Aidan Eyakuze, Head of Economic and Public Policy Analysis
Bsc. Economics, Trent University (Ontario, Canada); MA Economics, Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada)
Aidan Eyakuze is a co-founder of Serengeti Advisers. Between 1995 and 1999, he was an economist with a private consulting group in Kenya where he specialized on issues of investment climate, policy and corporate constraints to private sector growth in East Africa, and advised a number of public and private companies to develop corporate strategies for improved performance.
In 2000, Aidan became Head of Business at Capital Finance Limited (CFL) where he managed a quadrupling of the bank’s loan assets by 2004. When CFL was merged with African Banking Corporation Tanzania, Aidan became Head of Corporate & Investment Banking, where he managed several advisory mandates in the mobile telecoms and agribusiness sectors successfully raising millions in expansion finance in the domestic and regional capital markets.
Aidan has developed a unique expertise in country and regional analysis by leading and participating in scenario-building projects in Kenya (1999), Tanzania (2003), South Africa (2004), Nigeria (2006) and the East African region (2007). He has published several reports, articles and chapters on economic policy.
Bertram Eyakuze, Head of Corporate Finance
(BAS Civil Engineering, Economics, Stanford University; MBA Yale University School of Management (Connecticut, USA)
Bertram Eyakuze is a co-founder of Serengeti Advisers. Previously he was a private equity investment professional with CDC Capital Partners, a British company with significant investments across Africa and other developing countries.
Prior to returning to Tanzania with CDC he was a management consultant with Mitchell Madison Group in New York, where he was a member of a number of engagement teams that assisted in strategy formulation and improving the operational efficiency of large multinational companies. Clients included the largest U.S telecommunications provider, a global insurance group, and a leading technology-products manufacturer. His responsibilities with CDC Capital Partners in Tanzania included the detailed review and improvement of dozens of business plans across all economic sectors with a view to identifying, structuring, negotiating, and completing equity investment opportunities, typically in already-existing enterprises.
Bertram has held eight (8) directorships on various boards of the portfolio companies of CDC Capital Partners, Tanzania Venture Capital Fund, and Fedha Fund.
Abdu Simba, Head of Media and Communications
(BA (Honours) History, Politics, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London (London, England))
Abdu began his professional career as a research executive in the London offices of The Brunswick Group, a leading financial public relations consultancy whose clients included a substantial number of FTSE 100 companies. On his return to Tanzania, Abdu became Managing Director of International Finance Advisory Services Ltd (later called Trinity Consultants), where he provided professional services to a wide spectrum of clients wishing to invest and participate in projects ranging from natural resource extraction to agro-processing manufacture.
Having provided technical assistance to international organizations such as USAID, DFiD and the Adam Smith Institute, Abdu has an excellent knowledge of current government policies and regulations with regard to investment, an extensive network of media, business, and policy contacts and a strong track record of collaboration with leading professionals in law, financial services and accounting.
Abdu is a founding trustee of the Flame Tree Media Trust in Tanzania and a director of a number of firms engaged in consumer goods manufacturing, insurance brokerage and the creative arts.