Shaka Kariuki serves as Co-CEO of Kuramo Capital Management, LLC.
Mr. Kariuki serves as Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Kuramo Capital Management, LLC (KCM or Kuramo Capital), an Independent Investment Management firm driving catalytic private institutional capital to fast-growing African businesses to generate attractive returns and positively impact local communities.
Kuramo Capital has offices in New York City, Lagos, and Nairobi. KCM is the General Partner of the $500 million Kuramo Africa Opportunity Funds (KAOF) with commitments from leading US endowments, foundations, and pension plans including the largest pension fund in Africa.
KAOF has direct and indirect investments in 200 companies in 30 sub-Saharan African countries in sectors such as Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Infrastructure- Power, Agribusiness, Technology, and Financial Services.
As the pioneering fund-of-funds for sub-Saharan Africa, Kuramo Capital has had a tremendous impact in leading catalytic capital into the sub-Saharan Africa private equity ecosystem. Since its inception in 2011, Kuramo Capital has served as an anchor investor in 15 first-time indigenous private equity funds and has played a significant role in raising over $3 billion toward investing in sub-Saharan African companies.
In his role as the Chairman of the Investment Committee of Kuramo Capital, Mr. Kariuki leads Kuramo Capital’s investment activities across Africa. Additionally, Mr. Kariuki’ leads Kuramo Capital’s Board Governance strategy across all portfolio companies given his extensive Board experience.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves as Chairman of TransCentury Limited, Chairman of Competition Authority of Kenya, Vice Chairman of GenAfrica, Vice Chairman of Platcorp Holdings, and Vice Chairman of Sterling Capital Limited all in Kenya. Mr. Kariuki also serves as Executive Chairman of NAS Foods in Ethiopia, and he is on the Board of Leon Business Solutions in Zimbabwe, Sepfluor in South Africa, and Maku Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), the largest Agribusiness company in DRC.
Previously, Mr. Kariuki served in several leadership roles for over 10 years at the $9 billion Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA), in Private Equity, Fixed Income Portfolio, and Domestic and Emerging Markets across asset classes. Mr. Kariuki also headed the investment efforts of DMBA Affiliates in Developed and Emerging Markets (UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Samoa), including Africa.
Prior to DMBA, Mr. Kariuki was a Senior Member of the Global Finance team at Agilent Technologies where he managed finance teams in Asia, Europe, Japan, and the USA. Prior to Agilent, Mr. Kariuki was an Associate in the Investment Banking Division of First Security van Kasper. Mr. Kariuki also worked at Choice Hotels International in the mergers and acquisitions department.
Mr. Kariuki currently serves on various Advisory Boards of companies in Africa and Europe. He is a Board Member of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in the USA and a founding Board Member of the Kuramo Foundation for Sustainable Development, which serves to increase the economic empowerment of female entrepreneurs in Africa. He is the former Chairman of Deseret First Credit Union in the USA.
Mr. Kariuki received a master’s in government from Harvard University and holds a B.S. in Economics, and MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the CFA Institute.
Nganga Njiinu: Chief Executive Ofiicer
Nganga Njiinu, CFA Group CEO TransCentury
Nganga Njiinu has over 20 years’ experience in investments, strategy implementation and operations. Since joining TransCentury Group in 2008 Njiinu has held various leadership roles in corporate finance, portfolio management, business development as well as originating and developing opportunities in the infrastructure space. In addition, Njiinu has had deep experience in developing infrastructure projects in the areas of mining, energy, rail, and roads. Since taking up the CEO role in 2016, Njiinu has led the Group through an extensive restructure that has led to reduction of debt by USD55m and the restructure of USD 52m of debt, in addition to a Groupwide organisation redesign reflecting Group’s strategic direction. Under his leadership, the Group has attracted over USD50m of additional funds into the business and successfully exited infrastructure projects and portfolio investments.
Prior to joining TransCentury, Njiinu worked for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in the USA for 7 years, where he oversaw strategic initiatives, financial planning, and analysis as well as evaluation and integration of acquisitions.
Njiinu holds an MBA in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from United States International University. He is also a CFA charter holder.
Anne Wanjiku Mutahi: Independent Director
Anne Wanjiku Mutahi – Independent Director
Anne Wanjiku Mutahi is a reputable SME Specialist, and has a wealth of experience in the SME and financial services sector.
She has worked in several regulated financial institutions (Middle East Bank, ABN-Amro Bank & Citibank) providing innovative solutions to the Corporate & SME sector, as well as providing wholesale financing to front line micro lenders through a micro finance wholesaler.
Anne has interacted with policy makers in providing an enabling environment for MSME’s, especially in the provision of financial services. In addition, Anne has worked closely with women through the Women Enterprise Fund in providing women with well tailored financial and non-financial solutions. Anne also has extensive governance experience having served on several Nairobi Stock Exchange listed companies., including being a Past Chair to the Board of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya.
An alumni, of the University of Cape Town (EMBA), Anne has also managed a retail market and a factor house, providing supplier credit to the retail sector. Anne recently served as the Senior Advisor on SME Development to the 4 th President of the Republic of Kenya.
Anne is proudly East African (Kenyan) and is fluent in Kikuyu, Swahili, English, and has a working knowledge of the French language. She is a proud mother of 3 boys and one daughter and is a supportive spouse to a busy man.
Her hobbies include socializing, reading, organic farming, swimming, and walking.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kuramo Capital Management.
Wale Adeosun, CFA, is the Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Kuramo Capital Management (Kuramo). Kuramo is an independent private investment firm driving catalytic commercial capital to fast growing African businesses to generate attractive returns and positively impact local communities.
To date, Kuramo Capital has catalyzed over $3 billion to sub-Saharan African businesses. Kuramo has offices in Lagos, Nigeria, Nairobi, Kenya and New York City and it is the General Partner of the $500 million Kuramo Africa Opportunity Funds (KAOF) with commitments from leading US endowments, foundations and pension plans including the largest pension fund in Africa.
Kuramo has direct and indirect investments in over 200 companies in 30 sub-Saharan Africa countries in sectors such as Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Infrastructure, Agribusiness, Technology and Financial Services. Wale serves on the Boards of several portfolio companies, and he was the Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee of the $280 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund. In 2014, he was appointed to serve on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). Prior to founding Kuramo Capital, Wale Adeosun was Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he managed $1 billion in endowment and pension assets.
Prior to RPI, he was a Managing Director in the Investments Group of the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago with oversight of $2 billion in U.S. equities and hedge fund investments. Wale currently serves as the Chairman of the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF), a foundation based in New York City created by the MacArthur Foundation in 2004 to assist Nigerian Universities in preparing the next generation of global leaders. Wale completed his BA in Economics and Business Administration at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he serves as a Board Trustee.
He received his MBA from John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri with a concentration in Finance. He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1995 and he is a member of the CFA Institute.
He was inducted into the New York Chapter of the National Association of Security Professionals Wall Street Hall of Fame in 2008. Wale and his wife Yvette, a Brown School Alum reside in Lagos, Nigeria with their three sons and a daughter.
Kamal Pallan: Director
Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Kuramo Capital Management
Previously, Kamal served in a number of different executive roles at JPMorgan, most recently as Managing Director for the Global Custody business in the Americas. He was also a Product Executive in JPMorgan’s ADR business where he led the issuance of GDRs and ADRs for companies from emerging and frontier markets. Prior to JPMorgan, Kamal was an Engagement Manager in the New York office of McKinsey & Company, serving global corporations in financial services, media, and entertainment. He has also worked in business development at GE Capital and as an investment analyst at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) where he focused on equity and debt investments in the Oil, Gas & Mining sector, including initiatives in Africa.
Kamal Pallan received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BSE in Chemical Engineering summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania.
Wanjuki Muchemi: Director
Wanjuki Muchemi – Director
Mr. Muchemi is a senior legal practitioner with a wealth of experience in International Commercial Law, Arbitration, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Multilateral and Bilateral Finance negotiations. He is the currently serving as a non-Executive Director in the Boards of several listed including East African Cables and private companies.
Previously, Mr. Muchemi served as the Solicitor General of the Republic of Kenya and the Principal Assistant to the Attorney General. During his tenure, he was awarded the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) (First Class) by His Excellency the President Mwai Kibaki, for his dedicated service. In addition, he previously served as a Director in several State Corporations as well as at the Centre for Corporate Governance for 10 years.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons.) degree from University of Nairobi. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London, U.K. (FCI Arb.), Member of The Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (CPS (K)) and Law Society of Kenya.