Leslie Nelson: From London Roots to African Leadership

"Leslie Nelson is a private equity and energy executive with over 25 years of global business experience, including more than 15 years working across Africa. A British citizen with Ghanaian roots, he has built his career at the intersection of finance, infrastructure, and energy. Nelson began in investment banking at Merrill Lynch and UBS before moving to SES Americom (former GE subsidiary) and then GE Capital in New York."

"Nelson began in investment banking at Merrill Lynch and UBS before moving to SES Americom (former GE subsidiary) and then GE Capital in New York. At GE, he rose to lead Africa's ~$1 billion Power Business while also serving as Country CEO for Ghana and leading the Development and Investment team. In these roles, he oversaw investments in power, oil and gas, aviation, and healthcare, helping to deploy capital into critical Infrastructure projects."

"Alongside his executive work, Nelson serves on several Boards and advisory councils. He is also dedicated to philanthropy, funding the university tuition of 15 students from the Village of Hope Orphanage in Ghana, while mentoring them towards graduation and careers. A former avid tennis player, Nelson now plays golf to a single handicap. He divides his time between London, Accra, and New York, and remains committed to building bridges between global capital and African development."

Leslie Nelson is a British citizen with Ghanaian roots and a private equity and energy executive with over 25 years' experience, including 15 years in Africa. He began in investment banking at Merrill Lynch and UBS, then worked at SES Americom and GE Capital in New York, where he led Africa's ~$1 billion Power Business, served as Country CEO for Ghana, and headed Development and Investment. From 2018–2020 he was Managing Director for Africa at New Fortress Energy and helped guide its 2019 IPO. He founded an Africa-focused energy transition platform, serves on boards, funds university tuition for 15 Ghanaian orphanage students, and mentors them.

Read at Business Matters