Leadership

Wouter is an internet pioneer with 20+ years of industry experience. Wouter cofounded in 1997 the first carrier neutral data centre in Amsterdam - SpeedPort, modelled after AboveNet and the Palo Alto Internet Exchange in California.

In 1999, he was part of the founding team of Interxion, which became Europe’s leading data centre operator 20 years later. He initiated the Swiss Internet Exchange Swiss-IX in 2001, and the French France-IX in 2009. In July 2016, whilst at Interxion, he founded PAIX to focus 100% on the data centre opportunity on the African continent. He initiated and co-founded the Africa Data Centres Association in 2018, and is currently a board member.

Wouter grew up in Mali and Burkina Faso and graduated from Imperial College London with a Masters in Software Engineering, and received his MBA from INSEAD.

Lameck is an enterprising, extroverted and customer-focused Business Executive with a natural ability for building new businesses and forging loyalty with clients, vendors and external business partners. He’s highly knowledgeable in business operations with a notable track record of delivering record-breaking improvements for highly competitive businesses.

He has over 16 years of experience in various sectors including Financial Services, FMCG, Investments, Real Estate, Energy, and Professional Services. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in strategy, business operations, investments, and corporate finance in start-ups and established organizations. Lameck started his career at PwC and has served in the senior leadership teams at AFEX Commodities Exchange and Anjarwalla & Khanna as the Group CFO. Before joining PAIX, Lameck served as a Finance Director, Portfolio Operations at Centum Investment Company Plc.

Lameck holds a First Class Honours BA in Economics from Egerton University and an MBA for Executives (Distinction) from Strathmore Business School in collaboration with IESE, and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA(K).

Tony Abakisi is an investment professional previously with Actis Private Equity leading Actis’ Diamond Bank investment, currently also serves as Non Executive Director of Sigma Pensions (Nigeria) and a Board Observer at Severn Energy.

He is an alumnus of Harvard (MBA) and Colby College, USA.

• Hlumelo has over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications and data centre industry.
• Beyond his professional achievements, Hlumelo is passionate about mentoring young professionals and promoting digital inclusion in Africa. His commitment to fostering technological innovation aligns perfectly with PAIX's vision of empowering digital transformation across the continent.

Vanessa is an international legal counsel with over 18 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, holding dynamic roles in multinational corporations worldwide. Vanessa is also a certified mediator, showcasing her dedication to conflict resolution.

She's an esteemed alumna of Paris University, possessing a Master's Degree in Law from the renowned Pantheon-Sorbonne and Paris V – Descartes.

Robert is a Legal and Investment Professional with 15+ years of experience in corporate and solar energy investments in Europe and Southern Africa.

Robert worked in M&A advisory with Lincoln International, Kempen & Co and Morgan Stanley in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. Robert obtained his legal qualification as an M&A lawyer with De Brauw Blackstone in Amsterdam and London.

Robert graduated from Leiden University, University of Amsterdam, Sciences Po Paris and London Business School.

Edwin is an Industry engineer with 30+ years of experience in designing, building and operating telecom networks and data centres with UUNet, Verizon and MTN. Graduate of Tshwane Institute of Technology.

Richardt is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in Operations, IT, and Systems management. Renowned for his problem-solving skills and talent for driving transformative change, Richardt has held C-level positions at industry leaders for the last 10 years where his leadership has set new standards of excellence.

In 2020, Richardt earned a Master's Degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Liverpool, blending his practical experience with academic achievements. His unique blend of expertise positions him as a visionary leader, capable of translating complex technical concepts into actionable strategies.

Boubacar is a progressive leader in the telecommunications industry, with expertise focused on B2B relationships. He held the position of Head of Sales at Free in Senegal, where he led the implementation of the business strategy, achieving maximum return on investment and economic success in alignment with the company's overall strategy. Previously, he worked for Tigo Senegal as a key account sales manager, where he implemented sales strategies, monitored production indicators, planned, organized and supervised the activity of the sales teams.

Boubacar studied accounting and management of organizations in France, before obtaining a degree in computer science with a specialization in computer networks.

Bright is a seasoned technology solutions sales and business development expert with over 17 years’ experience in solutions sales, and customer management, retention, driving innovation, supporting P&L management, sales coaching, policy management and adding value to individuals and businesses both locally and abroad.

He has a Higher National Diploma in Marketing from Sunyani Technical University, BSc Marketing from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, MBA focus in Marketing from University of Ghana Business School, Master of Arts in Economic Management Policy from University of Ghana Economics Department and LLB from Central University of Ghana.

Outside work, Bright is a soccer enthusiast, human rights advocate and a magnetic movie lover. 

• Coen has 30+ years of professional experience in investments and operations management
• Partner at LTI Capital and previously Partner at Plain Vanilla Investments in The Netherlands

Lucy has over a decade of experience in investments and operations globally. Prior to joining Africa50 as an Investment Director, Lucy worked as an engineer at Exxon Mobil, and has since been working in finance and investments in the infrastructure space at Goldman Sachs and Macquarie Asset Management in London.

Lucy holds an MBA from London Business School and a Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from the University of Queensland.

Raza Hasnani has over twenty-three years of infrastructure, private equity, and impact investing experience in Africa, Asia and the Americas. He leads the infrastructure investments business at Africa 50 (a $850 million investment platform) and is focused on making private equity and growth investments into greenfield and brownfield projects as well as platforms. He has also led project and corporate financings for energy and infrastructure projects around the world while at Exxon Mobil Corporation in Dallas and Houston. He started his career at Deloitte in Philadelphia.

Mr. Hasnani has invested in renewable and conventional power projects, electric and gas utilities, pipelines, ports, terminals, upstream, refineries, transportation, and other energy and infrastructure assets around the world.

He holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Franklin and Marshall College.

• Hemen has 37+ years of professional experience in investments, finance, and strategy
• Currently Partner at 8 Miles LLP
• Previously General Manager for West Africa & CEO Ghana at Standard Chartered Bank, and Manager at BCG