Unlocking the Power of Capital

Who we serve

Governments and State-Owned Enterprises

Sovereigns and Sub-Sovereigns represented by their ministries of Finance, Economy, Development, Planning, Investment, Public Sector and State-Owned Enterprises.

Financial Institutions

Development Financial Institutions, Multilaterals, International Banks, Regional and Commercial Banks, Micro Finance Institutions and Insurance Companies.

Family Offices

Managing the wealth and investment portfolios of wealthy families. By offering customized investment solutions and holistic wealth management services, Premier Invest can cater to the diverse needs of family offices, including multi-generational wealth planning, estate management, and philanthropic endeavours.

Institutional Investors

Institutional investors such as pension funds, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds. Institutional clients seeking professional investment management services to optimize their investment returns, manage risk, and fulfil their fiduciary responsibilities.

Corporate Clients

Corporate clients, including privately held companies, public corporations, and business owners seeking corporate treasury management, liquidity solutions, and capital deployment strategies. By offering corporate finance advisory services and access to capital markets, Premier Invest helps corporate clients optimize their capital structure and achieve their strategic objectives.

Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

Entrepreneurs, business owners, and startup founders seeking personalized wealth management solutions, liquidity events, and strategic financial planning: Clients with complex financial situations, including concentrated equity positions, succession planning considerations, and liquidity events such as IPOs or mergers and acquisitions.

Institutional Consultants and Advisors

Premier Invest collaborates with institutional consultants, financial advisors, and wealth management firms seeking best-in-class investment solutions and outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) services on behalf of their clients. By building strategic partnerships with institutional consultants and advisors, Premier Invest can expand its reach and access new client segments.

Arnold Ekpe

Board Member

With over 30 years’ experience in African and international banking, Arnold is well known for the key role he played in building and transforming Africa’s banking industry.

As a former two-time CEO of the Ecobank Group, he was responsible for growing the bank from 5 to 36 countries and the balance sheet from USD2bn to USD20bn. He set up the first pan African Data Centre in West Africa to host banking, internet and card operations across 34 countries. He has undertaken over 15 mergers and acquisitions across Africa and the UK. He is also a former CEO of UBA. He currently serves as Chairman of Baobab Group, a pan African microfinance group, headquartered in France and a Nonexecutive Director, Dangote Group, Nigeria amongst others.

Soud Ba’alawy

Board Member

With over 30 years of experience in banking and investments, Soud held several executive positions in the Golf region and managed a project portfolio of several billion dollars while working with the Dubai Government over a period of 17 years. He worked as the Chief Investment Officer at the Investment Office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. He was also the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Noor Investment group Holding Company (including Noor Bank & Noor Takaful) and the Chief Investment Officer of Dubai Internet City. He held board positions at NASDAQ Dubai and Borse Dubai as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.

He spearheaded award-winning acquisitions including purchase of NASDAQ/OMX and LSE, Essex House – New York.

Ebenezer Essoka

Board Member

Mr. Essoka has nearly 40 years of banking experience in Africa. He is currently the Executive Chairman of IBURU, an advisory firm focused on Economic Development across Sub-Sahara Africa. He retired from the SCB Group as Vice Chairman, Africa in November 2015 after over 30 years at SCB. Prior to becoming SCB’s Vice Chairman, Africa he was CEO South Africa and Southern Africa (2008 -2013) and CEO Central and West Africa (2004 - 2008).

In addition to his responsibilities as Executive Chairman IBURU, he is an Independent NonExecutive Director SANLAM Limited and SANLAM Life Insurance Limited, South Africa, an Independent Non-Executive Chairman, Cogebanque, Rwanda, an Independent Non-Executive Chairman United Bank for Africa, Cameroon SA, an Independent Non-Executive Director, and Chairman of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee of Mobile Money Corporation of Cameroon, Former Senior Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank, working on the African Investment Forum, Former Independent Non-Executive Chairman of SCB Côte d’Ivoire (03/2021), Former Chairman of SCB Cameroon (2011-19), Former Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of SCB Mauritius (2012-19), Former Non-Executive Director CRDB Bank PLC Tanzania (IFC/CDC Nominee – 2001-20), and Former member of the Global Advisory Council of the London Business School (2012-16).

Rene Awambeng

Board Member

Mr. Rene Awambeng, who was the Director & Global Head, Client Relations at the African Export-Import Bank since December 2016, has over 30 years of international banking experience.

Over his distinguished career, he has successfully managed people, teams, and projects, contributing to generating over US$8 billion in revenues. His expertise spans structured trade, corporate, commercial, and investment banking, with a focus on origination, product management, cross-border trade, credit risk management, compliance, and project finance across Africa, the Caribbean, Middle East, and Europe.

Having spent 19 years at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, where he served as the Group Head of Global Corporates, Regional Corporates, and Commodity Finance, Mr. Awambeng's influence extends globally. He held key positions in Paris, France; Lagos, Nigeria; and London, United Kingdom. His leadership roles included Executive Managing Director/CEO of Ecobank Rwanda and Ecobank Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rene is an accomplished academic with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon, and an MBA from the University of Nottingham Business School, UK. Additionally, he is a member of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), based in London.

Matthew Clarke

Board Member

Matthew qualified as an English lawyer at Linklaters where he worked from 1988-96 as a banking lawyer when he became a director at the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co. He founded Merlin Partners in 2002.

Matthew has been very active in the banking sector and was part of the founding of Clear Bank in the UK in 2013, advising on its establishment, achieving authorisation and mobilisation as well as sourcing its initial £200 million of capital. Clear Bank was the first new clearing bank in the UK for 251 years. Matthew was also an adviser to the start up bank Oxbury Bank which is now fully operational as a UK agricultural bank. Merlin Partners, of which he is the Founder and Director, is very active in Africa and participated in the Afreximbank IPO as the London based capital agent.