African Private Equity: Leveraging Local Resources
Over the past decade, GDP growth in sub-Saharan Africa has been on par with other emerging markets, though private investment in the region lags far behind the rest of the world . For a commodity-rich continent in an increasingly resource-hungry world, the potential for private sector investment is immense. Yet, challenges of geography, infrastructure and leadership - amongst others - continue to handicap the region’s ability to attract capital. Bridging this gap requires local, regional and global solutions that not only gain the confidence of private financers, but ensure the African people have a stake in the wealth created from international investment.
Ayaan Adam, International Finance Corporation, Head and Manager, Private Equity and Investment Fund Portfolio
Gregory Altman, Knox Lawrence International, Vice President
Chamberlain S. Peterside, New Era Capital Corporation / Economic Advisory Council, Rivers State, Nigeria, Founder and CEO / Member
Deen Solebo, West LB, Director, Project & Leveraged Finance-Energy
Moderator: Mr. Ashley Bendell, Exotix USA, Associate Director, African Equities
Ayaan Adam
International Finance Corporation, Head and Manager, Private Equity and Investment Fund Portfolio
Ayaan Adam is currently the Head/Manager in charge of International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Private Equity and Investment Fund Portfolio. She also heads new business opportunities in infrastructure funds, distressed assets, listed funds and other single sector funds. She is responsible for US$2.5 billion portfolio involving 160 different relationships with private equity and venture capital funds invested or investing in Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Latin America. Prior to this position, Ayaan held a number of leadership positions in IFC's Global Financial Markets Department, including the position of Manager of the Global Transaction Group; and Head of New Business with responsibility for the development and the delivery of the financial sector and private equity programs in two key regions: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Prior to joining IFC in 1996, Ayaan had six years of experience in the US financial service industry, namely commercial banking, insurance, and management consulting. She holds a Master's of Science in Management from MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Gregory Altman
Knox Lawrence International, Vice President
Gregory joined Knox Lawrence International (“KLI”), a New York based private equity firm, in 2007 as a Vice President to develop the firm’s investment initiatives related to Africa. These addressed opportunities in the hospitality, energy, telecommunications, outsourcing, financial services, and agro-processing industries. He is also running a business plan competition for ventures targeting African markets that KLI is sponsoring.
Prior to joining KLI, Gregory worked on investment and development projects in Africa in the fields of energy and agriculture. Related involvements include the U.N.’s Commission on Sustainable Development, the World Social Forum, and the World Bank’s High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. He also managed grants and restricted funds for the Environmental Defense Fund, and helped to start an organization to conduct monitoring and evaluation work on foreign NGOs. Earlier he worked for Deloitte Consulting and for EuroConsult on mergers and acquisitions. Gregory holds a BA in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Chamberlain S. Peterside
New Era Capital Corporation / Economic Advisory Council, Rivers State, Nigeria, Founder and CEO / Member
Chamberlain Peterside - Founder & CEO, New Era Capital Corp/MyCompletefinance.com® - a New York City-based financial services group. Chamberlain worked previously as a Certified Financial Manager (CFM)/Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch, Global Private Client Group and HSBC Bank, in New York City, where he assisted high net-worth clients and institutional investors develop strategies for managing their asset portfolio.
Chamberlain graduated with a Ph.D in finance and economics from Friendship University, Moscow. He has earned nearly 20 years of diverse experience in Business Development, Management Consulting and Investment Advisory activities in Africa, Europe and the United States.
Chamberlain began his career as a Business Consultant after university in his own firm – Value-Adding Consulting Group, Inc, (Moscow/London), advising domestic and foreign companies on the intricacies and modalities for expanding their operations in the new markets of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union.
While on Wall Street, Chamberlain has been focused on Investment Advisory, Wealth Management, Financial Planning and Corporate Finance Transactions on behalf of individual investors and institutions. Thus far, New Era Capital has been instrumental in originating, negotiating, conducting due diligence and structuring several international transactions as well as involved in several multi-million dollar projects in the oil/gas/maritime, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, telecommunication and biotechnology, sectors in the US and abroad. He writes extensively both in the print media and Internet on Economic Policy, Financial Strategy and Small Business issues, as well as presents regularly in industry conferences and seminars. In June 2005, Chamberlain appeared on CNN Financial Program – “In the Money”, where he spoke about the need for a new strategy in supporting reform efforts in Africa. He was several times guest-speaker on Russian Cable-TV Networks, RTN (Fort Lee, NJ) and RTVi (New York City), where he debated contemporary global social, economic and political affairs.
In June 2001, Chamberlain received the “40 under 40” achievement award from the New York based Network Journal, for outstanding academic and professional accomplishments and community service. Again in June 2007, the 110th US Congress (House of Representatives) honored Chamberlain with a Congressional Citation for his remarkable professional achievements and unrelenting effort.
Chamberlain served as Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance and Business Management at ASA Institute of Business Management and Advanced Technology in New York. He is author of two books: Wealth Effect Part 1; Africa in Midst of Global Economic Transformation, 2007 and Wealth Effect Part-2; Focus on Economic Reform and Sustainable Development in Nigeria, 2008. He is member of Rivers State Economic Advisory Council (RSEAC).
Deen Solebo
West LB, Director, Project & Leveraged Finance-Energy
Deen Solebo is a Director at West LB AG in New York, where he focuses on project and leverage finance and advisory in the global energy sector. Since joining WestLB in 2006, Mr. Solebo has been involved in over $3.5 billion of global energy transaction financings.
Prior to West LB, Mr. Solebo worked at Rothschild Inc., where among other roles; he helped advice on the successful reorganization of United Airlines Inc. (at the time the eighth largest bankruptcy in U.S. history). Prior to Rothschild, Mr. Solebo was a banker at Goldman Sachs and Giuliani Capital Advisors.
Mr. Solebo graduated magna cum laude from American University with a B.S. in Leadership Studies and from Yale University with an MBA, focused in Finance and Strategy.
Mr. Ashley Bendell
Exotix USA, Associate Director, African Equities
Ashley Bendell Ieads Sub Saharan Equities at Exotix - www.exotix.co.uk - in the USA, a leading (London based) frontier emerging market investment banking boutique. His clients include mutual, hedge and private equity funds based in the USA, whilst he maintains strong relationships with local investment centers, stock brokers as well as senior company management across Africa, and has visited the continent on numerous occasions alongside some of North America's largest financial institutions.
Since joining Exotix Ashley has contributed to numerous capital markets panels focusing on Africa, and enjoys mixing with and meeting leading businesses, and distinguished individuals focusing on and from the continent.
Ashley graduated from Edinburgh University and shortly after completed a Masters in Investment Analysis (MSc) from Stirling University, Scotland. He started his career at Credit Suisse, London within the Prime Brokerage Sales department and was later transferred to the New York office to expand the firm’s Emerging Europe, Middle East and African (EEMEA) Equity sales force. During this time Ashley gained a strong reputation and numerous awards for his client focused approach. He is extremely well travelled having visited over 50 countries across the developed and emerging world, including in Africa.