Team
Brian Asparro
Advisory Board
Brian Asparro has been CFO and a member of the management team of Green Charge Networks since 2009. • Green Charge Networks is a leader in smart grid development through its focus on power efficiency. The company specializes in building software for utilities to identify optimal ways of distributing energy while building energy storage systems (solar, batteries, electric vehicle chargers) to reduce high energy costs for retailers such as 7-Eleven and Avis. • Brian manages the overall day-to-day financial aspects of the company in addition to leading the company through its US$17 million smart grid project with Con Edison and the US Department of Energy. He has successfully led the company from a small group of 5 employees to 40 employees in 2 offices by identifying funding resources and implementing systems to effectively manage cash flow. • Previously, Brian worked for Moody Analytics (a subsidiary of Moody Corporation) for seven years. After roles in strategy, research and product development, Brian moved to Hong Kong in 2005 to build a consulting practice for the Asia region. He secured several multi-million dollar engagements, grew the practice to a $10 million business employing 20 professionals in four countries. Prior to Moody's, Brian held positions in the investment banking and financial consulting industries. • Brian received his MBA from Northwestern University (Kellogg) and completed his undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing at Fairfield University.
​
Dave Bartlett
Advisory Board
David Bartlett is the Director of the Investment Manager and the Managing Director and Office Head of Pacific Harbor Advisors (HK) Limited, an affiliate of the Investment Manager. • Mr. Bartlett has over 20 years of experience in handling financial transactions in global markets. • Prior to joining Pacific Harbor Advisors (HK) Limited, Mr. Bartlett was the Executive Director in Amroc Asia's Hong Kong office from 2002 until 2006, generating transactions in China, Thailand and the Philippines. • From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Bartlett was the COO of HNH Group Limited. From 1998 to 2000, he was Project Manager of Corporate Banking & Investment Research of Asia Market Intelligence Group. • In 1997, Mr. Bartlett served for a year as Manager of Indonesian Equity Research at PT Samuel Sekuritas Indonesia in Jakarta, and from 1991 to 1994, he was the Program Manager of Africare based in Burkina Faso working with World Bank grantees and Project Manager at Associates in Rural Development in Burlington, Vermont implementing USAID financings. • Mr. Bartlett was awarded a B.A. from the University of Vermont in 1990 and an M.B.
Prof. Adams Bodomo
Advisory Board
Dr. Bodomo is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the School of Humanities, University of Hong Kong and Director of the University's African Studies Programme. • His current projects include research: • into Africa-China relations: from cross-cultural communication to comparative linguistics; • into the African diaspora in Asia, particularly China, and • on the syntactic and semantic structures of a wide range of languages, including Dagaare, Twi, Chinese, Dong, and Zhuang. • Professor Bodomo is author of Africans in China: A Sociocultural Study and Its Implications on China Africa Relations. • Professor Bodomo arrived in China in 1997 and spent ten years researching the story of Africans in China for his book. • Beyond Linguistics & African Studies, he likes working out in the gym, hiking, distance running, and watching soccer. He also finds time to write and recite poetry,
John Wallington
Advisory Board
• John is a qualified accountant with over 16 years experience in senior management positions in large global manufacturing and service based industries. John trained as an accountant with Unilever PLC and worked across the UK and Europe. • In 2000, John joined Clifford Chance LLP as the Global Head of Financial Planning and Business Analysis. • In 2005, John was appointed the CFO of a technology startup. In November 2006, John was appointed Group Corporate Controller of the UPC group of companies, managing the finances and accounting for an international business portfolio of Renewable Energy related companies in the Wind and Solar sectors, Property, Mining, Oil & Gas and Energy and Technology investments. • John currently heads up the UPC Management, LLC Miami office and oversees all UPC interests in North America as well as the international consolidation for UPC interests in the US, Canada, Europe, North Africa, China, The Philippines and Indonesia. • John is the Vice President & Treasurer of the British American Business Council in Miami, serves on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee of the Florida Bar and is an Executive and Non-Executive Director of several privately held US and UK companies. • John received his BA (Hons) degree in Geography from Exeter University (U.K.).
Julian Wilson
Advisory Board
Julian Wilson assists the fund with asset security. • Julian Grew up in East Africa and has lived in Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”). • Julian joined the British Army and was promoted to the rank of Captain. • Whilst in the British army, Julian served in a number of locations including Northern Ireland. • Julian also served with both the United Nations and NATO, including a tour in Bosnia. • Julian has worked as a security consultant for a mining corporation in the DRC copper belt and has extensive training and operational expertise especially in Africa. • Julian is based in Beijing and speaks fluent Mandarin.
​
AB & David
Lawyers
AB & David Africa is a pan-African business law firm with independent offices in six (6) countries and a network of firms in 30 African countries. Our aim is simple: to help our clients succeed in Africa with their business and projects by guiding, developing strategy and by enabling them cut through the maze of doing business in Africa. With an unparalleled understanding of industry, our business-savvy team provides client-centred and tailored advice that reduces business risks and delivers the solution the client is seeking. AB & David Africa is the first African law firm to be awarded the England Law Society Lexcel accreditation, awarded to law firms which meet the highest standard in law practice.
Standard Bank
Bankers
Over the past two decades, the banking and financial services industry in Ghana has seen significant improvements in the quality of service delivery and the provision of superior financial products and packages and Stanbic Bank has earned a well-deserved reputation as a customer oriented, business friendly and socially relevant bank.