GK EXCEL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board - Advisor
- Board Adviser
- UK Managing Partner
Alex has over 20 years' experience as a Senior Adviser, providing high-level Legal Transactional and Corporate Finance advisory services to fund managers, global financial institutions and investors.
She began her career on Wall Street and the City of London with leading law firms advising on M&A and Private Equity investments for global institutional investors such as Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and Merrill Lynch Asset Management. During her tenure, she sat on the Diversity, Recruitment & Retention committees, and on the Special Committee On Corporate Contests and Control, sponsored by the New York City Bar Association to promote awareness in, and encourage minority law students to pursue careers in Mergers and Acquisitions.
Alex is currently the UK Managing Partner at an impact and sustainability investment advisory firm and prior to this, was Vice President & General Counsel at an award-wining emerging-market fund, where she also managed the fund portfolio's CSR, ESG and Sustainability obligations.
Alex was designated as a UK-National M&A Expert and represented the UK at high-level EU Oral Hearings on the Advisory Committee on Concentrations Panels at the European Commission; and is an International Fellow of the American Association of University Women.
Alex holds a Master's Degree in Corporate Law from Harvard Law School, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Managing Consultant
- Member of the Management Team
Brenda King - MBE, has 20 years of Diversity experience in the UK and Europe, as CEO of the award winning African & Caribbean Diversity (ACD). ACD focuses on the academic, career prospects, and social mobility of black state-educated students in the UK. She has long-established relationships with; Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Baker McKenzie, Clifford Chance and the Bank of England among others in the City of London.
Brenda was a UK rep. of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) from 2002 - Q1 2020. She was also Chair of the Consultative Committee Caribbean Region / EU from 2014 until 31st January 2020.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
Dafe Diejomaoh has over 25 years of private equity, investment banking and consulting experience. He is a founding /managing partner of Cayor Capital, principal investment firm that makes investments across Africa.
Dafe's career includes periods as; head of Africa Private Investments at The Rohatyn Group (TRG), asset manager with AUM of c.USD5 billion, at Citi Venture Capital Intl. (CVCI), private equity division of Citi Bank, and as a Dafe was a Principal at AIG Private Equity, where he was a founding member of AIG Horizon Partners, an AIG sponsored $400 million mid market private equity fund focused on US and European markets.
Dafe holds a BA in Economics from Harvard University, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a MSc. in Development Economics from Oxford University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Managing Consultant
- Member of the Management Team
Denise has over 20 years of experience and expertise in the field of strategic inclusion, diversity and equalities with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). As the Director of Diversity she designed the corporate strategy which placed matters of inclusion, diversity and equality at the heart of the organisation's Transformation strategy.
she has worked with staff-side associations to empower strategic engagement within the 32 London Boroughs, the MPS and other key public sector organisations, including the NHS and Civil Service.
Didi is an accomplished and flexible communications professional with experience of leading the full life cycle of change management initiatives and communications campaigns. She is a Certified Change practitioner with the ability to handle sensitive and complex issues with sound judgment, tact, and discretion.
Job Titles:
- Managing Consultant
- Member of the Management Team
- Senior HR Leader
Fela is a dynamic Senior HR Leader with over 20 years of experience in implementing, managing and optimising multi-level HR practices. Demonstrated leadership and success with specialised knowledge and experience managing the unique challenges and needs associated with complex organisational structures.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Management Team
Muyi is the CEO of GK EXCEL LTD. His goal is for EXCEL to deliver best in-class diversity solutions to clients, with a focus on Global Private and Public Sector Organisations operating across the UK and Europe.
He is a Board Member of Ina Tide Foundation (Innovation fund supporting gender diversity) and the Kazona Maycroft International Advisory firm. He began his career 26 years ago at the HSBC Group Corporate and Investment Banking. Over the last 7 years Muyi has worked as a Senior Consultant, on development projects with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UNEP, and the African Development Bank.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Senior Consultant
Olayinka heads up Equality Diversity and Inclusion for Imperial College Health NHS Trust and is responsible for the agenda of five hospitals across North West London. She has held positions in Equality Diversity and Inclusion, in both the private and public sector with a wealth of experience and exposure.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
Paul has over 35 years of experience in Banking and Infrastructure Finance. He is the Founder and Managing Director of both TenBroeke Company Limited and TenBroeke Engineering Company Limited. He previously was HSBC Rail (UK) Head of Risk and Business Development.
Paul has had the benefit of living and working in Uganda, New York and Hong Kong. He has successfully advised on projects across the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Iraq and Jordan. He is a keen advocate of Corporate diversity and collaboration.
Throughout his Career Paul has managed diverse teams across 3 continents. He has a unique insight into the types of solutions that work to get the best from cross-cultural teams and create the changes that promote team diversity and real inclusion.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Board
- CEO and Founder of the Simon Smith Events
Preetinder is CEO and founder of the Simon Smith Events enterprise. His principal focus has always been, the importance of equal opportunity, through promoting diversity within sports and business in general.
He is a 27 year veteran of the events, hospitality and experiential travel industry with a client base, across the Middle East, S-E Asia and the US.
He is also a sport and talent agent and an international over 50s cricketer playing for Middlesex.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Senior Consultant
- Specialist in Diversity
Sanchia is an award winning specialist in Diversity with over 15 years experience, including Human Resources and EU Affairs as well as being a motivational speaker. She has spoken at the World Diversity leadership summit and the European Diversity Business Congress among others.
Job Titles:
- Board - Advisor
- Board Adviser
- Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners
Tope Lawani is a co-founder (from 2004) and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners, the leading Africa-focused private investment firm, managing funds totalling USD3.6Bn as at Q4, 2020.
He has 25 years of principal investment experience. As a Principal at TPG Capital, he had a lead role in the execution of several significant LBO/VC investments, i.e. acquisitions of Burger King Corp., Debenhams plc., J. Crew Group, and Scottish & Newcastle Retail.
He currently serves on the board of directors of Helios Towers PLC, Vivo Energy, Axxela, ZOLA Electric, OVH Energy and Mall for Africa. He also serves as a member of the MIT Corporation (Massachusetts Institute of Technology's board of trustees), the MIT School of Engineering Dean's Advisory Council, the Harvard Law School Dean's Advisory Board and the board of directors of The END Fund (a leader in the global health movement to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases).
Tope received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (with a Minor in Economics) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.