South Africa at the Helm: Guiding the UK’s £1 Billion Global Investment Initiatives

(3 Minutes Read)

 Leslie Maasdorp, a prominent South African financial executive, is the new CEO of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, starting at the end of 2024. BII, established in 1948, focuses on economic development in emerging markets, investing around £1 billion annually in sectors like infrastructure and healthcare, while emphasizing sustainability and strong ESG standards.

Maasdorp’s career began during South Africa’s democratic transition, where he was active in the anti-apartheid movement and later served in key governmental roles, including as a special advisor to the Minister of Labour and Deputy Director-General in the Department of Public Enterprises. His academic background includes a BA from the University of the Western Cape and an MSc from SOAS, University of London.

In finance, Maasdorp was the first African International Adviser at Goldman Sachs, co-founded a private equity firm, and held senior positions at Barclays Capital and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He served as Vice President and CFO of the New Development Bank in Shanghai, leading significant funding initiatives.

His corporate experience includes board positions at major companies and advisory roles, such as on the Binance Global Advisory Board. BII Chair Diana Layfield praised his leadership qualities, emphasizing his understanding of development finance. Maasdorp is committed to using development finance to drive economic growth in emerging markets, aligning BII’s investments with the UK government’s climate and sustainable development goals.

Read Also;

https://trendsnafrica.com/eu-to-help-sas-investment-package-offers-usd-5-1-billion-support-for-green-energy-and-vaccine-production/

Maasdorp’s appointment is emblematic of South Africa’s growing imprint on global leadership platforms. It also underscores the increasing recognition of leaders with nuanced experience in both developed and developing markets. His stewardship of BII is anticipated to not only reinforce UK-Africa investment ties but also spotlight Africa’s capacity to provide leadership on the world stage in matters of economic development and sustainability.