CYGNUM CAPITAL - Key Persons
Adrian is an Associate in the MBO team based in the Nairobi office.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Adrian worked for 5 years as an investment operations analyst for Sanlam Investment East Africa, where he focused on investment valuation, performance, and attribution reporting. Adrian holds a bachelor's degree in Financial Economics from Strathmore University and is currently pursuing an ACCA qualification.
Adrian is passionate about the use of innovation and technology in improving access to finance for enterprises.
Alban is an Executive Director in Asset Management within the OGEF Team.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Alban spent 6 years at Goldman Sachs in London. Before that, he worked in sales at Amundi Asset Management, and in equity research at Natixis.
He holds a Masters in Financial Techniques from ESSEC Business School and a Masters in Business Engineering from EPF Graduate School of Engineering. He is also a qualified chartered accountant in the UK.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, OGEF Fund Lead
Alix joined Cygnum Capital in 2021 and is a Managing Director within the OGEF team based in Nairobi.
Alix has over 18 years' experience in energy infrastructure across the UK and Africa. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Alix spent 4 years with infrastructure investor, InfraCo Africa, financing projects across the power, transport and logistics sectors, with a focus on minigrids. Before that she consulted for a renewable energy developer in Tanzania, supporting them to secure financing to develop hydropower projects servicing both the national grid and rural distribution networks.
Alix's passion for developing and financing minigrids has featured throughout her career, as she believes they have a vital role in delivering the Sustainable Development Goal 7: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Before moving to Africa, Alix spent 10 years with global energy utility, Centrica, where she expanded her expertise in UK infrastructure, across the downstream and midstream businesses. Alix holds a Masters in Energy, Environmental Technology and Economics.
Ana is a Director in the London office, and focuses on Development Finance
Ana has experience originating, structuring and executing innovative financing solutions across emerging markets. She joined Cygnum Capital from Catholic Relief Services, where she co-led the set up of an impact investing fund focused on agriculture across Latin America and Africa. Prior to that, Ana worked for JP Morgan across sovereigns, corporates and financial institutions on both developed and emerging markets. Ana started her career at the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank.
Ana holds an M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in Economics from Manhattanville College.
Aziz joined Cygnum Capital as a Managing Director in October 2021, bringing over 15 years of investment banking experience in originating and executing capital markets transactions.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Aziz spent 12 years in Goldman Sachs Financing Group in London, most recently as head of the Africa financing and risk management business. Aziz has covered a wide spectrum of entities including governments, corporates and financial institutions, across different asset classes e.g., both vanilla and structured financings, and derivatives (interest rates, currency, commodity, equity).
Aziz holds a Masters in Applied Mathematics from Université Paris-Dauphine.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director, ALCB Fund Lead
Brock is a Managing Director and the Fund Lead for the African Local Currency Bond Fund (www.alcbfund.com).
He has significant experience across the African continent, particularly in the financial services and agriculture sectors, as well as in project finance and debt capital markets. On the ALCB Fund, he has supported over 30 local currency bond investments across eleven markets.
Before joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners in 2015, Brock was a consultant for the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in Nigeria. He has also worked for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and MEDA.
Brock has an MSc in Risk and Finance from the London School of Economics and Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, FEI Fund Lead
Carmen leads the FEI team in Asset Management, and has 20 years of experience in the development/financing of power projects.
Prior to joining FEI and Cygnum Capital, Carmen worked for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) financing renewable energy projects across Asia and North of Africa. She has extensive experience in the development, construction and commissioning of greenfield wind farms and solar power plants, and also leading M&A processes in Europe, Latin America and North of Africa as she worked for Iberdrola for more than ten years. Earlier in her career she worked for a wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa and supported Spanish companies to develop their business in the Mexican market working at the Spanish Economic and Trade Office at the Embassy of Spain in Mexico.
Carmen is an engineer and holds an MBA by Fundación CECO (ICEX), Madrid.
Chris is based in Nairobi and leads Cygnum Capital's Real Estate and Affordable Housing focus within our Investment Banking pillar.
Chris joined Cygnum Capital in 2017. He has over the past decade advised private and public sector clients across Africa helping develop innovative financing structures and raise capital both privately and through the capital markets. He currently leads LHGP's real estate and affordable housing focus.
Chris joined Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, from EY's Transaction Advisory Services team providing infrastructure finance, PPP, M&A and transaction support services across East Africa.
Chris holds a BSc.Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi.
Job Titles:
- Lion 's Head Global Partners LLP As a Financial Advisory Business Focused on Development Finance and Global Health
Clemens is CEO and a founding partner of Cygnum Capital Group. He splits his time between Nairobi and London.
Clemens is responsible for the implementation of Cygnum Capital's overall strategy and chairs the Firm's Operating Committee.
Over the past 15 years Clemens has been involved in advisory activities across a number of sectors, including financial services, renewable energy and agriculture and he was instrumental in setting up Cygnum Capital Asset Management.
Prior to setting up Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Clemens spent 13 years in investment banking, first at Morgan Stanley and then at Goldman Sachs. He worked in London, Singapore and New York, doing M&A before focusing on the energy sector where he was responsible for executing a number of large structured and commodity-backed financings.
Clemens holds a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD, Fontainebleau.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Group COO & Compliance Officer
Dan is a Managing Director and Group Chief Operating Officer at Cygnum Capital.
As COO Dan oversees the Firm's ongoing operations, policies and procedures. He is also the Firm's Compliance Officer and MLRO. Dan joined Cygnum Capital in 2017, where he spent 3 years on the Investment Banking side of the business, before becoming COO in 2021. Prior to joining the Firm, Dan spent over 20 years with the British Army, working as a senior strategist and policy advisor in the Ministry of Defence, as well as operational deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia.
Dan is a graduate of the UK Joint Command and Staff Course and has an MA in International Relations from Cranfield University.
Deogratius is an Executive Director at Cygnum Capital and works across Asset Management MBO from our Amsterdam office
Deogratius joined Cygnum Capital in August 2020 and works across Asset Management MBO from our Amsterdam office. Deogratius has over 10 years of experience in the infrastructure space. He previously worked at DMA Capital Group and Capital Infrastructure Partners. where he was actively involved in the origination, structuring, and financing of infrastructure projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. He also participated in public sector advisory with a focus on institutional preparedness for infra-development. He has a doctorate in finance from the Université de Nice Cote d'Azur.
Divya joined Cygnum Capital in June 2022.
She is an Associate on the AfricaGoGreen team based in the London office. Prior to Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Divya worked at Deutsche Bank in the Market Risk Management division with a focus on Emerging Market Debt. She worked in Financial Planning and Analysis in Honeywell before that. She also has internship experiences spanning across M&A, Private Equity and Alternative Investments.
Divya has an MSc in Investment Management from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) and has completed all 3 levels of the CFA Certification.
Dominika is originally from Poland but spent last 5 years studying and working in England.
She did her Masters in Financial Analysis degree at London Business School and completed internships at Goldman Sachs, Santander Bank and General Electric.
Job Titles:
- Fund Operations Specialist
Duncan is a Fund Operations specialist having worked in the Financial Services sector for over 6 years. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, he worked as an Operations Analyst at Cannon Asset Managers supporting the portfolio investments for the insurance companies within the group.
Eliran Tal AIFM Manager Eliran joined Cygnum Capital as AIFM Manager in May 2023 Eliran joined our Amsterdam office in May 2023 and works primarily as the manager of the Netherlands Alternative Investment Fund Manager vehicle (AIFM). He has 10 years of experience in the real estate and renewable energy sector, working for 7 years as a corporate and project finance lawyer at EBN & Co, one of the leading law firms in Israel. Prior to this he worked in IQEQ for 3 years managing a portfolio of leading PE funds, such as WP, Glennmont partners and Africinvest,with more than EUR 3 billion AUM. His main responsibilities were the legal, regulatory, and financial aspects of the funds. Eliran has LL.B. (Magna Cum Laude) and LL.M. (Magna Cum Laude) in Law studies from Tel Aviv University and Master of Business Administration (Finance) from the Rotterdam School of Management (Erasmus) in the Netherlands. Amsterdam
Emil is leading our Metals, Mining and Natural Resources advisory business.
He joined Cygnum Capital in early 2023 after 15+ years of Investment Banking experience at Credit Suisse, where he led the Natural Resources and Energy business in European Emerging Markets.
Throughout his career, Emil has worked with a wide range of clients, including Rio Tinto, Vedanta, Trafigura, Glencore, Polenergia, En+ Group, Samancor, ERG, Metinvest, SOCAR and Millennial Lithium. Emil is a graduate of the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy and received his MBA from Columbia Business School.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Group Chief Financial Officer
Enrico Nora is the Group Chief Financial Officer and joined Cygnum Capital in September 2022.
His previous positions include: CFO of Maris Africa Group, Executive Director of Mobile Banking at Equity Bank (Kenya) and CFO of Intertouch Group (a division of NTT DOCOMO of Japan) based in Singapore. Prior to that, he spent eleven years with Hewlett Packard in Europe and APAC regions.
Enrico holds a Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan, and an MBA (with honours) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Evans worked at CarePoint (formerly Africa Health Holdings), a health asset management company with presence in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. Evans also worked for Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi and Avenue Hospital where he conducted diverse financial accounting, reporting, planning, and analysis tasks.
Evans holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree from the Moi University and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Finance at the University of Nairobi.
Felix joined Cygnum Capital in 2017 as an Associate.
He specializes in advising corporates, investors, parastatals and DFIs across the spectrum of new energy solutions, including renewable energy spanning from solar home systems, to C&I, mini-grids, and utility-scale, as well as clean molecules such as hydrogen and ammonia. He also works to support clients with strategies around monetizing and financing carbon credits. In this context, Felix has worked on M&A, equity and debt capital raises on the buy and the sell-side, providing also corporate finance and strategy advice.
Felix completed his MSc with Distinction in Carbon Finance at the University of Edinburgh Business School, having graduated from the university's undergraduate programme in International Relations with an MA with Honours in 2015. Prior to joining Cygnum, he worked with renewable energy developers and manufacturers based in Switzerland and Denmark.
Fola is an Executive Director in the African Local Currency Bond Fund, providing expertise in assessing financial institutions including NBFIs and real economy sectors such as FMCG, agribusiness and healthcare.
She previously worked in the investment banking arm of Cygnum Capital, leveraging her 10 years of experience in finance to advise companies and IFIs on corporate finance and financial consulting transactions.
Before Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Fola worked in the finance and strategy division of one of the largest commercial banks in Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank plc (GTBank), where she worked in various capacities in finance and risk management.
Franck joined Cygnum Capital in 2022. He is a member of the investment team of the African Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCBF). He focuses on origination, structuring and execution in francophone African countries.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Franck worked for Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking for 7 years. At SocGen, he has spent three years and a half in the Structured Financing department in London and three years and a half on the Equity Derivatives Trading desk in Paris as a trading support analyst.
He has also worked for Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Banking 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. He is a CFA Charter holder and he is based in London.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Head of Fund Operations
Geoffrey is the Head of Fund Operations and oversees the middle and back-office within the Firm's Asset Management business.
In this role Geoffrey is responsible for the smooth operations of all the middle and back office functions within the asset management pillar. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Geoffrey worked at Old Mutual Securities, an affiliate company of Old Mutual Kenya Group, as a Regional Equities Trader covering East Africa, having transitioned from a previous role as an investment analyst. He also worked with the wider Group (Old Mutual Kenya) in the financial management and reporting unit.
Geoffrey graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Finance) and has an MBA (Finance) from the United States International University - Africa. He is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.
Gonzalo joined Cygnum Capital in August 2022 and is a member of the firm's Energy & Infrastructure Advisory team based in the London office.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Gonzalo worked at Alphier Capital LLP, an EM investment bank boutique with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, where he worked on several transactions in the Oil & Gas, Renewables, Mining, and other real assets sectors. During his tenure at Alphier Capital, Gonzalo also assisted start-ups in the African continent. Most recently, Gonzalo helped Dawati to raise their first Seed round funding from a European-based HNWI that will assist the company to expand their edtech offering in Kenya.
Gonzalo holds an MSc in Finance with a focus on Asset Pricing from King's College London and a Bachelor in Economics from Richmond University.
Guillaume Pailhoux Analyst Guillaume joined Cygnum Capital's Investment Banking team in London as an Analyst in October 2023 Before joining Cygnum Capital, Guillaume interned for Société Générale in the Debt Capital Markets team, working with corporate, financial, and sovereign issuers across the CEEMEA region. Additionally, he has previously worked in public affairs and development. At Cygnum, Guillaume is part of the Sovereign Advisory and Development Finance team. Guillaume earned a MSc in Management from ESSEC Business School in 2023 and a BA in International Relations and Economics from Tufts University in 2021. London
Habib joined Cygnum Capital in July 2023 and is a Director in the AGG Fund
As part of the AGG team, Habib is responsible for evaluating and executing transactions across various African regions. Prior to joining Cygnum, he worked for four years as a European high-yield and convertible bond trader at Berenberg, gaining valuable experience in both Frankfurt and London. Additionally, he has served as a metals derivatives trader at Societe Generale in London.
Habib holds a Master's degree in Quantitative Economics from the University of Kiel.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director at Cygnum Capital 's Dubai Office
Hadrien is a Director at Cygnum Capital's Dubai Office, focused on Sovereign-related investment banking and capital raising.
Before joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Hadrien spent some time in the Sovereign Advisory Group at Rothschild & Co in Paris, where he helped advising African Ministries of Finance and SOEs on landmark financing and restructuring operations. At Lion's Head, Hadrien works on a wide range of subjects including debt issuances, capital raising, liability management operations, as well as macro-financial modelling for clients in Africa and the Middle East.
Hadrien holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies and an MSc Finance and Strategy from SciencesPo Paris.
Hawa is a Director at Cygnum Capital working in Asset Management in our Nairobi office
Hawa has over 8 years of experience in project and corporate finance and has worked on multiple infrastructure projects across sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Hawa worked as a Corporate Finance Specialist at Safaricom Plc. Before this, she worked as a Senior Analyst at Finergreen Africa (Kenya and Cote D'Ivoire), where she supported investors and developers to identify and invest in renewable energy projects in Africa. Before her stint at Finergreen, Hawa worked at PwC Kenya in the Transaction Advisory and Audit departments.
Hawa holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Statistics from Kenyatta University and is a CPA finalist.
Holly is a Legal Counsel based in Cygnum Capital's Amsterdam office and works across the asset management and investment banking practices.
Prior to joining Cygnum, Holly was a Senior Associate at an international law firm and has extensive experience across lending, capital markets and financial services in both private practice and in-house roles. Holly holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations and Affairs and Political Science) from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Jacob is based in London, with 19 years' experience in investment banking and supranational institutions specialising in public sector financing, credit advisory, and risk management.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Jacob spent a decade at Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong, running sovereign & supranational advisory and risk management functions in EMEA and Asia. Before his time at GS, he was a credit risk officer at the Asian Development Bank in Manila focused on infrastructure project finance and worked for the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC. Jacob has experience across capital markets, structured finance, and derivatives as well as a deep understanding of credit rating and risk management methodologies.
Jacob holds an MA in International Economics from John Hopkins University and a BA in Economics from the University of Toronto. He also holds CFA and FRM designations.
Jacquiline provides back-office support to and conducts portfolio analysis for the African Local Currency Bond Fund (www.alcbfund.com).
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Jacquiline worked at Horizon Africa Capital, a boutique financial advisory firm as an Accountant. She also worked with one of Horizon's affiliates (Mawji Sennik LLP), an audit firm, as a Consulting Accountant.
Jacquiline holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.
Jakub has over 15 years of experience in capital markets, structured financing, and market risk management.Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Jakub spent 9 years at Goldman Sachs in London where he advised governments, financial institutions and corporate clients on structuring and executing debt financings in both public and private markets.
Jakub holds Master's Degree from HEC Paris and Bachelor's Degree in Economic Theory from Charles University in Prague.
James Doree is a Managing Director at Cygnum Capital and has primary responsibility for the Corporate Investment Banking pillar
Through this and other initiatives, he originates and executes Financial Advisory, Capital Raising and M&A transactions in financial services, housing, natural resources, renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture. In addition to his work in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, James has advised European utilities, governments and regulators on corporate and regulatory finance issues, covering energy, rail and postal sectors.
James was previously a Senior Consultant at Cambridge Economic Policy Associates and, prior to that, worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Nairobi. He has a Masters in Development Economics and a first class MA in History and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford.
Jamie joined Cygnum Capital's Investment Banking team in Dubai as an Analyst in September 2023.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Jamie worked at an impact investment and advisory firm, Kukula Capital, in Lusaka, Zambia, where he focused on corporate finance transactions and M&A advisory. At Cygnum, Jamie is part of the Sovereign Advisory and Development Finance team.
Jamie holds a BSc in Mathematics (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Financial Mathematics from University College London.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Managing Director
- COO AM
Jan Martin Witte is a Managing Director within Cygnum Capital, specifically as Chief Operating Officer Asset Management, responsible for the day-to-day management of the asset management business.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Jan spent 15 years with KfW Development Bank, most recently as Director of the Global Equity and Funds department, with responsibility for the bank's impact investment portfolio in emerging markets. He is also a member of the Independent Technical Advisory Panel of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and a member of the Investment Committee for the PIDG TA Facility. Jan Martin holds a PhD and MA in international relations and international economics from the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University.
John joined the Cygnum Capital Asset Management middle-back office team as an Analyst in July 2023 after a 6 month internship.
He has a background in finance, accounting and economics, and previous work experience in tax consultancy at Viva Africa Consulting LLP, where he was involved in tax valuations and audit & review cases.
John holds a bachelor's degree in financial economics from Strathmore University and is currently pursuing his professional accounting certification in ACCA.
Judy joined Cygnum Capital in October 2020 and is based in the Nairobi office.
She is an Asset Management Associate with three years experience in portfolio management, bringing proficiency to our AM portfolio and data analysis. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Judy worked in the insurance industry with Minet Kenya Financial Services Limited and Zamara Actuaries, Administrators and Consultants Ltd. She was actively involved in actuarial valuations of life insurance and pension funds.
Judy holds a Bachelor of Business Science Degree in Actuarial Science from Strathmore University.
Justus is a Director in the Investment Banking team based in Nairobi.
He provides expertise in transaction advisory and structuring, primarily focusing on Energy and Infrastructure.
Before joining Cygnum Capital, Justus was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting Limited focusing on Infrastructure and Capital Projects, M&A and Transaction Support Services. He also worked at Ernst & Young (Transaction Advisory), and CBA Capital Limited (Corporate Finance).
Justus holds a Master in Finance from London Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) from JKUAT. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- in 2022 As an Associate
Kelly joined Cygnum Capital in 2022 as an Associate on the investment team of the African Local Currency Bond Fund (ALCBF) and is based in Nairobi.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Kelly was working in the fund operations of the Real Estate and Private Markets team at UBS in Geneva. Her projects included overseeing financial, legal, tax, accounting, and audit matters in investment structures across Europe, Canada and APAC. She was also responsible for assisting with the implementation of investment funding through equity, shareholder, and bank loans, and supervising and managing year-end financials and audits across all investment vehicles. Kelly moved to Nairobi to join Lion's Head and is focused on originating and executing deals in Francophone Africa.
Kelly holds a MSc in Management with a major in Strategy from HEC Lausanne, and a BSc in Business Administration from the University of Geneva.
Lars is Managing Director in Investment Banking (Sovereigns & Supranationals) in London
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital in 2023, Lars was head of financing for sovereigns, supranationals and agencies at Goldman Sachs in London. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2008 and was named Managing Director in 2012. Previously, Lars worked for eight years at Morgan Stanley in London and New York, focusing on debt syndication for public sector clients as well as financial institutions.
Lars earned a Master's degree in economics and business administration from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2000.
Lars is a Director at the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI) based in Nairobi.
Lars has over 6 years' experience in developing, executing and structuring renewable energy projects. Prior to joining FEI and Cygnum Capital, he was a Senior Transaction and M&A Manager at German renewable energy development company Pacifico Energy Partners, focusing on investments in solar and wind projects throughout Europe.
He started his career in the Corporate and Investment Banking unit of UniCredit in Munich and Singapore working on leveraged and project finance transactions.
Lars holds a Master in Financial Economics from HEC Paris and a MSc in Management & Technology (Mechanical Engineering) from Technical University of Munich.
Lauren is the Office Manager for Cygnum Capital's London Office.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Lauren spent four years working for a Chartered Accounting Practice in New Zealand as an Administrative Assistant. She holds a New Zealand Real Estate Salesperson Qualification.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Managing Director at Cygnum
Laurène is a Managing Director at Cygnum capital and leads the Africa GoGreen Fund.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Laurène had a variety of responsibilities ranging from technical, commercial and financial at Delonex Energy, GE Ventures, and Chevron. She has over 12 years of experience as part of cross-functional teams managing multi-billion-dollar energy and infrastructure projects in various Emerging Markets (Africa, Asia, Middle East) as well as Developed Markets (USA, Europe, Australia).
Laurène has an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a BS in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University.
Leann heads Portfolio Analysis and Risk Monitoring (PARM) across Cygnum Capital's asset management business.
Leann joined Cygnum Capital in 2019, initially as a senior officer of FEI before transitioning to her current role.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Leann spent over a decade funding power and other infrastructure projects in Africa and other emerging markets. Most notably, she spent 8 years as part of Standard Chartered's Project and Export Finance Team and 2 years as part of Africa Finance Corporation's Investments Team. In other parts of her career, Leann advised governments on PPPs and other infrastructure related matters. She also briefly worked with Merrill Lynch's investment banking team.
Leann holds an M.B.A from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, an M.P.P from the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, and a B.S. / B.A. from Stanford University.
Mark is a Fund Operations Officer in our Nairobi office
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Mark worked as a credit risk analyst at GCR Ratings, covering bank and non-bank financial institutionsacross East and Southern Africa. Additionally, Mark was responsible for rating a portfolio of over $10m worth of privately placed commercial debt.
Mark holds an MSc in Financial Economics from University of Nottingham and a BSc in Economics from The University of Nairobi.
Martin joined Cygnum Capital in January 2020 and is Head of Investment Banking.
Prior to Cygnum Capital, Martin spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs, initially in London and more recently in Dubai, running the firm's financing business in the Middle East as well as the Sovereign and Supranational business in the EMEA region. Martin managed the financing origination and execution of transactions for Sovereigns and corporates across the entire credit spectrum including debt, liability management, structured finance, and commodity financing for clients including Austria, Angola, Congo, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Iraq.
Martin holds a BA (Hons) & MA (Cantab) in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Mary is a part of Cygnum Capital's Asset Management team, focused on financial reporting and TAF reporting and control.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Mary was an external auditor at KPMG Kenya where she carried out financial statement audits and assurance engagements across a variety of clients within different industries. She was previously the Group Financial Controller for Cygnum Capital Group before transitioning to fund reporting.
Mary holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and a BSc degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi (Kenya).
Meghana joined Cygnum Capital in 2021 and is an Executive Director in the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI) team
Meghana has over 10 years' experience developing, executing,structuring, and managing power and infrastructure projects, particularly in Africa and Asia. Prior to joining the FEI team in January 2021, she was an Assistant Vice President at Zarou, a Blackstone portfolio company, set up to develop energy projects in the MENA region. She also worked at British International Investment (previously the CDC Group) where she notably helped set up Ayana, the South Asian renewables platform, worked on the power JV with AKFED/IPS, and was seconded to AKFED/IPS in Kenya. Earlier in her career,Meghana worked in the Royal Bank of Canada's utilities and infrastructure investment banking team.
She has an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Delhi's Shri Ram College of Commerce.
Michael joined Cygnum Capital in June 2021 on the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI) team, based in Nairobi.
Michael has experience in project development, operations and equity and debt investment in on-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects and companies across Africa. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, he worked at Berkeley Energy, focusing on development and investment in utility-scale geothermal, hydropower, solar and battery storage projects across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Before that, Michael worked at PowerGen Renewable Energy focusing on fundraising, business development and operations. Prior to his role at PowerGen Renewable Energy, he was a part of the renewable energy equity investment team at responsAbility Investments AG.Michael holds a BBS in Actuarial Science from Strathmore University.
Job Titles:
- Office Manager - Dubai
- Office Manager for Cygnum Capital 's Dubai
Michaela is the Office Manager for Cygnum Capital's Dubai office. She holds a master's degree in Marketing and Media communication.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Michaela spent seven years in Emirates Airline, working as premium Cabin Crew and later on Supervisor. During her studies, she worked in a law firm as Office Manager and she spent three years working as Marketing and Sales Representative for a publishing house.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- London Office in 2021 As an Associate
Millie joined Cygnum Capital's London Office in 2021 as an Associate after an internship with the firm, where she contributed particularly to Development Finance projects in conducting analyses and preparing client materials.
Millie now works as part of Cygnum Capital's Real Economy pillar, where she is predominantly focused on supporting capital raising, M&A and fund structuring mandates in Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA, across power and infrastructure sectors.
Morris is a Technical Assistance and Impact Officer in our Nairobi office.
Before joining Cygnum Capital, Morris worked at EED Advisory, where he was involved in numerous projects on behalf of organisations such as GIZ, CCA, the World Bank, AECF, and KawiSafi among others. He possesses extensive experience in business development and implementation, coordination, and management of projects at the intersection of energy and climate.
Morris holds a Master of Science (MSc.) in Environmental Management from the University of Stirling (UK) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Environmental Conservation and Natural Resource Management from South Eastern University (Kenya).
Nazar joined Cygnum Capital in May 2023 and is a member of the firm's sovereign advisory team, based in the London office.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Nazar worked at strategy consulting and development finance companies, including Roland Berger and the World Bank. He was responsible for developing credit fund distribution and PPP methodologies in Ukraine as part of the economic recovery strategy. He has also worked at a boutique investment bank that specialised in software M&A transactions.
Nazar studied at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated with a BSc in Computer Science, and at the Kyiv School of Economics as part of his MA degree in Economic Analysis.
Nick joined Cygnum Capital in April 2018 and is focused on Lusophone Africa primarily supporting Advisory work in Energy & Power.
Prior to this, he spent time working at Edgebold Capital, a private investment group based in London, with a focus on Southern Africa where he worked on a number of investments in the mining, transport & logistics and real estate sectors.
Nick worked to develop a group wide strategy building a vertically integrated value chain across the group's portfolio companies, including the development of a trade finance strategy suited to the local economies and entry into the physical trading of certain key commodities. Other work included advising a number of client's on various stages of their investments into the region.
Olamide joined Cygnum Capital in 2017 and is focussed on transaction origination and execution in West Africa.
Before joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Olamide worked in the investment team at Synergy Capital, a private equity fund providing growth capital to SME companies operating in Nigeria and Ghana. Olamide's experience in Nigeria also includes consulting projects for State Governments and Government sponsored institutions.
Prior to this, he worked at Moelis & Company, advising UK and European funds and corporates on debt restructuring and recapitalisation transactions.
Olamide is based in Lagos, Nigeria, is a CFA charterholder and holds a BA in Classics from Balliol College, Oxford.
Olamipo joined Cygnum Capital in 2019. She is based in Lagos, where she is responsible for executing investments by the FEI Off-Grid Energy Access Fund, and the African Local Currency Bond Fund.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Olamipo worked at Renaissance Capital, a Frontier and Emerging Market focused investment bank. While there, she was the Lead Financial Institutions Equity Research Analyst, responsible for covering 17 banks spanning Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda. Olamipo developed a thorough understanding of the financial services sector, and facilitated investments in capital markets across Africa.
Prior to Renaissance Capital, she worked at Vetiva Capital Management. Olamipo holds a BSc Economics from the University of Warwick.
Orli is Head of Debt Funds in our Asset Management business
Orli is a development finance and impact investing specialist with over 25 years of experience. She joined Cygnum Capital from EM Fin Advisory, where she advised DFIs and multinationals on private sector investments into infrastructure in Africa.
In previous roles, she Co-Founded and served as the CIO of Impala Energy, prior to that she served as the CIO of Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) and as the Managing Director of the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund. Through her career, Orli successfully raised over USD1 Billion of debt and equity; she led, structured, and closed numerous transactions providing capital to infrastructure projects and companies in Africa (over USD1.5 Billion of investments).
Paul is an Executive Director within Cygnum Capital's Asset Management business (Africa GoGreen Fund)
Paul is an accomplished investment professional with over 10 years of experience in the renewable energy and green technology sectors. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, he served as Investment & Corporate Finance Manager at Clean Capital Energy, leading multiple renewable energy M&A and structured finance transactions in Europe and Latin America. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in developing and constructing wind energy and water treatment plants in North Africa and Southeast Asia.
Paul holds an MBA from HEC Paris and an Industrial Engineering Degree from Universidad de Navarra
Paulina joined the Cygnum Capital team in January 2023, bringing over a decade of experience as an Analyst. With a background in finance and accounting and a degree to back it up, she is passionate about deciphering data to drive insightful decisions. She is constantly honing her skills to deliver data-driven actionable insights for our organisation.
Payal joined Cygnum Capital's Investment Banking team in London as an Analyst in July 2022.
Payal spent a lot of time working with MDBs on innovative financing strategies as part of Cygnum Capital's Sovereign and Development Finance team. She now works as part of Cygnum Capital's Real Economy pillar, predominantly focused on supporting capital raising, M&A and fund structuring mandates across emerging and frontiwe markets.
Payal is a BSc Economics (Hons) graduate from the University of Manchester and a MSc Finance graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Philgonah Omungoh Director Philgonah joined Cygnum Capital in 2020 and focuses on Real Estate, Renewable Energy & Power and Infrastructure Finance. Philgonah is based in the Nairobi office. Before joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Philgonah was a finance assistant at Davis & Shirtliff where she was in the accounts department and responsible for providing financial information to management by researching and analysing accounting data and preparing reports for decision making. Philgonah holds an MSc. Mathematical Finance from Strathmore University, BSc. Actuarial Science from Moi University and certifications from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) UK in Financial Mathematics and Life Contingencies. Philgonah is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K). Nairobi
Rakeli Kuria is an analyst at Cygnum Capital with a First-Class Honors degree and a double major in ACCA-embedded Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in finance and entrepreneurship from Strathmore University. With a diverse background that includes contributions to organizations such as the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI), Absa Bank, United Nations Global Compact, Africa Young Trade Professionals (AYTP) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED), she is continuously working on honing her expertise. She is also a proud alumnus of the McKinsey Forward Program, ALX and the Corporate Finance Institute. This broad scope of engagement reflects her passion for making a meaningful impact and advocacy in the areas of sustainability, finance and strategy.
Job Titles:
- Group Financial Controller
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Sapna worked with Azuri Technologies Ltd as a Group Financial Controller. Prior that, she was the CFO at Jumia (E-commerce), East Africa Finance Manager at CNBC Africa & Forbes Africa and Audit Manager at BDO Kenya
Sapna holds a BA (Hons) Finance, Accounting and Management from the University of Nottingham, UK. She is also a Member of the ACCA and holds Fellowship status.
Suzanne Anna Ballabas Compliance Officer Dubai Suzanne is the Compliance Officer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer for Cygnum Capital Dubai. During her compliance career, she has held positions with Perella Weinburg Partners, Nomura Asset Management and Morningstar. Prior to this, Suzanne worked in the City of London after studying Law at the University of Northumbria. Dubai
Teresa joined Cygnum Capital in 2019 and works across the asset management and investment banking practices.
She was previously Group Legal Advisor - Corporate Finance for the Econet Global group, a pan-African telco. Prior to this, she has worked as Legal Director at Clyde & Co Tanzania, at CA Legal/MDY and at White & Case LLP in London, specialising in finance and development finance mechanisms in emerging markets.
Teresa is based in Nairobi, Kenya and is a Solicitor of England & Wales and an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania. She holds a BA in Classics from Merton College, Oxford and a PgDL/LPC from City University/Inns of Court School of Law.
Thibault joined the Cygnum Capital in May 2020 and is a member of the Asset Management team in charge of the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI).
Thibault has over 10 years of experience in the origination, development and structuring of transactions in the energy and infrastructure industry. Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Thibault worked for a family office investing in Oil & Gas opportunities (incl. LNG-to-power projects).
Earlier in his career, Thibault worked within the Bolloré Group, to structure infrastructure development under PPP scheme in Africa and emerging countries. Thibault is a graduate in Corporate Finance from Rennes School of Business and holds a MSc in Management.
Tom joined Cygnum Capital as an Executive Director in February 2023, bringing over 13 years of investment banking and industry experience in the energy & infrastructure sectors.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, formerly Lion's Head Global Partners, Tom worked in the energy & infrastructure advisory teams of Rothschild, Investec, and Ernst & Young. Tom has covered a wide range of deal types, including both private and public transactions. He focused primarily on M&A, capital raising, and a wide range of structuring mandates. In addition, Tom spent time in industry serving in commercial roles at several American and European energy & infrastructure firms.
Tom holds a Law Degree (LLB) from the University of Aberdeen Law School
Wangari joined Cygnum Capital in 2022 as the office manager in Nairobi.
Prior to joining Cygnum, she worked as a Personal Assistant and Executive Secretary at a top tier-law firm for seven years. Wangari is currently pursuing a degree in Communication with a focus on Public Relations at Daystar University in Kenya.
Will is a member of the firm's Corporate Investment Banking, covering M&A, financing and advisory mandates in natural resources, energy & power sectors.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital in 2022, Will worked at Lloyds Bank, working with a range of clients across the energy value stream including Supermajors, Commodity Traders, and Upstream Exploration & Production. At Lloyds, Will worked in Reserve Based Lending structuring, supporting upstream energy clients in expanding their portfolios through M&A and refinancing existing facilities. Will also worked with clients on expanding working capital accessibility including structured trade finance opportunities and liquidity facilities.
Will attended the University of Bath where he graduated with a BSc (Hons) in International Development with Economics.
Winnie manages Asset Management ESG Reporting and Fund Technical Assistance Facilities. Her core expertise is in impact investment and innovative financing transaction facilitation, and corporate finance transaction structuring.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Winnie worked as a financial analyst at Dalberg Capital (D.Capital Partners), an impact investing advisory firm that facilitates investments that catalyse economic and social change. At Dalberg Capital (D.Capital Partners), she was involved in facilitating investments and structuring innovative financing solutions in various sectors including agriculture, health care and education.
She also has previous work experience as a corporate finance analyst with I&M Burbidge Capital, a corporate finance advisory firm based in East Africa that specializes in advising businesses in the region on capital raising transactions.
Winnie holds a Bachelor of commerce degree in Finance from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and is a Certified Investments and Financial Analyst (CIFA - K).
Wouter joined Cygnum Capital in 2022 as a compliance professional based in Amsterdam. He is working across both the asset management and investment banking practices.
Prior to joining Cygnum Capital, Wouter worked as a compliance officer in the European headquarters of Sberbank and as FSI Regulatory and Risk consultant at Deloitte and PwC. Wouter has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Brussels and an LLM in European and International Business Law from the University of Vienna.