About Us

Blakeney’s focus is finding value and growth in the rapidly developing and under-researched markets of Africa and the Middle East. Blakeney has been investing in companies operating in Africa and the Middle East since 1995 and has played a major role in the development of stock markets in the two regions. Over that period, we have built up a deep and strong knowledge base and network of contacts in Africa and the Middle East. Blakeney’s clients are mostly blue-chip institutions: U.S. university endowments, foundations, charities and family offices.

OUR PEOPLE

OBIORA OGBUNUDE

PARTNER

Obiora has been investing in Africa and the Middle East for over 15 years, a period that spans the emergence of both regions as important frontier markets. He started at Blakeney in 2001 following his graduation from the London Business School (MBA) in 2000. He is also a qualified physician and holds a bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree (MB BS) from the University of Benin in Nigeria.

CASPAR ROMER

PARTNER

Caspar focuses on investments in the Arab world and Africa. After ten years as an emerging markets money manager, first at Hambros Bank and later at F&C, Caspar did an MA in International Relations at Johns Hopkins. He joined Blakeney in 2007 after working at the World Bank in Washington DC where he covered Middle East and North African financial markets. He has a BA in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia.

LAUREN BURNS

PARTNER

joined in 2009 from Dresdner Kleinwort where she had been working in its operations and client services division. Lauren has an MA in Politics / Economic and Social History from the University of Glasgow.

KHALIFA BIOBAKU

PARTNER

Khalifa joined in 2010 after three years at Davidson Kempner Partners, where he was an associate in the Event-Driven team based in London. Before that he spent two years as an M&A analyst at Morgan Stanley focusing on industrial engineering and automotive companies. Khalifa has an honours degree in Engineering, Economics & Management from Oxford University and holds an MEng in Civil Engineering. He looks at opportunities in Africa and the Middle East.

JOHN MUMO

PARTNER

joined in 2015 after four years as an analyst and associate at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), an Africa-focused private equity firm, in Johannesburg. Prior to that, he spent two years as an investment banking analyst with Citigroup in New York. He has a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a BA in Economics and Business from Lafayette College in the US. John was born and raised in Kenya and looks at opportunities in Africa.

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