Management Team
Olu Ajayi
Co-Founder
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Muyi Kazim
Co-Founder
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Olu is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Kazona Maycroft Consulting Limited (“Kazona Maycroft”). His main goal is to develop Kazona Maycroft into a world class advisory and investment strategy outfit in emerging markets, particularly continental Africa, using his vast international experience and global reach. As a principal sponsor of Kazona Maycroft, Olu has thrown his energy into unlocking clients’ potentials by polishing their rough ideas into precious and profitable projects.
A career banker who spent over two decades in The City in London, UK (the financial capital of the World), Olu returned to his native Nigeria in March 2009 to join Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc to set up Structured Trade and Commodity Finance (“ST&CF”) business for the bank. Olu headed the ST&CF business unit for the bank until his retirement from the banking sector in 2012, after 25 years, to co-found Kazona Maycroft.
Previous positions held include: Vice-President at HSH Nordbank AG, London; (iii) Head of Credit, Structured Trade Finance at Banco Espirito Santo, S.A., London; (iv) Director/Vice President at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi-UFJ, London; (v) Director/Senior Credit Analyst at Absa Bank Ltd, London (now part of Barclays Bank plc.); and (vi) Senior Corporate Banking Manager at HSBC Investment Bank plc, London.
Previous transactions concluded at Origination level: (i) USD15m Bilateral Nigerian Cocoa (GTR deal of the year and Trade Finance Magazine deal of the year 2009 respectively); (ii) US$15mln, bilateral Nigerian crumb rubber; (iii) US$30mln, bilateral Nigerian Fertilizer; (iv) US$45mln, bilateral, US Virgin Island ethanol (Trade Finance Magazine deal of the year 2007); (v) US$150mln, syndicated, Brazilian meat and poultry; (vi) US$80mln, club, Brazilian sugar; (vii) US$120mln, club, Brazilian soy; (viii) US80mln, Mongolian copper; (ix) US$400mln, syndicated, Zambian copper; (x) US$1.2bln, syndicated, Ghanaian cocoa; (xi) US$1.3bln, syndicated, Kazakh, Ferro-alloy; (xiii) US$2bln, syndicated, Kazakh copper; (xiv) US$1.2bln, club, Russian crude oil; (xv) US$2bln, syndicated, Angolan crude oil.
Muyi is the Managing Partner & co-founder of Kazona Maycroft Consulting Limited (“Kazona Maycroft”). His main goal is to develop Kazona Maycroft into a world class diversified and best in class advisory and structuring firm, with a focus across continental Africa. The experience gained over more than 24 years of undertaking first class transactions across the UK and Europe with a specific additional focus across Africa in the last Eleven years will be brought to each project as a valuable asset for project success.
Muyi started his career at the HSBC Group as an Executive Trainee and grew to become a career banker who spent over two decades in The City in London, UK and Lagos, Nigeria and working across Sub-Saharan Africa for UBA Capital, Standard Bank Group and the Ecobank Transnational Inc. Muyi was approached to return to work in his native Nigeria in June 2006 for the UBA group where he was a Pioneer Director at UBA Capital setting up the Carbon and Renewables business for the bank.
Previous positions held include: Head of African Carbon Origination Standard Bank Group/Stanbic IBTC, Nigeria; (ii) Director/Head of Alternative Energy Desk at UBA Capital, Assoc. Director/Senior Manager Non-Bank Financial Institutions; Senior Treasury Analyst at Abbey National Treasury (now Bank Santander); Manager Corporate & Investment Banking at HSBC Bank
Significant previous transactions concluded at Origination level: (i) The first ever Registered Ghanaian Carbon Credit Structured project (Waste to Energy & Compost),; (ii) The first ever Programmatic Carbon project Registered in Ghana; (iii) USD750m of Renewables projects successfully originated for Carbon Finance in South Africa; (iv)USD500m funding for structured SPV holding financial assets; (v) USD150m funding for a new Captive power installation in Lagos, Nigeria
