About us

Arnold Ekpe is a retired international banker. He has headed some of the leading African banks including serving as CEO of Ecobank and UBA and setting up Citibank Africa’s corporate and structured trade finance business. He currently serves on the board of companies in Africa, Europe, America and India that are focused on impact in Africa.

Clive Carpenter is an international banker who has worked in Kenya, Nigeria and The Netherlands, in addition to the U.K., and travelled to many other African countries in the course of his work.

He has more than 50 years’ experience of business and finance, principally in the banking industry and, latterly, extending to private sector development, especially in developing countries.

Financially qualified (FCIB), qualified in corporate governance (C.Dir.), together with strong people and communication skills.

Clive’s recent appointments have included Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of United Bank for Africa (UK) Limited, Chairman of Longitude Finace Limited in Kenya, faculty member of TEXEM and Chairman of the ROSL Trust. He possesses an extensive network of international contacts within both the private and public sectors and is a much sought after consultant and mentor.

Jeremy is an experienced commercial and company lawyer, having spent most of his career at Simmons & Simmons, where he was for some time Head of the Commercial Group and joint Head of the India Group. He then moved to Russell-Cooke in 2012 and joined Bishop & Sewell in 2016. Jeremy has always had a significant international dimension to his work, with an emphasis on India, the Middle East, Southern Europe and Africa. He is Honorary Legal Adviser to BCA and a long-standing member of the Commercial Law Committee of the City of London Law Society.

Dr. Alim Abubakre is an educator, strategist, and advocate for leadership development with experience in international business and executive education. He holds a PhD in Strategy from the University of Southampton and an MBA from the University of Leicester, with further studies at Cambridge University and MIT. He has spoken and chaired sessions at the UK House of Commons and the Judicial Office, Cambridge University, Oxford and London School of Economics. He was nominated and selected as among the Virgin Media top 100 promising UK Entrepreneurs.

As Founder & Non-Executive Chair of TEXEM, UK, he has collaborated with global thought leaders to design executive development programmes that empower business and government leaders. At Sheffield Business School, he directs two courses, teaches Global Supply Chain Management and Strategy, mentors doctoral candidates, and supports early-career academics. He has also contributed to strategic planning and professional development initiatives as Director of Strategy at TIEC.

Dr. Abubakre is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has received awards for teaching excellence at Coventry, Nottingham Business School and Sheffield Business School. He serves as a Non-Executive Director of the Business Council for Africa and Advisory Board Member at London Business School Africa Society and Extractive 360.

Passionate about lifelong learning and collaboration, he is committed to mentoring, leadership development, and fostering innovation. His work focuses on empowering individuals and organisations to navigate complex challenges and drive sustainable success through strategic insights and shared knowledge.

Terhas is the Managing Director and Founder of the leading international consultancy Brand Communications, which focuses on African companies seeking to expand both within Africa and beyond, together with having an eye on becoming iconic brands. With over 25 years’ experience as a strategist and across financial marketing, communications and brand design, Terhas is widely acknowledged as a thought-leader in the evolving agency and brand landscape. She has been named by the Holmes Report as one of the ‘Top 25 Innovators – EMEA’ and thrives on helping African companies to fulfil their potential.

Knox is a Zimbabwean- born UK resident with expertise in Zimbabwean/African and broader international security, diplomacy, development and diaspora issues. He is the Africa Associate Fellow with the Royal Institute for International Affairs [Chatham House] . He is also on the Diaspora Division of the African Union. Knox has experience in the military, as a diplomat, as an international advisor to governments and institutions, and also as a policy and academic analyst. He is also President of the Britain Zimbabwe Society.

Ethel Kuuya is a visionary leader and strategist with over two decades of experience driving organisational transformation and sustainable development across Africa. She is the founder and CEO of Advisory Kulture, a consulting firm operating in 12 African countries, and the Leading Beyond Now Institute for executive coaching.

An accomplished author, Ethel penned Leading Beyond Now: The Five Commitments for Africa to Thrive (2023), offering insights into leadership and generational impact. She has served on various boards, including Letshego Faidika Bank in Tanzania and Murowa Diamond Mine in Zimbabwe, and has contributed to global forums such as UNESCO’s Policy Lab and Chatham House panels.

Ethel holds an MSc in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris and has completed executive education at leading institutions like Wharton and Copenhagen Business School. Her commitment to Africa’s potential is exemplified through her work in strategy design, public sector reform, and leadership development.

A seasoned Corporate Executive with over 30 years’ experience, Michael has an impressive track record of turning around and rapidly growing banks in multiple African countries. Passionate about financial inclusion in Africa, he has recently mobilised resources and set up Longitude Finance to pursue the objective of supporting small businesses to be financially included and creating beneficial socio-economic impact.