People

Amaya Capital is advised on its investments by a senior team of individuals who have worked together over the past decade.

Sundeep Bahanda

Sundeep Bahanda has more than two decades of investment analysis, consulting and operational experience.  

Since 2009, Sundeep has been an advisor to Amaya Capital and was the co-founder and co-MD of Azura Power, a Pan-African power generation company.

Sundeep was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank in the Equities Division where he was the Head of the No.1 ranked European Retail Research Team and the No. 1 ranked European Retail Equity Analyst. Later, Sundeep became responsible for the bank's European Sales coverage for the Retail/Consumer sector.

Prior to Deutsche Bank, Sundeep was a Strategy Consultant with Andersen Consulting and a Business Analyst with Zeneca PLC. Sundeep is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Scotland having qualified as a CA with Price Waterhouse, after graduating at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.  He is also a member of the Mayfair Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.

Phillip Ihenacho

Phillip Ihenacho has more than 20 years of corporate finance, consulting and operational experience. 

Since 2009, Phillip has been an advisor to Amaya Capital and was the Chairman of Azura Power and Interim CEO of Seven Energy, a leading Nigerian oil and gas business, until 2016.

Phillip was previously CEO of UBA Capital Europe Ltd (formerly Afrinvest UK) and was a co-founder of the premier West African investment bank, Afrinvest West Africa. During the course of the two decades, he has been involved in capital raising and acquisition advisory mandates in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire. Prior to Afrinvest, Phillip worked for McKinsey & Co. in New York, London, Stockholm and Johannesburg.

Phillip has a BA in History from Yale University and a JD in law from Harvard Law School. He was born in Lagos and grew up in Jos, Nigeria.

Phillip is on the Africa Council of The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest conservation organisations based in the US, and is also a trustee of the Tusk Trust, a UK based, conservation organisation.. 

David Ladipo

Dr David Ladipo has more than 20 years of experience in academia, strategy consulting and operational experience. 

Since 2009, David has been an advisor to Amaya Capital and was the co-founder and co-MD of Azura Power, a Pan-African power generation company.

He is the founder of Lintstock Ltd, a London-based corporate advisory firm whose clients include more than 80 companies in the FTSE 350.  He is also an adviser at Nestor Advisors Ltd, a corporate governance consultancy that works primarily with companies in Continental Europe and the Middle East.  Earlier in his career, he was a Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge and a Lecturer at the University of Nottingham.  

David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University, and a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University. He was born in Lagos and grew up in Nigeria, Kenya, and the UK.

Non Executive Directors

Peter Breese has over 45 years of finance experience since he started his career with Bankers Trust in 1973 with a focus on finance, governance and regulatory matters. He is currently a NED of Amaya Capital Ltd, Azura Power Holdings Ltd and a Board Advisor to Africa Risk Consulting, a company that provides political, reputation and business risk consulting services to new, established and potential investors in Africa. He is also founder of LatinCo, a company that advises mid-cap Brazilian entities seeking international partners and investors. Peter has a MBA from Havard Business School and graduated at George Washington University.

Malcolm Gilroy has extensive experience holding executive board positions in financial intermediaries and banks in addition to non-profits including health agencies and environmental charities. His expertise extends to investment management and he is an expert in risk management and the use of derivative instruments. Malcolm has worked in both Canada and Africa and is currently a NED of Amaya Capital Ltd and has directorships at Logan Wealth Management in Toronto, The Jane Goodall Institute, Global and Lupus Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute.