Our leadership team comprises of a Board of Directors and Executive Team who together have diverse expertise bringing together strong leadership, in-depth industry knowledge, and extensive experience.
Team Members
Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Raghav Gandhi
Chief Investment Officer / Managing Director, AIML
Raghav is an experienced real-estate professional with a proven track record of delivering results globally across asset classes. He has jointly led the growth of a major commercial real estate start-up venture in India and headed the development of projects across the MENA region for a major real estate developer in Kuwait, where he was also responsible for optimizing returns from a number of underperforming investments. He subsequently established his own consulting practice, which advised GCC families and corporates on real estate transactions and projects in the UK and the Middle East.
Raghav joined Acorn in February 2020 as a consultant for the implementation of the Acorn REITs. He worked closely with the Corporate Finance and Corporate Affairs/Legal teams, as well as with transaction advisors, service providers and investors. Effective 1st November 2020, Raghav was appointed as Chief Investment Officer – AHL / Managing Director – AIML.
Raghav holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Sciences in Economics from the London School of Economics.
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Steve Wood
Director, Health Safety Environmental Social and Governance (HSESG)
Steve has extensive experience in quality, health safety & the environment, and workers welfare leadership and management in construction, supervision, program and project management, consultancy, transportation, heavy engineering, oil and gas and mining industries. His experience includes transportation, shipyards, marine, rail, metro, civil engineering, drainage, roads, bridges / structures, process, water and wastewater treatment, oil and gas refineries, defense establishments, airports, stadia and buildings. He is heavily experienced in continuous research and development of safe systems of work, policy and procedures and was involved in assisting the UAE Ministry of Labor in developing safety laws based on international best practice.
Steve’s style is being very visible and extensively involved in the creation, delivery and implementation of world class strategies and systems to send people home safely every day.
Steve has vast experience in the writing, development and implementation of management systems certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001 and Abu Dhabi EHSMS (now OSHAD) Safety, Health & Environmental Management Systems for 4 organizations, and across 11 countries.
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Washington Gichuru
Head of IT
Washington, a Kenyan citizen, joined Acorn as a Systems Analyst in 2016. He has been responsible for the deployment, implementation and support of various software applications in the organization.
Prior to joining Acorn, he worked for over 10 years in the US as a Senior Software Engineer in various industries including Telcom, Hospitality, Media, and IT Services.
Washington holds a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems with a minor in Finance from USA. He is COBIT 5 certified, is a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and is also a Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) professional.
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Juliet Soila Langat
Head of Supply Chain
Juliet is a procurement professional bringing 24+ years of experience in procurement, logistics and internal audit. She has worked in various roles at Unilever as a Junior Buyer – Flower Division, Assistant Purchasing Manager, Assistant Logistics Manager, Internal Auditor – Unilever East Africa Regional Audit, Supplies & Logistics Manager, Procurement Officer – Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) & Engineering Services, and Procurement Specialist – Tea Plantations. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (UK) – MCIPS.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Sociology from Egerton University, a post-graduate diploma from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Procurement & Logistics at JKUAT.
During her free time, Juliet enjoys gardening, crafts, serving in Sunday School, and Missions Ministry.
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David Gitare
Head of Internal Audit
David is an Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance leader with 14 years of professional and diversified work experience gained in the education, healthcare, insurance, automotive and professional services industries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
As an organization leader, David’s primary responsibility is to provide the Board of Directors and executive management team with readily consumable and timely assurance, advice and insights on the system of internal control and risk management crucial for the success of the organization. Prior to joining Acorn, David was the Chief Internal Audit & Risk Officer at Longhorn Publishers PLC, a leading pan-African education content developer.
David holds a Master of Commerce degree (Forensic Accounting) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Accounting & Finance), both from Strathmore University. He is a holder of the Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA®), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE®), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA®) and Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA-K).
David is also a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
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Eugene Banja
Head of Treasury
Eugene has worked extensively in the Kenyan financial services industry, working for The Nairobi Securities Exchange as they set up the country’s first Exchange traded derivatives market, as the Group Treasurer for The African Guarantee Fund and as Principal Treasury officer for the East African Development Bank (EADB). He’s also a key member of the leadership of the East African chapter of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
He has actuarial training holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi and is a holder of several passes of the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries Exams. He holds a Diploma in Bank Treasury Risk Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Derivatives and Financial Markets from Middlesex University.
Eugene is in charge of setting up the treasury function at Acorn and brings his experience to bear on the fundraising side of the business.
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Gerard Lokossou
Director, Vuka
Gerard is an experienced go-to-market, supply chain, growth acceleration, and transformation leader with over 27 years of experience across world-class multinationals in the FMCG, Telecoms, Green Energy, and Consulting industries.
He graduated from the prestigious Felix Houphouët Boigny Polytechnic Institute in Côte d’Ivoire and began his career in the Supply Chain field with companies including Unilever and Nestle Group where he managed portfolios across Africa, Europe, and Latin America and diversified his experience into Marketing & Sales Area. He then joined the telecoms sector with MTN Ivory Coast where he led several regional strategic projects, including the transformation of MTN Group Sales and Distribution Strategy. He later joined Airtel Africa as their Sales & Distribution Director in 2014 overseeing 17 countries, and subsequently moved to Airtel Congo as MD. He later joined Orange Telecoms Group in the DRC. He decided to pivot his career into more entrepreneurial roles and co-founded D. Impact a Strategic Go-To-Market & Growth acceleration company.
Gerard is passionate about empowering organizations for agile commercial transformation as well as mentoring the next generation of disruptive, technology, and data-driven entrepreneurs.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Indresh Saluja
Chief Operations Officer
Indresh, an Indian citizen and a Management Graduate of 2001, has work experience of over fifteen years spanning various operational and strategic responsibilities at Bharti Airtel Limited, Etisalat DB Telecom Ltd and Acorn Holdings Ltd. He is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Scrum Master and Lean Champion.
Indresh holds certification in Design Thinking from MIT – Sloan School of Management. He has worked closely with over 25 CEOs, MDs and Owners of businesses, facilitating organization wide business transformation and operational excellence interventions.
In his stints across various functions, organizations and as a consultant, he was committed to supporting individuals and teams to innovate strategies to operationalize business goals using Design Thinking, and Lean Principles and to channelize them to adopt a systemic perspective for heightened business results. When not doing this, Indresh enjoys photography, cooking and playing chess.
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Jackie Rozario
Customer Experience Director
Jackie is of Ugandan nationality and a Customer Experience Professional with over 15 years’ experience.
Prior to joining Acorn in April 2019, she worked in the Telcom Industry as a Customer Experience Director. She has also worked in the Pay-TV Industry in Kenya in a senior Management Level as Head of Operations. She commenced her Customer Experience journey in the Telcom Industry – Celtel, Uganda, before it transitioned to Zain and later Airtel and has worked in both Ugandan and Kenyan markets where she served in various capacities and grew to the Head of Retail Operations and Customer Experience Management.
Jackie holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Edinburgh Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce Accounting from Makerere University. She is a Lean Six Sigma Professional.
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Sheila Moraa
Head of ESG
Sheila is a Kenyan citizen with over 14 years of Project Management experience in the built environment and renewable energy sector. She is passionate about promoting sustainable development in the built environment and utilizing opportunities in the green space to further grow this in the local context.
Currently as Head of ESG at AIML; an integrated Real Estate company providing student accommodation, Sheila is managing green certification and GRESB certification of the company portfolio. These have a positive impact holistically on the policies and practices of the company and its stakeholders regarding ESG.
Previously, Sheila worked in the Oil & Gas and the energy industries (Total Kenya Ltd. & KenGen) both at the project and regulatory levels influencing policy formulation while at Energy Regulatory Commission. Sheila is a trained Civil Engineer currently completing an executive Masters program at Strathmore University, certified PRINCE2 practitioner and an EDGE Expert. Sheila also sits in the board of Kenya Green Building Society.
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Mathew Maina
Investor Relations Director
Mathew is a Kenya citizen with 13 years’ experience in local and International Retirement Benefits Environments, Asset Management, Investment, Banking and Insurance. He is responsible for the ASA REITs capital raising, investor relations and fund reporting.
Mathew previously worked for Zamara Actuaries, Administrators & Consultants Ltd where he held multiple senior roles including Lead Consultant and Administrator for the National Housing Development Fund. In this previous role, he oversaw a team that managed a portfolio of over KES 300 billion in assets for more than 150 Pension Funds in Kenya and East Africa.
Mathew holds bachelor’s degree (Honors) in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT) and is pursuing a dual MA/MSc in Investments & Finance.
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Sheila Maina
Senior Legal & Regulatory Affairs Manager
Sheila is a Kenyan citizen with over 8 years working experience, with over 5 of those years spent working as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Her experience transects several practice areas, notably commercial law, banking and capital markets law, development finance, legal compliance and corporate governance across East and Southern Africa.
Prior to joining Acorn, Sheila worked with Shelter Afrique (the pre-eminent housing finance provider in Africa) and DLA Piper Africa in Kenya in the Projects & Infrastructure Practice (Tier I Law Firm).
She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Nairobi. She is a Certified Secretary and a Commissioner for Oaths.
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Patrick Njuguna
Financial Controller
Patrick is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with a15-year background in financial management. He has held a variety of finance roles such as Team Leader – Record to Report, Manager – Financial Controls and Reporting and Treasury Manager, and Director of the Safaricom Sacco at Safaricom PLC. Before joining Safaricom, Patrick worked in manufacturing and FMCGs in various finance and accounting capacities.
Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K) and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nairobi in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Kenya Methodist University (KEMU). He is also a certified Board of Director from Cooperative University of Kenya.
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Dennis Aluanga
Chairman
Dennis, a Kenyan national, has 27 years of relevant professional experience. Prior to joining Helios in July 2011, he was the COO (East Africa) of Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), the Manufacturing and Infrastructure arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. IPS has investments in several portfolio companies in food and agro-processing, packaging, pharmaceutical, textiles, steel, and leather processing industries as well as power generation and telecoms across East Africa. He also served in the roles of COO, CFO, Group Strategy Manager and Group Audit Manager at Nation Media Group (NMG). NMG’s operations in the region spread across newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and digital media.
Dennis serves on the Boards of Directors of Acorn and Telkom Kenya, as well as on the Board of Nation Media Group. He received an MBA from Edinburgh University in UK and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
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Kenneth Luusa
Executive Director
Ken, a Kenyan citizen, joined a leading international firm of Chartered Surveyors and worked in the property management department of the firm’s Aberdeen Office where he was responsible for the firm’s client portfolio in the Northeast of Scotland. Prior to joining the Group, he was the Regional Chief Executive Officer of Property Development and Management Limited (PDM), an Aga Khan Development Network Company where he was responsible for managing and developing the organization’s commercial Project Developments in East Africa.
Ken is a seasoned professional and member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Institute of Surveyors in Uganda, a practicing and Registered Valuation surveyor in Uganda and a Registered Real Estate Agent in Kenya. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), with a bachelor’s degree in Land Economics in 1990.
Ken has over 30 years relevant professional experience and is the current Chairman of the Kenya Property Developers Association (KPDA).
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Ben Lim
Non-Executive Director
Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Trust Ltd. He has been actively involved in the Mauritius international financial services sector since its inception in the early 1990’s and has played a decisive role in the Global Business legal and regulatory reform process in Mauritius. Ben is the Honorary Consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Mauritius. He is also a member of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) Mauritius Chapter and Pan African Chapter. He was, until March 2015, a Board Member of the Board of Investment, the apex government organization responsible for the promotion of Mauritius. He also served as a member of the Financial Services Consultative Committee (FSCC) which was constituted pursuant to the Financial Services Act 2007 under the Chairmanship of the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Finance & Economic Development.
As a founding member of various international financial institutions, he acts as Director on a number of them having a presence in Mauritius. He has a great deal of experience in international tax planning and until April 2000, he was an international tax and offshore services partner at De Chazal Du Mée.
Ben studied at the Westminster University, London and afterwards qualified as a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
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Vishma Boyjonauth
Non-Executive Director
Vishma Boyjonauth joined Intercontinental Trust Limited (“ITL”) in 2004 and she is currently a Senior Manager in a Corporate Services Department. She leads a team in the Corporate Services Department and oversees the operations division such as incorporation of companies, advising on company structures, regulatory matters and corporate administration of companies for both domestic and global business companies in Mauritius.
The extensive experience acquired in the global business sector by managing a portfolio of clients ranging from international banks to private client for over 15 years has provided Vishma with the skills and abilities to sit on the board of various global business companies under the management of ITL. Her opinion is valued by the other board members.
She is also actively involved in various innovative projects which are geared towards increasing the efficiency drive within ITL. She has also acquired full set of technical skills to manage people and service clients and attended several trainings, workshops and conferences in company secretarial matters, AML/CFT laws as well as leadership. Vishma graduated from the University of Mauritius with a B.Sc (Hons) in Economics. She also holds a MBA in Innovation & Leadership (with Merit) awarded jointly by the University of Mauritius and Ducere Global Business School.
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Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Ameel Somani
Non-Executive Board
Ameel, a Canadian citizen, has 8 years of relevant professional experience. He joined Helios in August 2012 after completing his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Prior to Harvard, Ameel was an Associate at Teachers’ Private Capital based in Toronto, Canada, and prior to that, he worked at CIBC World Markets as an Analyst in their investment Banking Mergres & Acquisitions Group. He served on the Board of Aga Khan Development Network East Africa Task Force.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ameel also holds a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
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Nimit Shah
Non-Executive Board
Mr Shah has 20 years of relevant investment and advisory experience. He joined Helios in 2008, and has been involved with a number of private equity and private credit investments including Vivo Energy, GB Foods Africa, Continental Outdoor, OVH Energy and Africell.
Prior to joining Helios, Mr Shah was a Director within the Financial Sponsors Group at Lehman Brothers in London. His experience there spanned M&A advisory, leveraged finance and equity capital markets in Europe and the US. Mr Shah started his career as a strategy consultant at Arthur D Little where his focus areas were corporate finance and telecommunications.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, he completed his high school education at Eton College in the UK; he has an MA in Economics and Management from Oxford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Shah, a Kenyan and British national, speaks Swahili, Gujarati and Hindi.
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Rose Mambo
Chair of AIML Board / Independent Non-Executive Director
Rose, a Kenyan citizen, is the current Chair of the AIML Board and immediate former CEO of the Central Depository & Settlement Corporation Ltd (CDSC), where she provided custody and settlement services for securities traded at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. She is a shareholder/director at Shady Acres Ltd and serves on the Boards of Development Bank of Kenya, Kenya Community Development Foundation, Digital Opportunity Trust and is Co-Vice Chair of the Women Corporate Directors – Kenya Chapter.
Rose is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Secretaries, Kenya. Rose has worked as a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers in the Public Trustee and Bankruptcy Sections. She also served on the Review of Companies Law Task Force, and later served as the Head of the Copyright Office.
She has a Master of Laws Degree from the American University in Washington DC, specializing in International Business Law, an MBA from Strathmore University, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Nairobi.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Wangui Maranga-Okello
Non-Executive Board
Wangui Maranga-Okello, a Kenyan citizen, is financial services practitioner, and a board member with deep expertise in financial markets. She brings more than 20 years of unique cross-functional oversight leadership and hands-on experience in financial services, having worked both on the buy-side (portfolio and asset management), as well the sell-side (corporate finance advisory, real estate project financing & capital raising, debt and equity structuring) in East Africa.
Her strong working relationships with a vast network of institutional investors (including all major fund managers, insurance, reinsurance companies, as well as international Development Finance Institutions and regulatory bodies such as the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) and Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has positioned her in good stead in the financial market ecosystem.
She held the position of Director of Investor Relations and Reporting at Acorn Holdings Limited for over 2 years before becoming a board member of the AIML Board.
Wangui holds an MBA in Finance from University of Leicester, Bachelor of Commerce from University of Nairobi, is a qualified accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has a Higher Diploma from the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS).
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Claire Jarratt
Non-Executive Board
Claire is a British citizen and also a finance and investment management specialist, with over two decades of impressive career spanning; audit and assurance, corporate and project finance, M&A, deal origination and investment management. As the Chief Investment Officer of InfraCo Africa Limited, Claire oversees investment origination, appraisal/due diligence, and management.
Prior to joining InfraCo Africa in 2012, Claire was Assistant Director at International Power PLC (now Engie), leading corporate and project finance initiatives. She has a stint as Merger and Acquisition Manager and Commercial Manager at TRI, the investment holding company of Pizza Hut and KFC. She was also an Assistant Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Kingdom, where she spent half a decade specializing in providing audit and assurance services to mid and large-cap firms in Greater London.
Claire is an alumnus of Jesus College, Oxford University and a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Claire, a sport enthusiast, is a skier and gym goer and, a long-distance runner – she participated in the New York Marathon 1999 and London Marathon 2006.
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Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Dr. Winnie Nyamute
Independent Non-Executive Director
Winnie is a Kenyan citizen and a full-time Senior Lecturer and Consultant in the Department of Finance and Accounting at the University of Nairobi.
She has served on the board of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Sameer Africa PLC, the board of trustees of NSE Clear and of KCA University. She has chaired the audit, risk management and governance committees of both NSE and Sameer. Other committees served include: Disciplinary, Listing and Admissions, Nominations and Remunerations, Derivatives Risk Management, Self-Listing and the Audit Quality Assurance. Winnie was appointed to the board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in November 2019.
She holds a PhD in Business Administration (Finance), an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
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Ameel Somani
Non-Executive Board
Ameel, a Canadian citizen, has 8 years of relevant professional experience. He joined Helios in August 2012 after completing his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Prior to Harvard, Ameel was an Associate at Teachers’ Private Capital based in Toronto, Canada, and prior to that, he worked at CIBC World Markets as an Analyst in their investment Banking Mergres & Acquisitions Group. He served on the Board of Aga Khan Development Network East Africa Task Force.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ameel also holds a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
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Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Raghav Gandhi
Chief Investment Officer / Managing Director, AIML
Raghav is an experienced real-estate professional with a proven track record of delivering results globally across asset classes. He has jointly led the growth of a major commercial real estate start-up venture in India and headed the development of projects across the MENA region for a major real estate developer in Kuwait, where he was also responsible for optimizing returns from a number of underperforming investments. He subsequently established his own consulting practice, which advised GCC families and corporates on real estate transactions and projects in the UK and the Middle East.
Raghav joined Acorn in February 2020 as a consultant for the implementation of the Acorn REITs. He worked closely with the Corporate Finance and Corporate Affairs/Legal teams, as well as with transaction advisors, service providers and investors. Effective 1st November 2020, Raghav was appointed as Chief Investment Officer – AHL / Managing Director – AIML.
Raghav holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Sciences in Economics from the London School of Economics.
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Indresh Saluja
Chief Operations Officer
Indresh, an Indian citizen and a Management Graduate of 2001, has work experience of over fifteen years spanning various operational and strategic responsibilities at Bharti Airtel Limited, Etisalat DB Telecom Ltd and Acorn Holdings Ltd. He is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Scrum Master and Lean Champion.
Indresh holds certification in Design Thinking from MIT – Sloan School of Management. He has worked closely with over 25 CEOs, MDs and Owners of businesses, facilitating organization wide business transformation and operational excellence interventions.
In his stints across various functions, organizations and as a consultant, he was committed to supporting individuals and teams to innovate strategies to operationalize business goals using Design Thinking, and Lean Principles and to channelize them to adopt a systemic perspective for heightened business results. When not doing this, Indresh enjoys photography, cooking and playing chess.
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Jackie Rozario
Customer Experience Director
Jackie is of Ugandan nationality and a Customer Experience Professional with over 15 years’ experience.
Prior to joining Acorn in April 2019, she worked in the Telcom Industry as a Customer Experience Director. She has also worked in the Pay-TV Industry in Kenya in a senior Management Level as Head of Operations. She commenced her Customer Experience journey in the Telcom Industry – Celtel, Uganda, before it transitioned to Zain and later Airtel and has worked in both Ugandan and Kenyan markets where she served in various capacities and grew to the Head of Retail Operations and Customer Experience Management.
Jackie holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Edinburgh Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce Accounting from Makerere University. She is a Lean Six Sigma Professional.
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Steve Wood
Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Management
Steve has extensive experience in quality, health safety & the environment, and workers welfare leadership and management in construction, supervision, program and project management, consultancy, transportation, heavy engineering, oil and gas and mining industries. His experience includes transportation, shipyards, marine, rail, metro, civil engineering, drainage, roads, bridges / structures, process, water and wastewater treatment, oil and gas refineries, defense establishments, airports, stadia and buildings. He is heavily experienced in continuous research and development of safe systems of work, policy and procedures and was involved in assisting the UAE Ministry of Labor in developing safety laws based on international best practice.
Steve’s style is being very visible and extensively involved in the creation, delivery and implementation of world class strategies and systems to send people home safely every day.
Steve has vast experience in the writing, development and implementation of management systems certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001 and Abu Dhabi EHSMS (now OSHAD) Safety, Health & Environmental Management Systems for 4 organizations, and across 11 countries.
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Mathew Maina
Investor Relations Director
Mathew is a Kenya citizen with 12 years’ experience in local and International Retirement Benefits Environments, Asset Management, Investment, Banking and Insurance. He previously worked for Zamara Actuaries, Administrators & Consultants Ltd where he held multiple senior roles including Lead Consultant and Administrator for the National Housing Development Fund. In this previous role, he managed a portfolio of over KES 300 Billion in assets for more than 150 Pension Funds in Kenya and East Africa.
Mathew holds Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT) and is currently pursuing a dual MA/MSc in Finance & Investments.
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Washington Gichuru
Head of IT
Washington, a Kenyan citizen, joined Acorn as a Systems Analyst in 2016. He has been responsible for the deployment, implementation and support of various software applications in the organization.
Prior to joining Acorn, he worked for over 10 years in the US as a Senior Software Engineer in various industries including Telcom, Hospitality, Media, and IT Services.
Washington holds a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems with a minor in Finance from USA. He is COBIT 5 certified, is a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and is also a Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) professional.
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Sheila Moraa
Head of ESG
Sheila is a Kenyan citizen with over 14 years of Project Management experience in the built environment and renewable energy sector. She is passionate about promoting sustainable development in the built environment and utilizing opportunities in the green space to further grow this in the local context.
Currently as Head of ESG at AIML; an integrated Real Estate company providing student accommodation, Sheila is managing green certification and GRESB certification of the company portfolio. These have a positive impact holistically on the policies and practices of the company and its stakeholders regarding ESG.
Previously, Sheila worked in the Oil & Gas and the energy industries (Total Kenya Ltd. & KenGen) both at the project and regulatory levels influencing policy formulation while at Energy Regulatory Commission. Sheila is a trained Civil Engineer currently completing an executive Masters program at Strathmore University, certified PRINCE2 practitioner and an EDGE Expert. Sheila also sits in the board of Kenya Green Building Society.
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Juliet Soila Langat
Head of Supply Chain
Juliet is a procurement professional bringing 24+ years of experience in procurement, logistics and internal audit. She has worked in various roles at Unilever as a Junior Buyer – Flower Division, Assistant Purchasing Manager, Assistant Logistics Manager, Internal Auditor – Unilever East Africa Regional Audit, Supplies & Logistics Manager, Procurement Officer – Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) & Engineering Services, and Procurement Specialist – Tea Plantations. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (UK) – MCIPS.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Sociology from Egerton University, a post-graduate diploma from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply from Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Procurement & Logistics at JKUAT.
During her free time, Juliet enjoys gardening, crafts, serving in Sunday School, and Missions Ministry.
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David Gitare
Head of Internal Audit
David is an Internal Audit, Risk and Compliance leader with 14 years of professional and diversified work experience gained in the education, healthcare, insurance, automotive and professional services industries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
As an organization leader, David’s primary responsibility is to provide the Board of Directors and executive management team with readily consumable and timely assurance, advice and insights on the system of internal control and risk management crucial for the success of the organization. Prior to joining Acorn, David was the Chief Internal Audit & Risk Officer at Longhorn Publishers PLC, a leading pan-African education content developer.
David holds a Master of Commerce degree (Forensic Accounting) and a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Accounting & Finance), both from Strathmore University. He is a holder of the Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA®), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE®), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA®) and Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA-K).
David is also a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
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Sheila Maina
Senior Legal & Regulatory Affairs Manager
Sheila is a Kenyan citizen with over 8 years working experience, with over 5 of those years spent working as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Her experience transects several practice areas, notably commercial law, banking and capital markets law, development finance, legal compliance and corporate governance across East and Southern Africa.
Prior to joining Acorn, Sheila worked with Shelter Afrique (the pre-eminent housing finance provider in Africa) and DLA Piper Africa in Kenya in the Projects & Infrastructure Practice (Tier I Law Firm).
She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Nairobi. She is a Certified Secretary and a Commissioner for Oaths.
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Eugene Banja
Head of Treasury
Eugene has worked extensively in the Kenyan financial services industry, working for The Nairobi Securities Exchange as they set up the country’s first Exchange traded derivatives market, as the Group Treasurer for The African Guarantee Fund and as Principal Treasury officer for the East African Development Bank (EADB). He’s also a key member of the leadership of the East African chapter of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
He has actuarial training holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi and is a holder of several passes of the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries Exams. He holds a Diploma in Bank Treasury Risk Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Derivatives and Financial Markets from Middlesex University.
Eugene is in charge of setting up the treasury function at Acorn and brings his experience to bear on the fundraising side of the business.
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Patrick Njuguna
Financial Controller
Patrick is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with a15-year background in financial management. He has held a variety of finance roles such as Team Leader – Record to Report, Manager – Financial Controls and Reporting and Treasury Manager, and Director of the Safaricom Sacco at Safaricom PLC. Before joining Safaricom, Patrick worked in manufacturing and FMCGs in various finance and accounting capacities.
Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K) and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nairobi in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Kenya Methodist University (KEMU). He is also a certified Board of Director from Cooperative University of Kenya.
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Gerard Lokossou
Director, Vuka
Gerard is an experienced go-to-market, supply chain, growth acceleration, and transformation leader with over 27 years of experience across world-class multinationals in the FMCG, Telecoms, Green Energy, and Consulting industries.
He graduated from the prestigious Felix Houphouët Boigny Polytechnic Institute in Côte d’Ivoire and began his career in the Supply Chain field with companies including Unilever and Nestle Group where he managed portfolios across Africa, Europe, and Latin America and diversified his experience into Marketing & Sales Area. He then joined the telecoms sector with MTN Ivory Coast where he led several regional strategic projects, including the transformation of MTN Group Sales and Distribution Strategy. He later joined Airtel Africa as their Sales & Distribution Director in 2014 overseeing 17 countries, and subsequently moved to Airtel Congo as MD. He later joined Orange Telecoms Group in the DRC. He decided to pivot his career into more entrepreneurial roles and co-founded D. Impact a Strategic Go-To-Market & Growth acceleration company.
Gerard is passionate about empowering organizations for agile commercial transformation as well as mentoring the next generation of disruptive, technology, and data-driven entrepreneurs.
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Dennis Aluanga
Chairman
Dennis, a Kenyan national, has 27 years of relevant professional experience. Prior to joining Helios in July 2011, he was the COO (East Africa) of Industrial Promotion Services (IPS), the Manufacturing and Infrastructure arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. IPS has investments in several portfolio companies in food and agro-processing, packaging, pharmaceutical, textiles, steel, and leather processing industries as well as power generation and telecoms across East Africa. He also served in the roles of COO, CFO, Group Strategy Manager and Group Audit Manager at Nation Media Group (NMG). NMG’s operations in the region spread across newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and digital media.
Dennis serves on the Boards of Directors of Acorn and Telkom Kenya, as well as on the Board of Nation Media Group. He received an MBA from Edinburgh University in UK and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
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Kenneth Luusa
Executive Director
Ken, a Kenyan citizen, joined a leading international firm of Chartered Surveyors and worked in the property management department of the firm’s Aberdeen Office where he was responsible for the firm’s client portfolio in the Northeast of Scotland. Prior to joining the Group, he was the Regional Chief Executive Officer of Property Development and Management Limited (PDM), an Aga Khan Development Network Company where he was responsible for managing and developing the organization’s commercial Project Developments in East Africa.
Ken is a seasoned professional and member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Institute of Surveyors in Uganda, a practicing and Registered Valuation surveyor in Uganda and a Registered Real Estate Agent in Kenya. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), with a bachelor’s degree in Land Economics in 1990.
Ken has over 30 years relevant professional experience and is the current Chairman of the Kenya Property Developers Association (KPDA).
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Tavraj Banga
Non-Executive Director
Tavraj is a Principal at Helios Investment Partners. Previously he was a Director at Terra Firma Capital Partners, a leading European private equity firm – where he invested in, and built, a wide range of market leading businesses across a variety of sectors including asset leasing, hospitality, healthcare, real estate, infrastructure and renewable energy – with AUM totalling over $15 billion.
He served on the Board of Directors of many of Terra Firma’s portfolio companies. Prior to Terra Firma, he was an M&A banker in Citigroup’s corporate and investment bank in New York focusing on cross-border transactions.
Tavraj received a BSc in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Joseph Wharton scholar. He is an Indian national and lives in London.
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Ben Lim
Independent Non-Executive Director
Ben is the Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Trust Ltd. He has been actively involved in the Mauritius international financial services sector since its inception in the early 1990’s and has played a decisive role in the Global Business legal and regulatory reform process in Mauritius. Ben is the Honorary Consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Mauritius. He is also a member of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) Mauritius Chapter and Pan African Chapter. He was, until March 2015, a Board Member of the Board of Investment, the apex government organization responsible for the promotion of Mauritius. He also served as a member of the Financial Services Consultative Committee (FSCC) which was constituted pursuant to the Financial Services Act 2007 under the Chairmanship of the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Finance & Economic Development.
As a founding member of various international financial institutions, he acts as Director on a number of them having a presence in Mauritius. He has a great deal of experience in international tax planning and until April 2000, he was an international tax and offshore services partner at De Chazal Du Mée.
Ben studied at the Westminster University, London and afterwards qualified as a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
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Nimit Shah
Non-Executive Board
Mr Shah has 20 years of relevant investment and advisory experience. He joined Helios in 2008, and has been involved with a number of private equity and private credit investments including Vivo Energy, GB Foods Africa, Continental Outdoor, OVH Energy and Africell.
Prior to joining Helios, Mr Shah was a Director within the Financial Sponsors Group at Lehman Brothers in London. His experience there spanned M&A advisory, leveraged finance and equity capital markets in Europe and the US. Mr Shah started his career as a strategy consultant at Arthur D Little where his focus areas were corporate finance and telecommunications.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, he completed his high school education at Eton College in the UK; he has an MA in Economics and Management from Oxford University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr Shah, a Kenyan and British national, speaks Swahili, Gujarati and Hindi.
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Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Ameel Somani
Non-Executive Board
Ameel, a Canadian citizen, has 8 years of relevant professional experience. He joined Helios in August 2012 after completing his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Prior to Harvard, Ameel was an Associate at Teachers’ Private Capital based in Toronto, Canada, and prior to that, he worked at CIBC World Markets as an Analyst in their investment Banking Mergres & Acquisitions Group. He served on the Board of Aga Khan Development Network East Africa Task Force.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ameel also holds a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
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Vishma Boyjonauth
Independent Non-Executive Director
Vishma joined Intercontinental Trust Limited (“ITL”) in 2004 and is currently a Senior Manager in a Corporate Services Department. She leads a team in the Corporate Services Department and oversees the operations division such as incorporation of companies, advising on company structures regulatory matters and corporate administration of companies for both domestic and global business companies in Mauritius.
The extensive experience acquired in the global business sector by managing a portfolio of clients ranging from international banks to private client for over 15 years has provided Vishma with the skills and abilities to sit on the board of various global business companies under the management of ITL.
Vishma graduated from the University of Mauritius with a B.Sc (Hons) in Economics. She also holds an MBA in Innovation & Leadership (with Merit) awarded jointly by the University of Mauritius and Ducere Global Business School.
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Rose Mambo
Chair of AIML Board / Independent Non-Executive Director
Rose, a Kenyan citizen, is the current Chair of the AIML Board and immediate former CEO of the Central Depository & Settlement Corporation Ltd (CDSC), where she provided custody and settlement services for securities traded at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. She is a shareholder/director at Shady Acres Ltd and serves on the Boards of Development Bank of Kenya, Kenya Community Development Foundation, Digital Opportunity Trust and is Co-Vice Chair of the Women Corporate Directors – Kenya Chapter.
Rose is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Secretaries, Kenya. Rose has worked as a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers in the Public Trustee and Bankruptcy Sections. She also served on the Review of Companies Law Task Force, and later served as the Head of the Copyright Office.
She has a Master of Laws Degree from the American University in Washington DC, specializing in International Business Law, an MBA from Strathmore University, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Nairobi.
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Peter Njenga
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Peter, a Kenyan citizen, is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya, a qualification he earned from Strathmore Business School in 1998. Thereafter, he worked as a Tax/Management Consultant in a leading audit firm for four years.
He has over 15 years’ experience in senior level management where he has assisted businesses to develop and implement appropriate strategies to achieve financial, tax & operational efficiency. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
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Wangui Maranga-Okello
Non-Executive Board
Wangui Maranga-Okello, a Kenyan citizen, is financial services practitioner, and a board member with deep expertise in financial markets. She brings more than 20 years of unique cross-functional oversight leadership and hands-on experience in financial services, having worked both on the buy-side (portfolio and asset management), as well the sell-side (corporate finance advisory, real estate project financing & capital raising, debt and equity structuring) in East Africa.
Her strong working relationships with a vast network of institutional investors (including all major fund managers, insurance, reinsurance companies, as well as international Development Finance Institutions and regulatory bodies such as the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) and Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has positioned her in good stead in the financial market ecosystem.
She held the position of Director of Investor Relations and Reporting at Acorn Holdings Limited for over 2 years before becoming a board member of the AIML Board.
Wangui holds an MBA in Finance from University of Leicester, Bachelor of Commerce from University of Nairobi, is a qualified accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and has a Higher Diploma from the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS).
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Claire Jarratt
Non-Executive Board
Claire is a British citizen and also a finance and investment management specialist, with over two decades of impressive career spanning; audit and assurance, corporate and project finance, M&A, deal origination and investment management. As the Chief Investment Officer of InfraCo Africa Limited, Claire oversees investment origination, appraisal/due diligence, and management.
Prior to joining InfraCo Africa in 2012, Claire was Assistant Director at International Power PLC (now Engie), leading corporate and project finance initiatives. She has a stint as Merger and Acquisition Manager and Commercial Manager at TRI, the investment holding company of Pizza Hut and KFC. She was also an Assistant Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Kingdom, where she spent half a decade specializing in providing audit and assurance services to mid and large-cap firms in Greater London.
Claire is an alumnus of Jesus College, Oxford University and a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Claire, a sport enthusiast, is a skier and gym goer and, a long-distance runner – she participated in the New York Marathon 1999 and London Marathon 2006.
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Edward Kirathe
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Edward is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Holdings Ltd. He has about 25 years’ experience in the Real Estate sector in East Africa. Acorn Holdings is focused on developing and managing high quality and affordable rental housing in Kenya, starting with purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), for university and college students.
In October 2019, Edward led Acorn to issue the first Green Housing Bond in Africa which, in January 2020, became the first Green Bond to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and then the first Kenya Shilling Bond to list on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Subsequently, in February 2021, he again led Acorn to successfully launch the Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT and I-REIT with a combined Asset Under Management of KES 7.5 billion. The REITs are managed by Acorn Investment Management Limited (AIML), a wholly owned subsidiary of Acorn Holdings Ltd.
Edward is also the founder Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya, a role he served in until October 2020. He is actively involved in developing avenues for sustainable investment in affordable housing through the Capital Markets.
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Dr. Winnie Nyamute
Independent Non-Executive Director
Winnie is a Kenyan citizen and a full-time Senior Lecturer and Consultant in the Department of Finance and Accounting at the University of Nairobi.
She has served on the board of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), Sameer Africa PLC, the board of trustees of NSE Clear and of KCA University. She has chaired the audit, risk management and governance committees of both NSE and Sameer. Other committees served include: Disciplinary, Listing and Admissions, Nominations and Remunerations, Derivatives Risk Management, Self-Listing and the Audit Quality Assurance. Winnie was appointed to the board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in November 2019.
She holds a PhD in Business Administration (Finance), an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
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Ameel Somani
Non-Executive Board
Ameel, a Canadian citizen, has 8 years of relevant professional experience. He joined Helios in August 2012 after completing his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Prior to Harvard, Ameel was an Associate at Teachers’ Private Capital based in Toronto, Canada, and prior to that, he worked at CIBC World Markets as an Analyst in their investment Banking Mergres & Acquisitions Group. He served on the Board of Aga Khan Development Network East Africa Task Force.
In addition to an MBA from Harvard Business School, Ameel also holds a dual degree in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
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