Zemedeneh
Negatu

Bringing international investment-banking experience to Ethiopia’s emerging capital market and Africa’s high-growth economies.

Zemedeneh Negatu is CEO and Co-founder of CBE Capital Investment Bank, Ethiopia’s pioneering investment bank, and Chairman of Fairfax Africa Fund, LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based investment firm focused on high-growth emerging economies.

He previously served as a Managing Partner at Ernst & Young, sat on EY’s Global Partner Council and led the firm’s Transaction Advisory business for Eastern Africa. Earlier in his career, he worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the United States on major multinational clients and transactions.

Zemedeneh is widely recognised as one of Africa’s leading business figures. His international media appearances include CNN, BBC, the Financial Times, Bloomberg and CNBC, and he has spoken at the World Economic Forum, Harvard Business School, Wharton, the Milken Global Summit and Bloomberg New Economy events.

He serves on boards and advisory bodies in Africa, Europe and the United States, including Invest Africa, the University of Texas at Dallas business-school global advisory board and the Harvard Business Review advisory board.

Zemedeneh holds a BBA from Howard University, completed the LSE programme at Harvard Business School and is a U.S. Certified Public Accountant.