Business
Africa’s most powerful women in private equity
Africa is experiencing an unprecedented influx of private equity (PE).
According to statistics available from the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), PE investments in Africa rose to US$1.5 billion in 2010, up from US$151 million in 2002.
A sizeable chunk of those funds are managed by some of the largest private equity shops in Africa – the likes of Helios Capital Partners, Citadel Capital and African Capital Alliance which are led and dominated by men.
These ladies manage close to US$1 billion of investor capital.
Ngozi Edozien, Nigerian. CEO Actis West Africa
Ngozi Edozien graduated Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Harvard.
Edozien cut her teeth at global consulting firm Mckinsey before proceeding to work for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer as head of the company’s East, Central and Anglo-Lusophone West Africa (ECAWA) region. She subsequently founded the Equity Vehicle for Health in Africa (EVHA), a private equity fund committed to investments in the Health sector. In 2009 she was appointed the CEO of Actis West Africa. Actis is one of the world’s leading emerging markets Private Equity firms with over US$4.8 billion under management.
Edozien oversees the company’s West African investments which include Mouka Foam, Diamond Bank and Seven Energy.
