Working together to deliver value to your business.
Our people are dynamic individuals with passion and depth in their respective areas of expertise. They bring energy, fresh ideas and professionalism to their work.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Okechukwu (“Okey”) Enelamah is a founder and the Chairman of African Capital Alliance. Okey has over 30 years of experience in the private equity, investment banking and consulting industries.
Okey began his private equity career in New York and Johannesburg working with Zephyr Management, L.P. and South Africa Capital Growth Fund (predecessor to Brait), respectively. Prior to beginning a career in private equity, he gained experience at Goldman Sachs in New York and London and Arthur Andersen in Nigeria. Okey has served on or chaired the boards of several companies including Cornerstone Insurance Plc, UAC of Nigeria Plc and Landmark Property Development Company Limited. He has also served on the boards of industry groups including Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) and Africa Venture Capital Association (AVCA).
Okey served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment for the Federal Government of Nigeria between 2015 and 2019.
Stephen is a private equity fund / principal investment specialist. He is currently an independent IC member for ACA’s CAPE Funds (Africa); the IC Chair for Catalyst Fund 2 (East Africa); a senior advisor to Downing, with respect to their Indian solar energy portfolio; and part-time CIO at Archipelago, a new fund manager in the process of establishing a fund to invest in the better use and recycling of plastic.
Prior to his current activities, Stephen was at the UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) as MD of UK Climate Investments, an emerging markets renewable energy investment joint venture between GIB (now owned by Macquarie) and the UK Government. He was also a founding partner of Actis, a pioneering emerging markets fund manager.
He has been IC Chair / member of a number of private equity funds in Africa and Latin America; a non-executive director of a Peruvian electricity distribution business; a pan-African infrastructure development business; a UK AIM listed renewable energy investment vehicle; as well as a senior advisor to a leading solar development business and a pan-African asset management company.
Stephen is a Chartered Management Accountant and has an MBA (with a specialist focus on International Business) from Strathclyde Business School.
Ashraf serves as Director and COO at ACA Manager (Mauritius) Limited. He has over 18years experience in the financial services sector, having worked for HSBC, Multiconsult (now IQEQ) and Trident Trust Group (TTG). Ashraf was a Director and Head of the Fund Team at TTG (Mauritius), where he contributed to the team’s growth and built up his relationships with key stakeholders within that space.
Ashraf has also served as board member on various African and Indian focused entities, and has multi-jurisdictional, technical, company secretarial, compliance and legal experience.
Ashraf is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant, UK.
Emeka has overall responsibility for implementing the strategic financial objectives of the Group. He has over 19 years of international financial services experience with multiple financial institutions in different locations across Europe, East and West Africa. His experience covers Finance Transformation, Corporate Planning, Corporate Finance, Performance Management, Treasury, Cost Optimization and Strategy.
Previously, he served as the Group Finance Director at Equity Bank Kenya and Group Chief Finance Officer at United Capital Plc (Nigeria). Emeka was also with Credit Suisse Investment Bank (London) and UBS Investment Bank (London), where he worked in Strategic Finance and Business Transformation, respectively.
Emeka holds an MBA (Strategy and Finance) from INSEAD, an MSc in Management from The London School of Economics UK, and a BA in Business Administration and Marketing from the American Intercontinental University London (Magna Cum Laude). He is also qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
LEADERSHIP
Ashraf serves as Director and COO at ACA Manager (Mauritius) Limited. He has over 18years experience in the financial services sector, having worked for HSBC, Multiconsult (now IQEQ) and Trident Trust Group (TTG). Ashraf was a Director and Head of the Fund Team at TTG (Mauritius), where he contributed to the team’s growth and built up his relationships with key stakeholders within that space.
Ashraf has also served as board member on various African and Indian focused entities, and has multi-jurisdictional, technical, company secretarial, compliance and legal experience.
Ashraf is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant, UK.
Emeka has overall responsibility for implementing the strategic financial objectives of the Group. He has over 19 years of international financial services experience with multiple financial institutions in different locations across Europe, East and West Africa. His experience covers Finance Transformation, Corporate Planning, Corporate Finance, Performance Management, Treasury, Cost Optimization and Strategy.
Previously, he served as the Group Finance Director at Equity Bank Kenya and Group Chief Finance Officer at United Capital Plc (Nigeria). Emeka was also with Credit Suisse Investment Bank (London) and UBS Investment Bank (London), where he worked in Strategic Finance and Business Transformation, respectively.
Emeka holds an MBA (Strategy and Finance) from INSEAD, an MSc in Management from The London School of Economics UK, and a BA in Business Administration and Marketing from the American Intercontinental University London (Magna Cum Laude). He is also qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Steve has over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, spanning private equity, investment management and banking in leading local and international institutions where he has deployed capital into opportunities across West Africa, primarily in Nigeria and Ghana.
Previously, Steve was the CEO of SIM Capital Alliance Limited (now ValuAlliance Asset Management Limited). In this role, he grew the AUM from a low base to over $100m at the time he exited the business. This includes the launch of the first listed equity fund with exposures to unlisted equities.
Prior to joining ACA, Steve was an investment professional at Renaissance Capital (“Rencap”) where he was the investment officer for GZ Industries Limited (“GZI”).
Steve has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, from University of Lagos and an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Kunle is a Principal with the Investment team, where he drives the execution of transactions towards investing equity and quasi-equity into growth opportunities in the TMT, FMCG, and Industrials sectors of Africa and leads due diligence workstreams. He has over 16 years of financial service sector experience and specifically 9 years of PE Experience. Kunle serves on the boards of Filmhouse Nigeria and Food Concepts Plc.
Prior to ACA, Kunle worked at the Deutsche Bank London for over 6 years, where he built in-depth Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance experience in FMCG, Healthcare, Energy, and Metals & Mining sectors.
Kunle holds a BSc. (honors) in Finance Accounting and Management from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Management from the Imperial College London.
Ben has over twenty years of experience in consulting, business transformation, integration and merger management, banking, and risk management, and he currently leads the firm’s value creation efforts.
Prior to ACA, Ben was a Senior Vice President at McKinsey Transformation, based in their London office. In that role, Ben partnered with CEOs and management teams to initiate and drive organisation-wide transformations. Previously, Ben had been the MD/CEO of Atlas Mara Bank in Zambia, where he led the post-merger integration of two medium sized banks. Ben also served as the Regional Chief Risk Officer for Africa at Standard Chartered Bank and the MD/CEO of Barclays Bank in Ghana earlier in his career.
Ben’s academic qualifications include an M.Sc. in Public Policy Economics from the University of Hull, UK; a B.Sc. in Land Economy from the University of Science & Technology, Ghana and a B.Sc. in Financial Services from the University of Manchester, UK.
Eno serves as the Managing Director of ValuAlliance Asset Management Limited, ACA’s asset management business.
Prior to joining ValuAlliance, she worked at Afrinvest (WA) Limited (formerly Securities Transactions & Trust Co. Ltd “SecTrust”), where she was head of the asset management division. Prior to that, she worked at Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.
Eno’s experience spans investment research, portfolio advisory, strategy, and portfolio construction. She has successfully managed investment portfolios for institutional investors such as pension funds and life insurance companies, mutual funds as well as the Nigerian International Debt Fund (“NIDF”), a USD denominated closed end fixed income fund; and high net worth individuals.
Eno is a Chartered Financial Analyst®, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and holds a MBA from Hult International Business School, Cambridge, USA. She served on the board of the Fund Managers’ Association of Nigeria as a Non-Executive member and remains an active member of the Association.
Ogedi oversees the firm’s investor relations, where she is actively involved in developing and maintaining relationships with existing and prospective investors. Previously, she was a Senior Manager with the Energy and Public Sector client groups at Accenture, with over 15 years of diverse consulting and project management experience. In addition to delivering enterprise transformation projects for clients, Ogedi also served as the Corporate Citizenship Lead for Accenture Nigeria.
Ogedi holds a bachelor’s degree (First Class Honors) in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and has an Executive MBA from the London Business School. She is a Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative.
Bukola oversees legal, compliance and governance.
Previously, Bukola worked at Aluko & Oyebode, one of the leading law firms in Nigeria, where she advised on corporate and commercial transactions.
Bukola holds an LLB from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and an LLM from Harvard Law School. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar and an attorney in the State of New York.
Gbenga has about 20 years of experience evaluating businesses, structuring investments and raising capital with a focus on West Africa.
Gbenga is the Energy Sector lead, overseeing strategy and investment activities from deal origination to exit in the sector (including upstream, midstream, downstream oil & gas and power utilities). He is currently the Chairman of the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Committee.
Previously, Gbenga was a manager in the Global Energy & Natural Resources practice at Accenture, where he assisted international oil companies and power utilities to improve operational performance and realize shareholder value. Gbenga started his career in the Audit & Business Advisory unit at Arthur Andersen (now KPMG Professional Services).
Gbenga holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic/ Electrical Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
Paul oversees the private equity investment activities in the firm, where he has driven landmark investments, including UnionBank, one of the largest commercial banks in Nigeria; Continental Re, a leading private reinsurer in Africa; Cornerstone Insurance Plc, a leading insurance franchise in Nigeria, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria (FHN), a Nigerian independent oil and gas company and Daraju, a manufacturer of personal and home care products. A deeply experienced investor, he has significant experience working across West Africa. Paul serves as a director on the boards of various ACA portfolio companies including Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc, Bankers Warehouse Limited, and Vertex Energy Limited.
Previously, Paul was Group Head of Operations at Liberty Bank Plc with responsibility for operations and information technology across the bank. Prior to Liberty Bank, he worked for about ten years in Arthur Andersen, providing accounting, consulting and audit services to various clients in financial services, oil and gas and manufacturing.
Paul is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Paul is the Chairman of the Board of Private Equity and Venture Capital Association of Nigeria (PEVCAN).
Olubunmi (“Bunmi”) is a Principal with the Investment Team, where he is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and managing investments in the technology, media and telecoms space.
Previously, Bunmi was an Associate in the Global Energy Group at Credit Suisse, New York, where he was involved in financial advisory and capital-raising efforts for power and renewable energy firms. Prior to Credit Suisse, he was a management consultant at Accenture where he was involved in business and process re-engineering for clients in various industries.
Bunmi holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
Kofi provides oversight for ACA’s Ghanaian operations [and ACA’s regional expansion strategy]. Kofi has over 30 years of experience in investments, investment banking and consulting.
Previously, Kofi was founder and CEO of Sagevest Holdings, an investment holding company in Ghana, where he led notable initiatives, including the establishment of a pioneering nuts and grains processing company. Before Sagevest, he was the Director of Strategic Investments, Joint Ventures and Alliances at Standard Bank Group, the largest banking group in Africa and a leading emerging markets bank. In that role, he led and supported the Group’s private equity investments across Africa in sectors that were deemed to be strategic, including emerging card-based platforms, fintech, and mortgage banking. Prior to joining Standard Bank, Kofi was Senior Manager, McKinsey & Company, where he advised several of Africa’s 50 largest companies on issues ranging from organic international expansion (across Africa and beyond) to mergers & acquisitions and performance turnarounds.
Kofi obtained a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, USA and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a Director Emeritus and former Chairman of the Board of Ashesi University, a leading globally recognized and awarded private university in Ghana.
Ron has over 20 years of experience in finance, investments, private equity, and operations management. He is a deal partner and also supports the Investor Relations team.
Previously, Ron was the CEO & Managing Partner of a Pan Africa-focused investment firm, Lionworks Group, based in East Africa. Prior to this role, Ron worked at General Electric in East Africa, where he was a Managing Director leading principal investment activities across Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as deal teams for direct equity and project development opportunities in renewables, power, oil & gas, healthcare, and transport.
In his prior roles, he was with GE Capital, where he was responsible for sourcing growth equity, mid-market buyout deals and managing a distressed equity portfolio across various sectors for GE Capital’s generalist private equity group. He also held deal execution and portfolio management roles for GE’s energy investment group.
Ron has a BSc Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and an MBA, Finance & International Business from Columbia Business School. He started his career as an Engineer in the US for a manufacturing company and he held leadership roles in operations in Latin America.
Uwa drives the firm’s strategy and institution-building efforts.
Previously, she was the CEO of ReStraL Limited, a management consulting firm focused on research, strategy and leadership development services, where she worked with clients on strategy development, governance and organizational development, human resources consulting, culture change efforts and capacity development. Prior to ReStraL, she worked in Corporate Finance at Crown Merchant Bank and as a legal practitioner with various law firms including Dotun Akinkugbe & Co. and Steven Adzenge & Co.
Uwa holds a Bachelors’ in Law and MBA from the University of Benin and a post-graduate Diploma in Economics from the University of London.
Yemisi is a Principal with the Investment Team, overseeing investments in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space.
Previously, Yemisi worked in the treasury and treasury risk management, banking operations and asset management divisions at First City Group, a leading financial services group in Nigeria.
Yemisi holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from the University of Lagos and is a Chartered Accountant. She is also a graduate member of the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. She has an Executive MBA from the London Business School.