Council


Arunma Oteh

Chair

@aoteh

Arunma Oteh OON is Chair of the Royal African Society. She has been an Academic Scholar at St. Antony’s College and an Executive-in-Residence at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, since January 2019. Her research areas of focus are capital markets, economic development and financial technology. She is also a member of the London Stock Exchange Africa Advisory Group. She was previously Treasurer of the World Bank, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria, Group Vice President and Group Treasurer, African Development Bank Group. She started her career in 1985, at Centre Point Investments Limited, Nigeria. Ms. Oteh holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSc, First Class Honors from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Ms Oteh has also served on several boards and has received several awards notably Nigeria’s Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) National Honour. She was named one of PowerList’s 2020 top 100 people of Black Heritage in the U.K., and one of Africa’s 50 most influential African women by Forbes Africa in March 2020.

Dr Titi Banjoko

Vice-Chair

Dr Titi Banjoko is a healthcare professional with extensive experience in international development. She successfully pioneered the formation of AfricaRecruit a programme designed to build capacity in Africa using human capital as the main driver. Over the last 17 years she has successfully advocated the use of Diaspora capital as a developmental tool in Africa. She is actively engaged in advocating for Better Health in Africa working at strategic Global health level. Dr Banjoko serves on the board of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative.

Jide Olanrewaju

Vice Chairman

Jide Olanrewaju is a Partner at TPG Growth focused on Africa investments. Prior to joining TPG Growth in 2015, Mr. Olanrewaju was a Partner with Satya Capital, an Africa investment fund, where he worked for 6 years focused on transactions in the Healthcare, Consumer and Financial Services sectors. Previously, Mr. Olanrewaju was at Morgan Stanley for over 6 years where he worked in both the Merchant Banking and Investment Banking Divisions. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he also worked briefly at Goldman Sachs and Shell International in Investment Banking and Gas & Power respectively. Mr Olanrewaju has an MEng from Imperial College, London with a specialization in Nuclear Reactor Technology.

Andrew Skipper

Vice Chair

Having headed up the firm's global corporate practice for over 10 years, Andrew Skipper is now Head of Africa Practice, Hogan Lovells LLP, overseeing one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial groups within the firm. As head of the global team, Andrew ensures that Hogan Lovells work and relationships on the continent are underpinned by four key pillars; to understand, operate, invest and respect Africa. He is on the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and was previously a trustee of the Royal National Theatre Foundation.

Gregory Kronsten

Treasurer

Gregory Kronsten joined FBN Capital as head of economics in 2011. He previously had a similar role at another Nigerian finance house, CSL Stockbrokers. For several years he worked at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), latterly as regional director (Africa). He left the EIU in 1997, and was an analyst of bond and currency markets in Africa for both WestLB and Commerzbank. In 2007 he moved to Trusted Sources, an independent emerging markets research house, to set up an Africa top-down macro product. His first job took him to Zaire (DRC) as a lending officer for an international bank. Gregory is a trustee of Rainbow Development in Africa, which runs small-scale agricultural projects in Mauritania and Senegal.

LORD Jonny Oates 

Co-opted Member

Jonny Oates is Co-Chair of the APPG Africa and has been a member of the House of Lords since October 2015. He is Chief Executive of United Against Malnutrition and Hunger, an advocacy group that seeks to raise the profile of global malnutrition and hunger and drive UK action to tackle it. During the Coalition Government (2010-2015), he was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Director of Communications in 10 Downing Street. From 1999-2001 he worked in the South African Parliament and in the late 1980s taught in a rural secondary school in Zimbabwe. Jonny is a member of the Council of the Royal African Society and sits on the Advisory Board of The Britain Project, a non-partisan movement seeking to build a broad liberal and progressive coalition in the UK. His memoir, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, was published in October 2020. 

Ambreena Manji

Appointed Member, Ex Officio

@AmbreenaManji

Ambreena Manji is the current President of the African Studies Association (ASAUK) and has been Professor of Land Law and Development at Cardiff since 2014, where she co-founded the Law and Global Justice Centre. Her research is strongly interdisciplinary and collaborative. She has published on land law reform in Eastern Africa, on the history of African legal education, on law in African literature and on women and the law. She was previously Director of the British Academy's British Institute in Eastern Africa (2010-2014). Ambreena is the editor of African Affairs, a member of the editorial board of Social and Legal Studies and sits on the advisory boards of the Nordic Journal of Human Rights and Feminist Legal Studies.

Obi James

Elected Member

@ObiJamesUK

Obi James is a Certified Team Performance Coach and Founder of Obi James Consultancy Limited. She has over 10 years’ in-house people development experience gained from large multinational financial services organisations such as Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Northern Trust. Obi specialises in transforming how leadership teams work together, helping them to shape their organisational culture and drive performance. She has coached and advised global leaders, teams and boards in organisations such as Thomson Reuters, Women in Banking & Finance (WIBF), Farfetch, Mayor of London, the NHS and Royal African Society. She also runs workshops and speaks on topics such as Collaborative Leadership as a Competitive Advantage and Creating Intelligent Teams at events such as the recent Global Finance Transformation Summit. When she is not coaching or advising business leaders, Obi is exploring London with her two daughters or visiting family in Finland.

Nike Jonah

Elected Member

Nike Jonah is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Pan African Creative Exchange (PACE) - that launched July 2018 at the Vrystaat Arts Festival in Bloemfontein, South Africa - and a Visiting Research Fellow at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2017-2019). She is currently employed at Counterpoint Arts on their PopCulture and Social Change initiative. From 2004 to 2012 Nike developed and produced the Arts Council England’s flagship diversity initiative: Decibel Performing Arts Showcase. As a keen champion for diversity and equality in the arts, Nike has led numerous discussions and workshops in USA, South Africa, Canada, UK, Denmark, Australia and The Netherlands. She is a Trustee for The European Cultural Foundation, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and The Bush Theatre.

Razia Khan

Elected Member

@RaziakKhan

Razia Khan is Chief Economist for Africa and a well-known commentator on African markets. She joined Standard Chartered in 1997. She currently serves on the WEF’s Global Future Council on Migration and on the Advisory Board of the Royal Africa Society, and was named one of the 100 most influential Africans in 2015’ by New African Magazine. Razia holds a BSc (Hons) degree in economics and an MSc (Econ) in development, including monetary economics and international trade law, from the London School of Economics.

Geetha Tharmaratnam

Elected Member

@G_Tharmaratnam

Geetha Tharmaratnam is the CEO and Founding Partner of Aequalitas Capital Partners. She is a Private Equity (PE) professional with 19+ years experience in Developing Markets PE, investing in Africa, impact investing and Global Insurance. Recently, as senior investment advisor to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, she developed a fund-of-funds to invest in female African Investors. Engaged in April 2019, the Africa Womens Leadership Fund launched in February 2020, with commitments from 3 African governments and several private investors. Previously Geetha was Partner - Africa & Global Head of Impact at LGT Impact. A member of Global Investment Committee, she was a deal partner with a focus on health, education, logistics, food & agriculture and financial services transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa. She worked in the global Portfolio Management team of the Abraaj Group, was head of Impact & ESG and was a founding member of the Global Health Fund, a billion dollar impact fund investing in Africa and Asia. As a principal at Aureos Capital, a preeminent Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) PE firm, she focused on group strategy and sustainable investing, developing the first PE sustainability index. Geetha was a founding member of the world’s first Base of the Pyramid Fund and Africa’s first dedicated health investment fund. She holds a BSc (Finance) from the University of Bridgeport, an MBA and MSc in Management Research from Oxford University (Private Equity as an instrument of development in Africa), is an Eisenhower Fellow and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Geetha is a VC investor in Africa with a portfolio ranging from health, Fintech, secure digital identification, data analytics to music.

Gina Din-Kariuki

Elected Member

@gina_din

Gina Din-Kariuki, a distinguished Kenyan businesswoman and communications expert, founded Gina Din Corporate Communications, East Africa's top communications group, which was later acquired by Edelman PR in 2020. With over 30 years of experience, Gina has been a leader in providing innovative media and communication strategies globally. She has held key roles, including directorship at Erin Energy and chairing Boma Pan African, overseeing diverse companies. Actively involved in philanthropy, Gina serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Kenya Red Cross and runs the Gina Din Foundation, empowering youth and women. As the Group Executive Chairperson and East Africa CEO of Brand Leadership, she continues to excel in the branding and communications sector. Gina's impactful journey is chronicled in her best-selling memoir, "Gina Din – Daughter of Africa," offering insights into her remarkable career and philanthropic endeavours.

Phil Clark

Elected Member

Phil Clark is a Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London. He specialises in conflict-related issues, including transitional justice, peacebuilding, and reconciliation in Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi.   

  
His most recent books are Distant Justice: The Impact of the International Criminal Court on African Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2018) and The Gacaca Courts, Post-Genocide Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda: Justice without Lawyers (CUP, 2010). He is currently completing a book on post-genocide welfare and reconciliation in Rwanda, to be published by Hurst and Co. Publishers.   

Professor Clark is a member of the UN Advisory Group on reconciliation and the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) law and peace practice group. In 2014, he founded the Research, Policy, and Higher Education program through the Aegis Trust – designed to support the Rwandan research community. Professor Clark has a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

Ed Marlow

Elected Member

Ed Marlow is a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank responsible for all lending activities across Sub-Saharan Africa. Before this, he was the Founding Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Credit Suisse Global Markets. Previously he was Global Head of Coverage for Principal Investments at HSBC having also founded and led HSBC's African Principal Investments Business. Ed has also worked for Insinger De Beaufort, UBS, and Citigroup. An ex-British Infantry Officer, he has an MBA from Cranfield University, a PGDip Law from the University of Northumbria, a BA from Manchester University, and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College and RMA Sandhurst.

Hannah O’Leary

Elected Member

@hannah_o_really

Hannah O’Leary is a senior director at Sotheby’s auction house, where she runs the Modern & Contemporary African Art department. She has worked in this field for almost 20 years and has overseen numerous record-breaking sales. Hannah maintains close relationships with private collectors and public institutions, often advising on their collections and acquisitions. She has raised over £ 2 million for institutions supporting African artists including the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos; Norval Foundation, Cape Town; The International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York; and Brandywine Workshop and Archives (BWA), Philadelphia. She has spoken on the subject of collecting art from Africa to audiences internationally, including the Royal Academy London, the Haus der Kunst Munich, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Perez Art Museum Miami, the FT Africa Summit, The Art Business Conference, Milken Global Conference, the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings and the Venice Biennale. She is also a Trustee of the Norval Foundation in South Africa.

Adam Habib

Elected Member

Professor Adam Habib is an academic, activist, and public intellectual. He is Vice Chancellor of SOAS University of London and previously VC and Principal of University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa. He holds qualifications in Political Science from the University of Natal, Wits and City University of New York.


Professor Habib is a co-founder of the African Research Universities Alliance, an affiliation of research-intensive universities on the continent.  He has published numerous edited books, book chapters and journal articles over the last three decades in the thematic areas of democratisation and its consolidation in South Africa, contemporary social movements, philanthropy, inequality, giving and its impact on poverty alleviation and development, institutional reform, changing identities and their evolution in the post-apartheid era, and South Africa's role in Africa and beyond.