UK Export Finance Supplier Fair: Agricultural Development in Africa

Peter Maplestone is an underwriter at UK Export Finance and leads the Emerging Sectors team.

Steven, based in Ghana, is an accomplished senior manager, seasoned in 30+ years of demanding multinational roles spanning challenging societal and economic environments across Africa and the Middle East within the trading, logistics, construction, infrastructure and mining sectors. As UK Export Finance representative in West Africa, Steven is responsible for originating a pipeline of new opportunities across the West African sub-region. Steven has held a number of non governmental organisation board positions, including Vice Chairman of the UK Ghana Chamber of Commerce, UK, 2016–Present; as the Governing Board Member of the Western Regional Coastal Foundation, Ghana, 2015–2017; and as Board Member of Invest In Africa, Ghana, 2013–2016. Mr Gray has a MBA from Heriot Watt University; and has completed an Executive Leadership Program on Oil, Gas and Mining Governance from the University of Oxford, The Blavatnik School of Government.

The first ever UK Trade Commissioner for Africa, leading UK Government trade and investment teams located in 23 African countries, representing over 80% of Africa's GDP. Our task is to increase the value and volume of UK-Africa trade and investment, including through establishing enabling trade policy arrangements and addressing market access barriers, to support UK companies to trade and invest more in Africa.

He managed FGV projects related to agriculture, environment and regional development, having worked in several countries on the African continent and Latin America, managing multidisciplinary teams. Cleber has worked in partnership with governmental and multilateral entities in the development of projects, such as: Inter-American Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, FAO, World Bank, Organization of American States: among others. He is currently responsible for managing the implementation of the Green Imperative Project in Nigeria, the largest agricultural proto on the African continent.

Having worked for UK Export Finance for seven years, Jane has recently joined the London and South East team of Export Finance Managers. Her focus is to identify opportunities for companies to win contracts, raise finance and ensure they get paid. She previously worked as a credit analyst and a relationship manager in the banking sector, supporting internationally trading companies. Jane has also held a number of finance and risk management roles in both the construction and energy sectors for Tarmac and Transco. Whilst working for Transco she was also responsible for managing the credit risk arising in the gas shipper community, working closely with Ofgem, through an industry credit committee. Jane is a graduate member of the Institute of Export.

Avril Stassen is a Co-Founder and Senior Partner at EXEO Capital, the Fund Manager to the Agri-Vie: Africa Food and Agribusiness Private Equity Fund I and II. He is a Chartered Accountant (SA), Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) by profession. Avril is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, comprising investment management, private equity and investment banking as well as strategic and business management. From a geographical point of view he has experience in the sub-Saharan African, North African, European, North American and Far Eastern markets.

Andrew is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture.

David Burton is the newly appointed Sector Director for Agriculture in Africa at the UK Department for International Trade. David is a highly experienced development professional with 26 years of international development experience, in which he has implemented 85 substantive assignments and has worked in 50 countries. He has significant operational experience and has held senior Board positions in six development consultancies. He is very experienced in business development and has successfully led teams that have won projects for UK Aid, the EU, ADB, AfDB, IrishAid, World Bank, NEFCO, The Nike Foundation, USAID, Global Affairs Canada, UNDP, MCC, EBRD, and the Governments of South Africa, Kenya, Finland and Kazakhstan. Mr Burton is also a highly qualified and experienced international team leader in addition to having considerable experience in land management, agricultural production, high yielding dairy cow production, extension services, food security and rural and community development.

Maryam is a Managing Director in the Investment Bank, Fixed Income & Currencies in London and Chair of Global SSA. She is also head of CEEMEA Public Sector Debt Capital Markets & Co-Head of Africa Coverage. She joined Deutsche Bank in 2010 from Citi where she had spent 20 years. Ms. Khosrowshahi has focused on CEEMEA Sovereign DCM for the past 19 years and has led all the CEEMEA Sovereign transactions undertaken by Deutsche Bank since 2011. Ms Khosrowshahi holds an MBA with honours from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA in Economics from Smith College.

Giuliano Senatore joined FGV in 2007 and is currently the technical coordinator and team leader of all FGV´s international projects related to agriculture and regional development, having worked in several countries of the African Continent and Latin America as: Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Zambia, Cape Verde, Malawi, Nigeria, Haiti, Saint Kitts & Nevis, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay and Argentina.