Speakers

Investor Conference, 8 April

Abi Ajayi

Head of Middle East & Africa, Primary Markets,
London Stock Exchange

Abi Ajayi

Abi Ajayi is Head of Primary Markets – Middle East and Africa at the London Stock Exchange with principal responsibility for the development of the capital markets business and promoting the unique market model and benefits of listings.

Prior to joining the London Stock Exchange Group, Abi was responsible for coverage of key clients in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) at Bank of America. In this role he led various M&A and capital markets origination- successfully raising over $25bn for corporates, private equity, government, and government-related entities operating in the region.

Prior to his time at Bank of America, Abi worked at Chapel Hill Advisory Partners. Here, he led and executed capital raising and advisory transactions across different sectors including Oil and Gas, Fast Moving Consumer Goods and Financial Institutions. Notably, he advised on landmark transactions - advising the Central Bank of Nigeria on Financial System Stability and helping to restore Intervened Banks to a safe harbour.

Abi holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Economics, a Master of Science in Information Systems, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the London Business School.

Dr Edoh Kossi Amenounve

CEO, BRVM

Dr Edoh Kossi Amenounve

Dr Edoh Kossi Amenounve holds a PhD in Administration and Finance from Laval University in Canada (1995) and an MBA (1992).

Dr Amenounve was appointed the CEO of the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) in 2012, a role he currently holds.

He held dual roles, from October 2012 to June 2022, as CEO of the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) and the Central Depository/Settlement Bank (DC/BR).

Dr Amenounve was the Secretary General of the Regional Council for Savings and Financial Markets (CREPMF), the financial market regulation authority of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (AMF- UMOA) from September 2003 to September 2012.

He is a past Chairman of the West African Capital Markets Integration Council (WACMIC).

Dr Amenounve is a past President and Member of the Executive Committee of the African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA).

He has been a member of the NASDAQ Exchange Review Council since July 2021. He is also an Officer of the Order of MONO, the National Order of the Togolese Republic.

Dr Amenounve is considered one of the most influential finance specialists in Africa.

Franklin Olakunle Amoo

Co-founder & Managing Partner,
Baylis Emerging Markets

Franklin Olakunle Amoo

Franklin Olakunle Amoo is a co-founder and the Managing Partner of Baylis Emerging Markets, a leading pan-African investment firm with headquarters in New York and Lagos; he is also the Chairman of both Baylis Digital and Baylis Industrial. Prior to co-founding Baylis, Franklin helped lead the Strategic Credit Group at Mizuho Securities USA, the securities brokerage arm of the $1.8 trillion Mizuho Financial Group, overseeing the firm’s activities with regards to originating, structuring and trading illiquid and real assets. Prior to Mizuho, Franklin worked at Deutsche Bank, Bank of America and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

He began his career as an analyst in the Media & Telecom Investment Banking Group at Bank of America. Franklin was appointed a member of the United States’ President’s Advisory Council for Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) in 2022 and serves as the chair of the PAC-DBIA’s ICT/Digital Subcommittee. He is also a board director for the US-Nigeria Council on Food Security, Trade & Investment (USNC) as well as an informal commercial liaison for the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) where he advises several Japanese trading companies and multi-nationals on their African investments.

A Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Franklin holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Howard E. Mitchell and a Venture Incubation Program Fellow.

Zin Bekkali

CEO and Group CIO,
Silk Invest

Zin Bekkali

Zin Bekkali has a proven track record in the asset management industry, having played various roles across asset classes. Over the years, he was at the forefront of developing and implementing industry best practices across investments, operations, marketing, business development and strategy.

His career has focused on investing in emerging markets, which is his deep passion.

In 2008, he brought together a unique team of investment partners and local investment talent to launch Silk Invest. The firm rapidly established itself as an impact-focused frontier markets specialist, and Zin was named "Frontiersman" by FTfm magazine in 2011. Silk Invest was able to develop its investment platform and product offering across asset classes.

His financial career started with ING Investment Management in The Hague as a Portfolio Manager before being promoted to Head of Marketing Services and a Business Manager. His next move was becoming a Consultant at Bain & Company. He moved to Fortis Investments as the Head of Promotion, Segmentation & Processes and later became the Head of Development & Processes. He left Fortis to start Silk Invest.

Zin has lived in different European and African countries and speaks Dutch, Arabic, French and English. He holds a Propedeuse degree in Econometrics and a Master’s in Operations Research & Management from the University of Amsterdam. Zin is a CFA charter holder and he completed his Executive MBA at the London Business School.

Jérémie Bismuth

Counsel, Gide

Jérémie Bismuth

Jérémie Bismuth is Counsel in the "Structured Finance" team in Gide's London office.

He advises international finance institutions and their clients in the structuration and negotiations of their domestic and cross-border structured financing and securitisation transactions.

He regularly works on a number of structured finance and securitisation transactions in northern Africa (Morocco, Tunisia) and western Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Chad, Togo or Burkina Faso) whether as advisor to the arrangers, the anchor investors or the borrowers and/or sellers.

Jérémie is currently advising the arranger on the implementation, structuring and finalisation of the first securitisation of mortgage receivables in the WAEMU zone.

He has also advised the International Finance Corporation as reference investor on the implementation, structuring and finalisation of the securitisation of receivables held by the PEPT Fund in Côte d'Ivoire.

He has been a member of the Paris Bar since 2010 and a Solicitor (England and Wales) since 2019.

Melissa Cook CFA

Managing Director,
African Sunrise Partners

Melissa Cook CFA

Melissa Cook has worked in capital markets and investment research for over 35 years. Since 2010, she has run African Sunrise Partners, a firm dedicated to bringing investment to Africa. In this role, she has made over 50 trips to 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to conduct research, develop a network and gather information for the benefit of her clients. She publishes research and offers advisory services to companies looking to invest in the region.

She also works as a consultant on feasibility studies and technical assistance in the telecommunications, technology and logistics sectors. Melissa has collaborated with Aziza from AZ Media PR across multiple countries, including Angola, South Sudan, and Namibia. Together, they have organized numerous investor roadshows and promotional campaigns, connecting executives from stock exchanges and representatives from governments and investment promotion agencies with potential investors.

Edouard Bloch Escoffier

Executive Director,
Lion's Head Global Partners

Edouard Bloch Escoffier

Edouard Bloch Escoffier is an Executive Director at Lion’s Head Global Partners, an emerging and frontier market-focused investment banking and financial advisory firm. He has extensive experience in a variety of private and public management issues such as debt management, fiscal policy, investment in innovation and infrastructure, M&A and PPPs.

Before joining Lion’s Head, Edouard worked in the sovereign advisory industry at Global Sovereign Advisory and SouthBridge, where he executed several transactions in Africa, Central Europe and Central Asia (Equity fundraising, M&A, Public debt management, rating advisory, fiscal reforms) for governments, SOEs and MDBs.

Before that, Edouard was the Strategy and Finance Director of a €104 Bn sovereign fund dedicated to innovation to foster French potential growth, with transactions in industry, renewable energy, digital, education and research.

He spent four years at the Budget Directory of the French Ministry of Finance. He dealt successively with multi-year budgeting, evaluation of significant infrastructure projects and aid to firm budgeting. He took part in the definition of new regulations about corporate taxes and PPPs.

As a Strategy Consultant, he advised clients in the Public, Transportation and Financial sectors.

Between 2012 and 2022, Edouard has been a sessional lecturer in Public finance at Sciences Po Paris. He graduated from ESCP Business School and holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Arts from the Universities of Paris- Sorbonne (Philosophy) and Lyon (History).

Franck Fodvo, CFA

Investment Officer,
ALCB Fund

Franck Fodvo, CFA

Franck is an Investment Officer for the African Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCB Fund), which is managed by Cygnum Capital. He leads the ALCB Funds origination, structuring and execution in francophone African countries. Over the past few years, Franck has worked on several debt transactions in the UEMOA and CEMAC regions.

Before joining Cygnum Capital, Franck worked for Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking (SGCIB) for seven years. At SGCIB, he spent three and a half years in the Structured Financing department in London and three and a half years on the Equity Derivatives Trading desk in Paris as a Trading Support Analyst. He also worked for Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Banking (CA CIB) in the Credit Portfolio Management department and for Amundi Asset Management in the Middle Office department.

Franck holds a master’s degree in Statistical and Financial Engineering from the Paris 2 Pantheon Assas University and Paris Dauphine University in France. He is a CFA charter holder. Franck is based in London but is originally from Cameroon and France.

Tedd George

Founder and Chief Narrative Officer,
Kleos Advisory

Tedd George

Tedd George (aka Dr Edward George) is the founder and Chief Narrative Officer of Kleos Advisory, which provides thought leadership and strategic advisory on emerging markets, commodity value chains and disruptive technology.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience working in finance, commodities and African markets, Tedd advises companies and institutions working in Sub-Saharan Africa and delivers professional training on ESG and sustainable finance. Tedd has a diverse range of specialties, including African markets, disruptive technology (fintech, blockchain and trade tech), soft commodities (especially cocoa), agribusiness, trade and trade finance, and ESG.

Tedd is well known as a speaker, appearing regularly as chairman, keynote speaker and moderator within the world conference and webinar circuit. He is also a prominent commentator and content creator in the media.

Steven Gray, OBE

Regional representative for West Africa, UK Export Finance

Steven Gray, OBE

Steven Gray, OBE, is a seasoned business and finance professional with over three decades of experience advancing major projects across Africa and the Middle East, the last 13 years of which have been based in West Africa. Previously, Steven held senior positions in a range of industries — including trading, logistics, construction, infrastructure and mining — throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. His early career began in the UK construction sector, where he developed a practical understanding of project delivery that underpins his strategic approach to international business today.

Beyond his commercial roles, Steven has served in multiple non-governmental and advisory capacities. He was Vice Chairman of the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and is a serving member. He also contributes his expertise as a member of the Economic Advisory Board of the British Chambers of Commerce and is leading an initiative to mobilise catalytic impact capital to drive sustainable human growth and shared prosperity in areas devastated by illegal mining activities in Ghana.

In June 2022, Steven’s dedication to strengthening British business interests in West Africa was recognised when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. His influential leadership, deep regional knowledge and passion for sustainable economic development continue to drive impactful partnerships and strategic growth throughout Africa.

He holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University and completed an Executive Leadership Program on Oil, Gas, and Mining Governance at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

Babacar Ka

Partner,
Development Partners International (DPI)

Babacar Ka

Babacar Ka is a Partner at Development Partners International (DPI) with over 20 years of experience in private equity and investment advisory, including 15 years dedicated to investing in Africa. He leads DPI’s investment activities in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, overseeing sourcing, structuring, and exits, and serves on multiple boards, including Solevo Group, COFINA Group, Atlantique Business International (Banque Atlantique Group), and KMR Holding Pédagogique.

Babacar has played a key role in private equity and M&A transactions totaling more than $3 billion, driving value creation across diverse sectors. Prior to joining DPI, he held positions at Standard Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where he gained extensive experience in financial markets and investment strategies.

Beyond his investment work, Babacar is a Trustee of the Royal African Society, an organization dedicated to fostering a better understanding of Africa and strengthening connections between the continent and the rest of the world.

He holds a BSc in Finance from the University of California, Riverside, and an MBA from the University of Oxford.

Vivek Mittal

CEO & Member of the Board,
Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA)

Vivek Mittal

Vivek Mittal is the CEO and member of the Board of Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA). In this role he has led the creation of the Catapult Accelerator for start-up developers of infra. This is a mentorship and peer-peer learning program, aimed at scaling private investment with better outcomes in terms of speed, scale and quality of projects. Over ten live pitch sessions, thirty developers of projects from eighteen countries have pitched projects totalling $ 20 billion in investment. These are private sector and PPP projects from energy, digital-ICT, water, irrigation, rail, airport, SEZ and new-cities. Beyond the Catapult, AfIDA runs a successful training program in project development finance, and engages Governments and stakeholders in improving the enabling environment for infrastructure investments on the Continent.

Prior to this role, over the previous twenty-five years in international energy and renewable energy sector, he has straddled roles as lender, investor and developer on over sixty projects in twenty-five countries. He has promoted clean energy start-up IPPs in India, Sri Lanka, CEE and USA over fifteen years, and serves as the Independent Investment Committee Member on Crescent Capital’s clean energy fund - the first clean energy fund to focus on Turkey and South Eastern Europe. Between 1993-2006 he held senior project finance roles in International banks and corporates, including ING Bank, Enron Europe Limited, Edison Capital Europe Limited, and Bank of Scotland (HBOS plc).

He holds an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and MSc (Tech) in Instrumentation from the Birla Institute of Technology in India. He lives with his wife and two children in London.

David Omojomolo

Africa Economist,
Capital Economics

David Omojomolo

David Omojomolo is an Africa Economist at Capital Economics, specializing in Sub-Saharan African economies. Of Nigerian descent, David has shown a keen interest in the region’s prospects, with recent research covering topics including economic reforms in Nigeria, regional debt distress risks and monetary policy outlooks.

David regularly presents to clients and has been widely quoted by the world’s leading media organisations, including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, BBC and Reuters. He holds an masters in Health Economics from the University of York and a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Nottingham.

Sharma Rambocus

Managing Director, Head of Global Markets, Africa,
DMBL UK

Sharma Rambocus

Managing Director, Head of Global Markets, Africa, DMBL UK
Executive Board Member of Education at ACIFMA Paris

Sharma Rambocus is a highly accomplished financial markets professional with nearly 20 years of experience in investment banking, spanning South Africa, Mauritius and the UK. He has held senior leadership roles, including Head of Trading and Head of Sales, at prestigious institutions such as Investec Group, Barclays Africa Group Limited, Absa Group, Société Générale Investment Banking and DMBL UK.

Currently serving as a Managing Director at DMBL UK, Sharma is responsible for driving the growth of the African business, working closely with banks, central banks, hedge funds, supranationals and asset managers across multiple jurisdictions. His expertise extends beyond the private sector, as he also actively participates in key public sector projects within the UK- Africa partnership, fostering financial collaboration and investment opportunities. In addition to his corporate leadership, Sharma has played a significant role in financial market education and governance.

He has held several high-profile positions within the Association Cambis1te Internationale (ACI) and currently serves as an Executive Committee Member of ACI’s Global Board of Education, contributing to the advancement of industry standards and professional development in global financial markets. With his deep market knowledge and extensive network, Sharma continues to be a driving force in shaping financial strategies and cross-border partnerships in the African and international banking landscape.

Charles Robertson

Chief economic advisor to Group CEO, Equity Group Holdings
Head of Macro-strategy, FIM Partners

Charles Robertson

Author: The Fastest Billion (2012), The Time Travelling Economist (2022)

Charles Robertson is a leading emerging and frontier markets specialist. He covers global economic themes with the greatest impact on emerging and frontier markets, including democratisation, demographics, education, electricity, ESG, fertility, pension funds, savings, terrorism and key ways to examine exchange rates, debt and equities in emerging and frontier markets.

In his previous roles, Charles was voted the number 1 frontier analyst in the Extel survey in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He was named the number 1 frontier analyst in Institutional Investor in 2019, and Renaissance Capital was the number 1 rated frontier firm in 2016 and 2017. He was previously ranked the number one economics and macro analyst for emerging Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the Extel survey in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In 2021, he was the first non-African to receive the African Icon award from African Banker, as his work helped change perceptions about Africa and position the continent as a serious investment destination.

Charles graduated from the London School of Economics in 1993 and worked at a UK parliamentary defence think-tank and a research boutique until joining the financial services industry in 1998.

Aum Thacker

Investment Professional,
TLG Capital

Aum Thacker

Aum serves on the investment team of TLG Capital, a leading alternative asset manager specializing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aum also serves on the Investment Committee of the firm's $200m flagship fund series, the TLG Africa Growth Impact Fund. Aum focuses, in particular, on transaction execution across sectors with particular experience in financial services, healthcare, and consumer businesses.

Guy Tossou

Senior Portfolio Manager, Emerging Market Fixed Income,
BNP Paribas

Guy Tossou

Guy is a member of the Global Fixed Income group at BNP PARIBAS Asset Management.

He is a Senior Portfolio Manager for local and hard currency bond within the Emerging Market Fixed Income team. In this role, Guy is responsible for frontier market investments covering developing countries in Asia and Africa.

Guy joined BNPP AM in 2009 through a predecessor, Fortis Investments, where he spent ten years, initially serving as an analyst working with portfolio managers to implement investment decision in portfolios as well as running the portfolios’ risk management, and later embraced the global fixed income trading function as the Head of the Emerging Markets Fixed Income Trading.

Previously, Guy was an Associate Portfolio Manager at FP Consult, an emerging market bond and equity boutique in Paris (France).

He started his career in the industry at Oddo Asset Management in 1998 as an Assistant Finance Manager.

Guy has over 25 years of industry experience during which he successfully set up a Frontier Emerging Market franchise both in trading and portfolio management and built a strong reputation among his extensive networks.

Guy holds a graduate degree in Finance and Accountancy from Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in France and an MBA Essentials from The London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) in the United Kingdom. Guy is based in London.

Roundtable: Exploring Green Finance Opportunities in the WAEMU Region, 9 April

Sani Bankoley

CEO & Founder,
ORI Partners

Sani Bankoley

Sani Bankoley is a distinguished ﬁnance professional with 20+ years in international ﬁnancial markets, having executed over $200 billion in capital market operations and mobilized signiﬁcant private capital into Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) projects. Her multicultural heritage, bridging Africa and Asia, shapes her global perspective and innovative approach to sustainable ﬁnance.

As the Founder of ORI Partners, she leads a mission-driven advisory ﬁrm dedicated to unlocking climate ﬁnance to scale high-integrity, national-level projects. ORI Partners bridges economic growth and environmental sustainability, designing ﬁnancial solutions that empower governments and institutions to drive transformative change.

As a 100 Davos Women member, she actively shapes global ﬁnancial policy and sustainable development initiatives, forging strategic partnerships through the World Economic Forum. She has played a pivotal role in launching West Africa’s ﬁrst national-scale sustainable projects, focusing on regenerative agriculture and clean energy.

Recently, she was selected as a member of the Advisory Council for the Orange Movement, a global initiative accelerating gender equality and economic empowerment through innovation and leadership.

Her expertise spans certiﬁcation, validation, and veriﬁcation of nature-based climate projects, working with Gold Standard, VERRA, GGGI, the World Bank, AfDB, IMF, and others. She has been instrumental in establishing a national carbon projects authority in West Africa.

Recognized by UNFCCC, she was appointed to the Article 6 Mechanism Roster Panel, advising on carbon ﬁnance and sustainability. Sani is committed to harnessing ﬁnance as a force for systemic change, creating solutions that beneﬁt both people and the planet.

Olumide Lala

Co-Founder & Executive Director,
Climate Transition Limited

Olumide Lala

Olumide is a seasoned Senior Executive with over three decades of extensive experience spanning Capital Markets Development, Banking, Climate Finance, Technology, Change Management, and Sustainability.

He is an Executive Director at Climate Transition Limited and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Finance & Investment Accelerator LTD. Prior to this, he headed the Green Bonds Markets Development Programs for Africa at Climate Bonds Initiative and before that, was the Head of the Transformation and Change Division of the NGX LTD (Formally, The Nigerian Stock Exchange) as Deputy General Manager, where he leveraged technology in implementing various projects and delivered many transformative products to the capital market.

Olumide's market development contributions include advising Nigeria on issuing Africa’s first Sovereign Green Bond, leading the Green Bonds Capital Markets Development Programs in Nigeria and Kenya, supporting the Securities & Exchange Commission on market development policies for issuing green and sustainability bonds, developing strategies for portfolio assessment on banking loan books, conducting climate risk assessments on the telco sector as well as collaborating with financial institutions to mobilize and structure blended financing facilities tailored for environmentally-friendly and climate-eligible projects.

Olumide holds a MBA from Imperial College, London, UK, a M.Sc. in Business Systems Analysis & Design from City University, London, UK, B.Sc. in Accounting from the University of Hull, UK and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Member of the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for a few private institutions.

Dr. Raymond Ka-Kay Pang

Senior Researcher,
CFA Institute

Dr. Raymond Ka-Kay Pang

Dr. Raymond Ka-Kay Pang is a Senior Researcher at the CFA Institute, specializing in systemic risk, financial mathematics, and sustainable finance. His research focuses on using quantitative methods, such as network theory and optimization methods, to model financial phenomena and market trends, with considerations to climate risk.

Dr. Pang holds a PhD in Financial Mathematics from the London School of Economics, where he also gained experience as a PhD intern and academic visitor at the Bank of England. Additionally, he earned a Master of Advanced Study in Applied Mathematics from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from King’s College London.

Tripurari Prasad

Investment Lead,
Climate Asset Management

Tripurari Prasad

Tripurari brings over 16 years of expertise in carbon markets, nature-based solutions, and the oil & gas sectors, with a proven track record of leading high-impact carbon investments globally. Before joining Climate Asset Management, he served as Global Director of Carbon Solutions at HSBC, where he developed the group’s carbon procurement and trading strategy, focusing on nature-based solutions and technical removals.

Tripurari’s career includes leadership roles at Southpole and Shell, where he managed multi-million-dollar investments in emerging markets, facilitated acquisitions, and structured innovative financing models to catalyse funding for carbon projects. Notably, he spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives, including pioneering blue carbon projects and facilitating the world’s first Article 6.2 (ITMO) transaction between Switzerland and Thailand for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Tripurari advises Verra and Social Carbon as an Advisor.

Adrian Rimmer

Director, Sustainable Finance & Investment,
London Stock Exchange Group

Adrian Rimmer

Adrian works with LSEG’s customers to support their transition to sustainable, low carbon business models, by enabling access to sustainable equity and debt financing and driving best practice corporate disclosures. He also leads LSEG’s commercial focus on new asset classes such as carbon markets.

Prior to joining LSEG, Adrian was CEO of international carbon certification body Gold Standard, leading the development of carbon markets and impact finance models for deploying clean technologies, sustainable land-use and the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals.

Adrian has been at the forefront of sustainable finance for the last 18 years, having established ABN AMRO’s Environmental Markets business in 2006, creating one of the first integrated sustainable finance offerings in the investment banking sector and later supporting renewable energy and cleantech clients as a Director in RBS’ corporate finance team.

Aymeric Teulon

Partner,
ORI Partners

Aymeric Teulon

With a distinguished career in capital markets, Aymeric brings over two decades of expertise in project ﬁnancing and risk management. In charge of the Portfolio Risk Management team at Deutsche Bank, he played a pivotal role in fortifying the bank’s capital resilience. He successfully implemented Basel III regulations, de-risking over€50 billion of the bank’s balance sheet in the process. His work was instrumental in enhancing the bank’s ﬁnancial strength during critical regulatory transitions.

As the former Chief Operating Oﬃcer in Deutsche Bank’s Infrastructure and Energy ﬁnancing division, Aymeric managed €15 billion in assets, delivering robust ﬁnancial oversight across a diverse portfolio.

He is a founding Partner at ORI, where his leadership in the energy sector has extended beyond ﬁnancing to the certiﬁcation, auditing and strategy development of carbon potential in energy projects, covering the entire energy value chain, from production and distribution to energy eﬃciency.

Among his achievements is the certiﬁcation of an African country’s ﬁrst PV solar project, a landmark as the ﬁrst-ever PV solar project certiﬁed by a government acting as the project developer. In addition, Aymeric organised and led capacity-building workshops for government oﬃcials on energy carbon project certiﬁcation and compliance.

Currently, he is deeply involved in advancing climate action under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6 framework. He drafted strategic recommendations and coordinated discussions between ministries of ﬁnance and environment on carbon monetization, focusing on Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ﬁnancing to help countries leverage carbon credits for sustainable development. In addition he is supporting African countries in the LDC Negotiation group on Article 6 at the UNFCCC.

In 2024, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the African Legal Support Fund to create the climate ﬁnance section of the upcoming edition of the Understanding Power Project Financing Handbook, designed to assist Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in interpreting, negotiating, and developing power projects.

Krista Tukiainen

CCO & Co-founder,
Climate Aligned

Krista Tukiainen

Krista Tukiainen is the CCO & Co-founder of ClimateAligned, a technology company transforming sustainable investing through generative AI. ClimateAligned democratises ESG and impact data, giving investors and financial institutions on-demand access to sustainability insights from any source, fully customised to their needs. By automating data extraction and processing, ClimateAligned removes barriers to green finance, making it faster, more affordable, and more transparent - especially for issuers and investors in emerging markets.

With over a decade of experience in sustainable finance and market intelligence, Krista advises key industry bodies such as ICMA and is a frequent speaker at major finance and policy events. She has worked extensively to bridge data gaps in fixed income and equities markets, helping financial professionals scale impact reporting, stewardship, and engagement. Before founding ClimateAligned, she was Head of Market Intelligence at Climate Bonds Initiative, driving global research and data analytics on green finance markets and standards.

Roundtable: Enhancing UK-WAEMU Cooperation for the Development of Islamic Finance, 9 April

Dr Sami Assoulaimani

Founder & CEO,
Fineopolis Capital

Dr Sami Assoulaimani

Dr. Sami Assoulaimani is the Founder and CEO of FINEOPOLIS CAPITAL, a leading Islamic financial engineering and investment firm with a strong presence across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

With over 15 years of experience, he has been a key architect in shaping the Islamic finance landscape, particularly in Africa, by designing Sharia-compliant solutions and regulatory frameworks for governmental entities, supervisory bodies, financial institutions, and Waqf & Zakat operators.

A pioneer in Islamic financial structuring, Dr. Sami has played a crucial role in the development of Sukuk, Waqfbased capital market instruments, and Islamic refinancing models. His expertise extends beyond structuring, as he has been actively involved in capacity-building initiatives, designing and leading postgraduate programs in Islamic finance, and fostering knowledge transfer for professionals worldwide.

He serves as a member of the Regional AAOIFI Awareness and Advocacy Board and is an Honorary Fellow at the International Islamic Center for Reconciliation and Arbitration. Dr. Sami holds a Master’s in Mathematics and Economic Modelling from Paris VI and École Polytechnique, a Master’s in Law, Economics, and Finance from Nice School of Management, and a PhD in Game Theory from Université de Bretagne Occidentale.

Abdulaziz Goni

Senior Manager,
Amanie Advisors

Abdulaziz Goni

Abdulaziz Goni is a highly accomplished financial services professional with over 13 years of experience in global capital markets, fund structuring, and Islamic finance.

He currently holds the position of Senior Consultant – Global Shariah Advisory at Amanie Advisors. In this role, he specializes in structuring Shariah-compliant private equity, private credit, real estate, and venture capital funds as well as Islamic banking products and Sukuk. His client base spans Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and North America, where he has built strong relationships with sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, Investment Banks, Fund managers and institutional investors.

Adnan Halawi

Senior Proposition Manager Islamic Finance,
LSEG Data & Analytics

Adnan Halawi

Adnan Halawi is leading the product development of solutions that cater to the needs of Islamic and sustainable finance investors and professionals at the London Stock Exchange Group.

He has over 18 years of experience in developing customer-centric solutions, enabling informed investment decisions in sukuk and shariah-compliant assets, including areas of convergence between sustainable and Islamic finance. Adnan is a speaker at major conferences and the author of a wealth of articles on Sukuk and Sustainability.

He holds a Master’s in Financial Economics from the American University of Beirut, a Master’s in Digital Marketing from Instituto De Empresas Madrid and a Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA Institute.

Mohammed Mustapha Ja'afar

Transaction Legal & Structuring Analyst,
Symbiotics Group

Mohammed Mustapha Ja'afar

Mohammed Mustapha Ja’afar is a Transaction Legal & Structuring Analyst at Symbiotics Group, where he specialises in structuring, negotiating, and drafting transaction documents for capital market deals in emerging markets. With a strong focus on Islamic finance, he played a pivotal role in establishing Symbiotics' first sukuk issuance programme and has contributed to numerous green, social, and sustainability driven bond transactions.

Prior to joining Symbiotics, Mustapha served as a lawyer at The Metropolitan Law Firm in Nigeria, where he advised on landmark transactions, including the largest sovereign sukuk issuance in West Africa and the first publicly issued corporate sukuk in Nigeria. His expertise spans Debt Capital Markets, Banking, Islamic Finance, and Structured Finance, with a proven track record in deal structuring, legal risk mitigation, and transaction advisory.

Mustapha holds an MSc in Law & Finance from Queen Mary University of London, where his research focused on equity-based sukuk as Additional Tier 1 capital under Basel III. He is also a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, with an LL.B from Aston University, Birmingham. A passionate advocate for innovative financial solutions, Mustapha is committed to driving sustainable and impactful investments in emerging markets. He is excited to share his insights on Islamic and sustainable finance at the upcoming conference.

Mohammad Farrukh Raza

Group CEO,
IFAAS (Islamic Finance Advisory & Assurance Services)

Mohammad Farrukh Raza

Group CEO, IFAAS (Islamic Finance Advisory & Assurance Services) Chairman, AAOIFI’s Governance & Ethics Board (Islamic Finance industry standard setting body) Co-founder, IFIN (Islamic FinTech) Co-founder, PayDay Takaful (Islamic FinTech)

Farrukh enjoys 20+ years of extensive and diverse experience in Islamic finance industry. His contribution involves leading Islamic finance projects across 64 different jurisdictions that include policy level advisory to the governments of more than 35 countries across 4 continents, building the infrastructure for Islamic finance, and playing key roles in launching ground-breaking Islamic banking, Takaful, microfinance and capital markets operations across several jurisdictions including the UK and France amongst others.

He led IFAAS team in various high-profile projects funded by Islamic Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, International Finance Corporation and UK Government’s Department for International Development among others, establishing Islamic finance Masterplans, strategic blueprints and roadmaps, regulatory and governance frameworks for several countries including Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, West African Economic & Monetary Union of 8 countries, CIS countries, Pakistan, Philippines and many more. He is actively contributing towards the industry’s thought-leadership through his work with the international standard-setting bodies, pushing Islamic finance to a higher degree of Shariah compliance, professionalism and inclusiveness.

His latest venture is in FinTech space where he has co-founded IFIN, and PayDay Takaful, digital solutions for Islamic finance industry.