‘Tokunboh Ishmael

‘Tokunboh Ishmael has over 20 years experience spanning investment banking, private equity investing, technology and new business development in the USA, Europe and Africa. She is a co-founder and managing director of Alitheia Capital (www.thealitheia.com), an investment management and advisory firm focused on channeling private equity investments into businesses to enhance access to finance, energy and housing for small and growing businesses, and low-income households. Alitheia is one of the firms pioneering the concept of making investments for positive financial, social and environmental impact – Impact Investing – in Nigeria. Alitheia’s investments include businesses that enable the provision of financial services to the unbanked and under-banked through traditional and branchless banking models; provision of affordable and clean cooking fuel and cook-stoves to low income households in order to alleviate the use of traditional fuels associated with in-door air pollution, and deforestation; and the construction of affordable school infrastructure with pre-fabricated panels produced using only locally available materials. ‘Tokunboh’s experience spans business development, investing, and investment banking. Her previous roles include Country Partner for Nigeria at Aureos Capital where she successfully raised capital to complete a $50m fundraising exercise for the Aureos West Africa Fund, and sourced private equity investments; Fund Manager of a technology focused venture capital fund (Sussex Place Ventures) where she incubated new ventures, and commercialized technological innovations developed in the laboratories of top universities in the UK. Other previous roles include M&A banker at Salomon Smith Barney and Managing Director of Avante Capital Ltd where she advised on a number of acquisitions in the oil and gas sector including the acquisition and financing of a government owned refinery, and led the first secondary listing of a Nigerian company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In addition, ‘Tokunboh worked at Obongo, a successful e-wallet silicon valley start-up acquired by AOL Time Warner, where she managed and monetised the company’s partnership with the largest banking institutions in the USA. Furthermore, her operational experience includes a number of technology consulting roles in various companies such as Amerada Hess, Reuters and ING Barings. ‘Tokunboh is an alumnus of London Business School, and the University of London. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Institute; a member of the board of the African Venture Capital Association and a panelist on the TV show, Dragons’ Den Nigeria.