MORE THAN PROVIDERS OF RISK
CAPITAL, WE ARE PARTNERS AND
BUSINESS BUILDERS
MORE THAN PROVIDERS OF RISK
CAPITAL, WE ARE PARTNERS AND
BUSINESS BUILDERS
ABOUT US
EXEO Capital is a pan-African, licenced alternative investment manager and principal investor, entrusted with ~USD 300m in assets under management. Founded in 2007, we have investment and support teams across offices in Cape Town, Nairobi and Mauritius. EXEO Capital pursues positive impact through business investment.
Business builders
We strive to be Master Builders of businesses, mindful that this is a long-term and multi- faceted approach. EXEO Capital’s leadership understands this intimately as entrepreneurs themselves.
Understanding Africa
The firm is from Africa, staffed by professionals from Africa, investing into Africa. We understand the continent, its possibilities, and its challenges.
The firm is driven by clarity
about its core purpose of “creating
value consciously, so that companies
and people may thrive.”
We RESPECT each other and our partners,
holding an ethical and open culture of
collaboration for mutual benefit. We CONSIDER
everything we do, from applying rigorous skill
in our work, to knowing that what is good for
the planet is good for business. We PERFORM
working hard and with patience, to deliver
sought-after, long-term sustainable
investment outcomes.
Experienced & trusted
More than 15 years of investment experience across nine countries in Africa has earned the trust of 13 globally-recognised institutional investors (several as reinvestments) and 21 investee companies.
Active, value-adding partnership
Our partnerships are characterised by strategic insights, relationships and networks and active support of operational performance improvement.
ABOUT US
EXEO Capital is a pan-African, licenced alternative investment manager and principal investor, entrusted with ~USD 300m in assets under management. Founded in 2007, we have investment and support teams across offices in Cape Town, Nairobi and Mauritius. EXEO Capital pursues positive impact through business investment.
Business builders
We strive to be Master Builders of businesses, mindful that this is a long-term and multi- faceted approach. EXEO Capital’s leadership understands this intimately as entrepreneurs themselves.
Understanding Africa
The firm is from Africa, staffed by professionals from Africa, investing into Africa. We understand the continent, its possibilities, and its challenges.
The firm is driven by clarity
about its core purpose of “creating
value consciously, so that companies
and people may thrive.”
We RESPECT each other and our partners,
holding an ethical and open culture of
collaboration for mutual benefit. We CONSIDER
everything we do, from applying rigorous skill
in our work, to knowing that what is good for
the planet is good for business. We PERFORM
working hard and with patience, to deliver
sought-after, long-term sustainable
investment outcomes.
Experienced & trusted
More than 15 years of investment experience across nine countries in Africa has earned the trust of 13 globally-recognised institutional investors (several as reinvestments) and 21 investee companies.
Active, value-adding partnership
Our partnerships are characterised by strategic insights, relationships and networks and active support of operational performance improvement.
LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE
EXEO Capital is independently owned and led by the partners in the business. Well-established governance and management forums ensure strategic focus, operational control and stability in the business. The governance of the firm’s managed investments comply with ILPA standards, including the participation of senior independents in the investment committee of the firm.
Our partners collectively bring more than 150 years of investment and business management experience.
An experienced team of eight investment associates and analysts support the partners.
PARTNERS
HERMAN MARAIS
BCom LLB (Hons) (B&A)
Managing partner & co-founder
25 years’ business & investment experience; former Deloitte partner; led the formation and management of Agri-Vie Funds; transaction experience across Sub- Sahara Africa; entrepreneur & director of companies.
IZAK STRAUSS
BAcc(Hons), CA(SA)
Senior partner and co-founder
30 years’ business and investment experience. Former PWC partner and agribusiness entrepreneur. Co-founded the Unlimited Foods group. Led several investment and exit transactions in the Agri-Vie Funds. Finance Director of the firm.
AVRIL STASSEN
BAcc(Hons), BCom(Hons), CGMA, CA(SA), CFA
Senior partner & co-founder
25 years’ business & investment experience; ex Allan Gray Ltd, co-founder AMB Private Equity; executive director of Agri-Vie fund manager; and multi-sectoral transaction experience across Sub-Sahara Africa. Entrepreneur & director of companies.
PAUL NGURU
BCom(Hons)
Partner
25 years of business & investment experience; former Deloitte corporate finance professional; wide-ranging exposure to east Africa investment banking, corporate finance and capital markets; senior transactor; and multi-sectoral transaction experience in SA, Namibia, Mauritius, India, Australia, Europe, UK, USA, Bermuda.
RIËL MALAN
BCom, IEP (INSEAD)
Partner
25 years of business & senior executive leadership experience in food-sector; co- founder and former CEO of the Unlimited Group, a vertically integrated food group in South Africa. Coordinates the operations group of the firm.
BUSINESS SUPPORT LEADS
TISHA GREYLING
BA(Lang), MA(Ling), IAP2
Sustainability lead
39 years’ experience in social and environmental management. Tisha leads the firm’s ESG and Positive Impact portfolio in alignment with internationally recognised performance standards and the UN SDG’s. She is also a certified training practitioner.
LYNETTE THOMAS
BCom(Hons), ACMA
Finance & Compliance lead
15 years’ related experience. Lynette since 2008 coordinates the firm’s finance and compliance portfolio’s according to internationally recognised standards and procedures.
JILLIAN LAMBERT
Dip(Personnel Management)
Human Capital lead
27 years’ related experience. Human Capital lead for the firm since 2015. Jillian provides talent management, general HR support both internally for EXEO Capital as well as pre-deal due diligence support and post investment support of portfolio companies.
Sanet Nel
–
Group Finance Manager
17 years’ experience in financial management, reporting and risk management. Sanet oversees financial planning and budgeting, compliance and treasury management. With a strong focus on governance, tax planning and internal controls she ensures ongoing financial integrity.
Adelè Zeelie
–
ESG Specialist
15 years’ experience that spans business integrity, ESG compliance and social impact across food and agriculture. Adelè offers expert collaboration on E&S compliance, portfolio ESG monitoring, value-creating implementations and positive impact through best practice.
INVESTMENT TEAM
DENHAM WIERCX
BComm(Hons), CFA
Senior Associate
KARAN SHAH
BSc(Hons), ACCA, CFA
Senior Associate
NIEL DU TOIT
BAcc(Hons), CA(SA), CFA
Senior Associate
BENJAMIN SHAW
B.BusSci (Finance & Accounting)
Senior Associate
CHELSI MAURITZ
BComm (Hons)
Investment analyst
JOHN GITAHI
BBusSc
Investment analyst
EXEO CAPITAL INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY
STRATEGIC FOCUS
While our investment operations span several environments, we focus on strategically selected sectors and themes, benefiting from the accumulation of knowledge and networks that follow this sustained focus. We prefer to build larger investment platforms rather than smaller stand-alone investments.
SELECTIVITY
We are highly selective in our choice of investments, applying equal attention to ensuring a business meets our investment criteria, and that it aligns with our vision and values.
PROACTIVE DEAL ORIGINATION
We prefer to imagine and unlock proprietary transaction opportunities, as these often generate more value than reactive ones.
VALUE
We have a relentless focus on identifying, building and unlocking value in our investment activities.
LONG-TERM
We stand by our partners with well-thought-out strategies through the ups and downs of the business cycle.
SUSTAINABILITY
We believe that what is good for the planet and for people, is good for business.
ACTIVE
We are an active partner, intent on adding value at strategic and operational levels where the opportunity arises. We draw on both in-house and associated specialist capabilities to do this.
PARTNERSHIP
Ours is a partnership ethos aligned with risk and reward, in a transparent and high-trust relationship with investees and investors.
INVESTMENT PROCESS AND VALUE CREATION
We apply a rigorous investment process, honed over many years, aimed at making the right decisions about risk, return and sustainability. The rigour of our investment process rests on:
- Harnessing the multiple perspectives of a team approach to investment decision-making;
- Consistently applying a set of proven investment decision criteria, avoiding hubris;
- Senior independent participation in the firm’s investment committee;
- Taking the necessary time during due diligence to get to understand our prospective investee partners and their businesses really well;
- Consciously applying the accumulated lessons of prior transaction experience;
- Being mindful that walking away from an opportunity is often more valuable than engaging with it.
The majority of value in our investments accumulates during the multi-year partnership following the initial transaction: Our focus is on working with our fellow shareholders to transform the business to achieve its full potential.
This is done by being active in providing strategic insights, relationships and networks, as well as enabling technical and operations support and advisory. EXEO Capital works with management teams to strengthen them, optimise financing structures, improve corporate governance and ESG outcomes, support or lead M&A activities and guide projects championing margin improvement and operational uplift.
EXEO Capital focuses on longer-term investment horizons for optimal investment outcomes, in keeping with the preference of business founders for a long-term equity partner. Both closed-end investment vehicles and proprietary investments require a level of shareholder rotation and we approach the exit planning proactively and transparently, mindful of the implications for all stakeholders.
