units. Paul has a wealth of experience in development finance… Read more »

Joe Mate is an Investment Director with British International Investment where he is focused on developing the Private Credit asset class in Africa. He has spent the bulk of his career supporting the growth of African businesses through roles in Leveraged Finance (Standard Bank and Barclays) and Private Credit (Qbera Capital). Joe Mate started his… Read more »

Dorothy Maseke’s passion is to create a positive impact in people’s lives. She likes to promote collective endeavors that bring people together – locally and globally. An emerging futurist, sustainability enthusiast, certified coach, wife and mother of three, Dorothy Maseke aims to make a positive contribution to development in Africa. Dorothy Maseke started her career… Read more »

Erica Nell is the Head of Private Debt at Sanlam Investments in South Africa. She has been in the Private Debt industry for the last 11 years of her 22 year career in financial services. Her team manages R2.3bn in SME debt fund capabilities supporting more than 60 SMEs in various stages of growth. Erica… Read more »

Ade Buraimo is the Group Managing Director of Alpha Morgan Capital Group, a fast growing Investment Banking Group. Before his appointment as the Group Managing Director, Ade Buraimo was Managing Director Alpha Morgan Capital Managers Ltd, Chairman of the Board of Directors Hotspot Network Limited and Independent Non-Executive Director, Saro Agro-Allied Limited. Ade Buraimo has… Read more »