Tope Lawani

Mr. Lawani brings over 25 years of investment experience in Africa and abroad and is a strong supporter of academia. Mr. Lawani joined our company in 2020 as our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Lawani is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of our investment advisor, Helios Investment Partners, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Helios Towers, a telecommunications infrastructure company in Africa and the Middle East.

Prior to forming our Investment Advisor, Mr. Lawani was a principal of the San Francisco and London offices of TPG Capital, a leading global investment firm managing private equity, venture capital, credit and real estate investment funds. At TPG, Mr. Lawani had a lead role in the execution of several significant leveraged buyout and venture capital investments, including the acquisitions of Burger King Corp., Debenhams plc., J. Crew Group, and Scottish & Newcastle Retail.

In regard to academia, Mr. Lawani serves as a trustee of the governing body of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Board of Trustees, known as the MIT Corporation. Mr. Lawani is also a member of the MIT School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council, the Harvard Law School Dean’s Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of The END Fund, a leader in the global health movement to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases. Mr. Lawani received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (with a Minor in Economics) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from Harvard Law School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.