Ed Partners Africa Holdings
Co-founder of Ed Partners Africa. Prior to setting up Ed Partners Africa she served as the Managing Director of Faulu Kenya Deposit Taking Microfinance Limited from Aug ‘05 until Mar ‘10. Under her leadership, Faulu became the first MFI to be licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya as a DTM.
Mike is an Investment Principal with Zephyr Management L.P. He has 14 years’ experience in various finance functions including banking, business analysis and private equity and venture capital investing in Sub Saharan Africa. He is involved in deal sourcing, monitoring and providing portfolio support to Zephyr’s portfolio companies, helping them implement best practice, financial management, and develop and initiate strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Zephyr, Mike was a Senior Associate at Tiserin Capital and an Associate at Kibo Capital Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from JKUAT and is a CFA Program Level III Candidate.
Chris is an international banking, digital transformation, risk management and disruptive innovation leader, with more than 30 years of strategic delivery at Board and C-suite levels. He holds a Chartered Accountancy qualification and has worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the UK. His current appointments include INED positions at United Bank for Africa (UK) Limited, ASA International Group Plc and the Scottish African Business Association as well as consultancy/advisory roles for a number of early stage FinTechs and tech investment funds. Before that he held positions as I&M Group Plc's Regional Director, Senior Advisor to HM Government's Financial and Professional Services Sector Team in the Department of International Trade, Group CEO at Letshego Holdings Plc and Deputy Head of International at National Bank or Kuwait. Chris’s focus is on building his portfolio where he can add value to transformational growth strategy, digital disruption, good governance, risk management, culture change and top team development.
Ed Partners Africa Ltd
Co-founder of Ed Partners Africa. Prior to setting up Ed Partners Africa she served as the Managing Director of Faulu Kenya Deposit Taking Microfinance Limited from Aug ‘05 until Mar ‘10. Under her leadership, Faulu became the first MFI to be licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya as a DTM.
Dr. Kagonya Awori brings expertise in technology and innovation, specifically on designing intelligent technologies for African businesses and users. She currently works at Google where she is the User Experience Research Lead for Search in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has close to 15 years’ experience in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) having led the research and design of technology solutions across Kenya, the UK and Australia. Kagonya has a PhD in Computer Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia; a Masters in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University (USA); and a Bachelors in Business Information Technology from Strathmore University, Kenya
John is the Group Chief Risk Officer at KCB Group PLC. He has 20+ years of experience in the banking sector having served in various roles in Credit and Risk Management. At KCB John is responsible for coordinating the Group Enterprise Risk Management Framework and ensuring full compliance with internal policies and regulations. He is a graduate of Economics from SGGS College, New Delhi and BA in Banking and Finance , University of Sunderland.
Chris is an international banking, digital transformation, risk management and disruptive innovation leader, with more than 30 years of strategic delivery at Board and C-suite levels. He holds a Chartered Accountancy qualification and has worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the UK. His current appointments include INED positions at United Bank for Africa (UK) Limited, ASA International Group Plc and the Scottish African Business Association as well as consultancy/advisory roles for a number of early stage FinTechs and tech investment funds. Before that he held positions as I&M Group Plc's Regional Director, Senior Advisor to HM Government's Financial and Professional Services Sector Team in the Department of International Trade, Group CEO at Letshego Holdings Plc and Deputy Head of International at National Bank or Kuwait. Chris’s focus is on building his portfolio where he can add value to transformational growth strategy, digital disruption, good governance, risk management, culture change and top team development.