Unlocking the Power of Capital

Who we are

We are innovators and problem solvers, entrepreneurs and advisors. With experts across the globe, we are the quiet power in a tumultuous investing world.

As a team from different backgrounds, cultures and nationalities, we address the needs of a multilingual client base, enabling us to help more and more people.

Core team

Our clients benefit from extensive experiences of execution and delivery excellence of our advisory team, with in-depth market experience and a broad international partnership network.

Founder & Managing Partner

Rene Awambeng

Director

Marcel Awasum, CQF

Director

Khaled Igué

Director

Paul Akene

Associate

Sam Appleby Wallis

Associate

Ivan Burnley

Premier Invest principles

Premier Invest’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being.

We rely on our principles to guide how we interact with each other, our clients, the communities in which we operate, and all our other stakeholders.

These principles represent our core values, our aspirations, and our cultural language – lived and embraced by every employee at our firm.

We are a fiduciary to our clients

Our clients’ interests come first.

The fiduciary mindset is the bedrock of our identity. It reflects our integrity and the unbiased advice we give our clients.

And it’s what inspires us to come to work every day and help people build better futures.

We are One Premier Invest

We work collaboratively, without silos and without turf, to create the best outcomes for our clients, our firm, and the communities where we operate.

A diverse workforce is indispensable to our creativity and success. It’s how we answer the biggest questions and solve the toughest problems.

An inclusive, equitable environment makes us thrive. It enables us to draw on expertise and unique experiences from across the firm and bring out the best in each other.

We are passionate about performance

We are relentless about finding better ways to serve our clients and improve our firm. Since our founding, innovation has been at the centre of how we deliver performance and stay ahead of our clients’ needs.

We have continually reinvented our firm and our industry to help people achieve their goals.

We are lifelong students – of markets, of technology, and of the world.

We take emotional ownership

The people we serve entrust us to help them prepare for the future. Our culture is defined by the deep sense of responsibility we feel to our clients and to each other.

In everything we do – from the investment performance we deliver to the technology we develop – we are emotionally invested in our clients’ futures.

We are equally invested in the success of our firm and our colleagues. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of excellence.

We are committed to a better future

We are long-term thinkers, focused on helping people build a better tomorrow. We are deeply invested in the success of all of our stakeholders – our clients, our employees, our shareholders, and the communities where we operate – and we run our business sustainably and responsibly.

At the companies we invest in for our clients, we advocate for sustainable and responsible business practices that drive long-term value.

We always strive to serve more people, and to find new and innovative ways to help them achieve financial well-being.

Rene Awambeng

Managing Partner

Rene is highly experienced and successful senior management career in corporate and investment banking across Africa, Europe, and Middle East, providing strategic vision, direction and leadership to international development finance institutions and commercial banks.

Proven ability to translate strategic concepts into tangible results, delivering corporate success: over US$8 billion of revenues and US$300 billion in transactions across diverse sectors including energy, infrastructure, commodities and financial advisory services.

Recognised as an Africa expert in banking, trade and financial services, boasting an extensive network compromising government officials, C-Suite executives and industry leaders. A strong track record of delivering results, expanding business operations, building global alliances, change management and leadership.

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Marcel Awasum, CQF

Partner

Marcel is a Senior Corporate Finance and Capital Capital Markets professional with over 15 years of experience in delivering several transformational trading, risk, portfolio, and asset management, and servicing projects for Germany’s top tier Investment Banks, Commercial Banks, and Asset Managers like Deutsche Bank, Sal. Oppenheim, Helaba, Talanx Asset Management GmbH, NordLB, and CACEIS (Credit-Agricole’s Asset Servicing Group). As a corporate banker, he advised and structured trade, export credit, infrastructure, and project financing deals for African corporates.

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Khaled Igué

Director

Khaled is an Investment Banker with 15 years’ experience in building strategic partnerships, Fundraising, projects financing and dialogue with governments, public and private institutions. Khaled was nominated Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum of Davos in 2018. He is the author of the book “Time for Africa for a sustainable and inclusive growth”:

  • Richelieu Banque Monaco (RBM)
  • B&A Investment Bankers
  • OCP Group
  • Eurogroup Consulting
  • AREVA
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Paul Akene

Director

Highly accomplished and results-driven Vice President of Operations with over 17 years of experience in the financial advisory services sector. Demonstrated expertise in optimizing operational processes, driving business growth, and enhancing organizational efficiency. Proven track record of successful leadership across diverse regions, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America.

As a former Sr Project Manager of Edward Jones Paul comes to Premier Invest with a handful of invaluable skills: Strategic Planning and Execution, Operational Leadership, Process Optimization and Efficiency, Cross-Regional Management, Team Building and Development, Compliance and Risk Management, Client Relationship Management and Financial Analysis and Reporting.

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Sam Appleby Wallis

Associate

Sam Wallis holds a First Class, Bachelor of Science from Kingston University, London. Following his studies he worked for Moteriba an indigenous Nigerian Energy Trading company as the company's Business Development Officer.

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Ivan Burnley

Associate

Ivan Burnley is an Associate with Premier Invest. Ivan is focused on corporate analysis and business development.

Mr. Burnley received a BBA in Accounting from the Honors College of Georgia State University. He is currently a master’s candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.

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