Local, experienced, on-the-ground investment and operating teams

Tom is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Zephyr Acorn. He is Chairman of Zephyr Management which he founded in 1994. Zephyr has been a pioneer in private equity in Africa, as a co-founder of the first offshore private equity fund in South Africa, South Africa Capital Growth Fund in 1994; co-founder of the first private equity fund in Nigeria, Capital Alliance Private Equity in 1998; and founder of the first pan-African private equity fund, Pan-African Investment Partners in 2003. Zephyr also co-founded private equity funds in Mexico, Korea, India and Sri Lanka. Previous to Zephyr Management, Tom was CEO of Rockefeller and Company. Prior to that position, Tom was employed by T. Rowe Price Associates, where he was President of The New Horizon Fund and Director of Research. Tom has a BA from Yale University and MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Mike has over 10 years of experience in various finance functions including banking, business analysis and private equity investing in East Africa. Mike is focused on deal sourcing, deal screening, due diligence, and execution of potential investments. He is involved in monitoring and providing management support to Zephyr’s portfolio companies, helping them implement best practice financial management, and develop and implement strategic initiatives. Mike is also responsible for fund reporting to Zephyr Acorn’s investors. Prior to joining Zephyr, Mike was a Senior Associate at Tiserin Capital and an Associate at Kibo Capital Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from JKUAT and is a CFA Program® Level III candidate.

Nonnie is responsible for deal structuring, sourcing, and execution at Zephyr Acorn. Nonnie’s experience spans across operations, strategy, fundraising and business development. She set up the first regional trade association for the East African investment community and led several strategic initiatives to promote and progress the work of investors in the area, including mobilizing additional capital and supporting local investors. Nonnie is the co-founder and CEO of ‘Try Cooked Limited’, a F&B company, which received pre-seed capital from Antler Global. She has also previously worked with Emerging Capital Partners, TBL Mirror Fund, Africa Legal Network and Africa practice. Nonnie holds an L.L.B from the University of Bristol.