Chief Investment OfficerAfrican Development Bank ( Agri-Food Division)
areas of experience
- Development Finance Institutional Expertise
- Blended/Concessional Finance Structuring
- Regional Integration
- Cross-Border Investment
- Frontier Markets Institutional Governance
education
Masters in Business, Management & Finance, Universitat des Saarlandes, 2002-2003
Overview
Eren Kelekci brings extensive expertise in global investment management, development finance, and institutional capital markets. In his current capacity as Head of Investments at the African Development Bank (AfDB), he is responsible for advancing private sector investments across key sectors with a focus on mobilizing large-scale capital to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation.
Currently serving as Chief Investment Officer at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Eren leads private sector investments across the Food & Agriculture, Manufacturing, Textiles, and Forestry sectors, mobilizing capital for transformative value chains that drive Africa’s sustainable growth. He focuses on the origination and execution of private sector transactions across Africa. Prior to joining the Bank, Eren’s role included the design, creation and management of the platform and team; establishing joint ventures and building local investment teams; sourcing and executing equity investments; developing strategic partnerships, actively raising funds among institutional investors and representing the institution on a number of Boards and Investment Committees in multiple jurisdictions and geographies.
At the AfDB, he is at the forefront of structuring and executing private sector transactions, pioneering blended finance solutions, and spearheading strategic partnerships that enable African enterprises to scale and integrate into global markets. His leadership has directly contributed to strengthening food security, advancing industrial transformation, and unlocking private capital across multiple regions of the continent.
Before joining AfDB in 2018, Eren founded and managed a platform delivering SME investment solutions in frontier and emerging markets, combining technical assistance, advisory, and direct capital deployment. His career also includes senior roles at Aviva Investors and AXA Investment Managers, where he specialized in investment structuring, product innovation, and institutional fund strategies.
With a global career spanning direct and fund investments, joint ventures, and blended capital platforms, Eren brings deep expertise in aligning institutional investors, development finance institutions, and private fund managers to unlock long-term growth. His professional footprint extends across MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, and South-East Asia, underscoring his ability to bridge global capital flows with African opportunities.
Strategic Advisory Leadership: Shaping the Future of Capital Allocation in Central Africa
As a CAMPEA Board Advisor, Eren provides strategic guidance on private markets development, investment structuring, and cross-border capital mobilization. His insights strengthen CAMPEA’s role as the convening platform for fund managers, corporates, and institutional investors seeking to scale investment in Central Africa and beyond.
As a Board Advisor to CAMPEA, Eren reinforces CAMPEA’s regional industry vocation for private markets development, investment structuring guidance, and cross-border capital mobilization in the arena of global public and private financial markets. His insights strengthens CAMPEA’s role in serving as the authoritative platform for asset and investment management in Central Africa, encompassing active and prospective corporates, and institutional investors seeking to scale investment in Central Africa and beyond. He brings more than two decades of international investment experience spanning Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In his capacity as Member of the Global Capital Markets Committee, Eren Kelekci ‘s tenure strengthens the organisation’s strategic direction, in its mission to position Central Africa as a credible and competitive destination for global private investment. His guidance enhances CAMPEA’s strategic direction in capital mobilization, investor confidence-building, and the alignment of regional markets with international standards.
Mr. Kelekci’s advisory role brings value to the Association’s members by calibrating market-relevant dialogue with global investors, shaping thought leadership around sustainable investment practices, and contributing to policy frameworks that attract long-term private capital into Central Africa. His expertise ensures that CAMPEA remains a trusted platform where investors, enterprises, and policymakers converge to unlock growth opportunities and expand the direct investment ecosystem in the region.
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