Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings, Funke Opeke of MainOne Cable, and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) emerged winners at the Ai CEO Investment Summit in New York last week. On the eve of the UN General Assembly, the 8th annual Ai CEO Investment Summit took place at Thomson Reuters, hosting five African Heads of State, and over 250 influential African business, government and development finance leaders.

Africa investor (Ai) is a specialist investment and communications firm that advises businesses, governments, and international organizations on strategies for capital market and foreign direct investments in Africa. While the Africa investor Summit is a unique business and institutional investors’ forum that represents the leading international investment platform for public and private sector, leaders also share their voice and proposals on African business, economic development and investment and business environment policy leadership.

The Ai Investment and Business Leader Awards is a special recognition for exceptional business practices, economic achievements and investments across Africa. At the presentation of the prestigious Investment & Business Leader Awards during the Summit, some of Africa’s finest business and government leaders were among those rewarded for their achievements and contribution in Africa over the past year.

Heirs Holdings was awarded the Best Initiative in Support of SMEs and the Millennium Development Goals, and GTB was awarded Bank of the Year. Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of Heirs Holding, was named Africa’s Business Leader of the Year, and Funke Opeke emerged Africa’s Innovation Leader of the Year. Other notable awardees include Diane Radley, CEO of Old Mutual Investment Group as Africa’s Leading Woman in Business, Ashish Thakkar of Mara Group as Up and Coming Future Leader of the Year, Rwanda’s Claver Gatete as Africa’s Finance Minister of the Year, and Benno Ndulu, Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, was Awarded Central Bank Governor of the Year.

Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne Cable
Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne Cable

“We are delighted to add the voice of the business and investment community to the important proceedings regarding the Sustainable Development Goals and the engagement of the investment community in support of Agenda 2063 during this historical Summit, taking place during the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. This almost decade-old gathering has proven an essential calendar event for both African and international institutional investors, business and government leaders and development partners alike.” Said Hubert Danso, CEO and Vice Chairman of Africa investor.

List of Ai Investment and Business Leader Awardees 2015 
1. Best Initiative in Support of SMEs and the Millennium Development Goals
Heirs Holdings

  1. Investment Climate Initiative of the Year
    MIGA/Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
  2. Bank of the Year
    GTBank
  3. Ai Green Investment Initiative of the Year
    OPIC
  4. Venture Capital/Private Equity Deal of the Year
    The Abraaj Group
  5. Employer and Human Capital Investor of the Year
    Citi Group
  6. Institutional Investor of the Year
    Public Investment Corporation of South Africa (PIC)
  7. Investment Promotion Agency of the Year
    Centre de Promotion des Investissements en Côte d’Ivoire (CEPICI)
  8. Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa
    Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  9. Africa’s Innovation Leader of the Year
    Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne Cable
  10. Africa’s Leading Woman in Business
    Diane Radley, CEO, Old Mutual Investment Group
  11. African Business Leader of the Year
    Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings
  12. International Business Leader of the Year
    Gilberto Rodrigues, CEO, Mota-Engil
  13. Up and Coming Future Leader of the Year
    Ashish Thakkar, CEO, Mara Group
  14. Finance Minister of the Year
    Claver Gatete, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Rwanda
  15. Central Bank Governor of the Year
    Benno Ndulu, Governor, Bank of Tanzania

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