Event contact: Hedvig Sundby
NABA’s annual assessment of the key trends that will shape business, policy, and economy across Africa is back. Join experts for insight into the defining issues of the next 12 months.
NABA will host a series of events for the Africa Outlook 2023 in the Nordic capitals throughout February, starting in Oslo on February 02, then Helsinki on February 16, Stockholm on February 21, and Copenhagen on February 23.
Against the backdrop of a worsening global economy, the insight provided by the outlook is more important than ever. Key themes such as rising debt, the energy transition, climate change, and food security are amplifying risk. Understanding how to navigate the landscape, and how key markets are evolving, is vital.
Africa Outlook Helsinki
Program
Mr. Sanjeev Gupta
Executive Director, Financial Services
Africa Finance Corporation
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Mr. Sanjeev Gupta is AFC’s Executive Director for Financial Services where he is responsible for Treasury, Trade finance & Syndication and Corporate Advisory lines of business. Mr. Gupta was the managing partner of “Emerging Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Center of Excellence” at Ernst and Young, the CEO of Sanlam Investment Management Emerging Markets Operations, and a founder and managing partner of Emerging Opportunity Consulting.
Mr. Emmanuel Kwapong
Economist, Africa
Standard Chartered Bank
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Emmanuel is an Economist on the Africa Research team at Standard Chartered, based in London. He is responsible for providing macroeconomic coverage on key markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on Francophone Africa, Botswana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Emmanuel holds an MSc in Finance and Economics from the University of Warwick, and earned his Bachelor’s in Economics and Statistics from the University of Ghana. He is a CFA charterholder.
Ms. Isabel Leroux
Program Manager
Nordic Development Fund
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Isabel Leroux is a Program Manager at the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), where her focus is on NDF’s private sector financing activities in climate adaptation and resilience. NDF is the joint Nordic international finance institution (IFI) focusing on the nexus between climate change and development in lower-income countries and countries in fragile situations.
Mr. Jaakko Kangasniemi
Chief Executive Officer
Finnfund
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Mr. Jaakko Kangasniemi is the Managing Director and CEO of Finnfund, and has focused on developing countries before his position as Managing Director at Finnfund. He has previously worked as a economic advisor at Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agricultural economist at the World Bank, and as researcher in Rwanda. Mr. Kangasniemi holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University, an MBA from the Helsinki School of Economics and a MSc in Economics from the University of Helsinki.
Mr. Hans Sundblad
Partner
DLA Piper
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Hans Sundblad has experience in complex corporate and financing transactions, with particular focus on advising banks and other institutional clients. In addition, Hans advises clients on general corporate and contract law as well as on energy market law matters.
In the field of banking and finance, Hans' practice includes advising, e.g., on corporate lending, ship and project financing, PPP projects, syndicated loans, as well as on derivates and other financial instruments. He also regularly represents lenders in reorganisations and restructurings. With respect to investment matters, Hans advises investors on private equity, hedge fund and other investment fund placements and documentation.
Having acted as in-house counsel in senior positions at Finnish banks in Helsinki and New York, Hans possesses extensive experience from the financial sector. He is the Finnish national co-author of the annual ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association) Collateral Opinion.
Prior to starting in private sector, Hans worked as researcher at the University of Turku and also served as public prosecutor. He has been member of the policy committee of contract law of the Finnish Bar Association since 2005.
Ms. Mathilde Emilie Thue
Chief Executive Officer
NABA
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Ms. Mathilde Emilie Thue is the CEO at the Norwegian-African Business Association (NABA). NABA seeks to promote business opportunities on the African continent, adding value to companies doing business in African markets.
Prior to NABA Ms. Thue was working with the development of renewable energy projects and has been part of the Official Norwegian Delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Mr. Lanre Akinola
Head of Content
NABA
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Lanre Akinola is Head of Content at NABA. He is the former editor of This Is Africa, a Financial Times publication, and African Business Magazine. He has worked with the Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa, and is a 2014 Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow.