Paul is a Managing Director and Co-Head at Rothschild South Africa, part of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory groups. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant (SA) in 1996 and began his career by completing his accounting articles with Grant Thornton. He subsequently established the corporate finance department at Grant Thornton South Africa before joining Nedcor Investment Bank’s Corporate Finance and Private Equity division in 1999, where he gained substantial experience in mid-market mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions.

In 2003, Paul transitioned to the Johannesburg office of Fieldstone Private Capital Group, a niche financial advisory firm specializing in Energy and Infrastructure. He joined Rothschild & Co South Africa in 2006, where he has advised a diverse range of leading private and public sector corporations on strategic transactions. His notable clients include Al Noor, Anglo American, Anglo Platinum, Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola, Edcon, IDC, Pepkor, SABMiller, Telkom, Vodacom, Vodafone, Walmart, Woolworths, and Xstrata. Paul continues to assist multinational corporations in optimizing their operations in South Africa, including facilitating several high-profile BEE transactions.

With nearly 27 years of investment banking experience, Paul has advised on transactions across the UK, Brazil, the USA, Europe, Australia, and throughout the African continent. His key focus has been on facilitating strategic engagements between the private and public sectors and driving cross-border transactions across various industries.

Paul is an active member of the Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) Economic Policy sub-committee and serves as the Business Convener of Nedlac’s Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber. He has also been a board member of the British Chamber for several years, where he has played a pivotal role in guiding the Chamber through leadership transitions and managing its financial portfolio.

Mike Foster, currently serving as Economic Counsellor at the British High Commission in Pretoria, brings a wealth of experience in financial markets and international development. Mike holds an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, complemented by a BA in English Language and Literature from Oxford University.

His career includes pivotal roles such as Non-Executive Director at the Overseas Development Institute in Nairobi from 2015 to 2018, where he provided strategic guidance appointed by the UK Government. Prior to this, Mike served as a Fellow at the Government of Zanzibar's President’s Office, focusing on macroeconomic analysis and policy advice. His consultancy work for the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2012, involved researching international trade policy. In the financial sector, Mike held significant positions including Director at Barclays Capital in London from 2009 to 2011, overseeing European ETF trading and contributing to global equity technology strategy. He also served as Vice President at Morgan Stanley from 2007 to 2009, managing risk across European sectors.

At UBS Investment Bank, Mike's tenure from 2001 to 2007 led to his appointment as a Director, leading Equity Delta-1 trading and expanding the firm's presence in Index Synthetics and Exchange Traded Funds.

Jeff Gable is the Head of FICC Research and Chief Economist at Absa. He leads a top-rated analyst team that specializes in fundamentals-based macro and market strategy research, focusing on South Africa and over a dozen markets across sub-Saharan Africa. Under his leadership, the Absa FICC Research Team achieved significant recognition at the 2019 Spire Awards, securing first place in the research categories for South African Economics, South African Fixed Income, South African Foreign Exchange, South African Credit, and African Economics, as well as being named Best Research House.

Jeff joined Absa in early 2007 after a tenure at Barclays in London. His extensive experience also includes positions at Deutsche Bank in London, the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., and the Bank of Canada in Ottawa.

Mr. Ashutosh Kumar is the Country Head and CEO of State Bank of India (SBI) in South Africa. He holds a degree in Economics (Honours) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), accredited by the CFA Institute in the USA.

Mr. Kumar began his career with SBI as a Probationary Officer in 2001 and has since held various leadership positions across multiple verticals of the bank in India, Singapore, and South Africa. His notable previous assignments include:

Zonal Manager in Rajasthan, overseeing more than 250 offices
Regional Manager in Maharashtra, managing over 120 offices
Assistant General Manager and Head of the Industrial Area Branch in Aurangabad
Head of the Central Treasury Marketing Unit (CTMU) at Global Markets in Mumbai
Chief Dealer for Derivatives at Global Markets in Mumbai
Manager in the Planning and Review Department at the Head Office in Mumbai
Assistant Vice President of Trade Finance and Business Development at the Singapore Branch
In addition to his role at SBI, Mr. Kumar has served as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Sterling Bank Ltd in Nigeria and currently holds a similar position on the board of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc in Nigeria. He is also an Executive Committee member of the Confederation of Indian Industry - Indian Business Forum (CII-IBF) in South Africa, representing the financial sector.

Amol is a seasoned global banking executive with over 25 years of experience in Private, Investment, and Corporate Banking across EMEA and Asia. He possesses extensive knowledge in building and leading businesses in Emerging Markets, thriving in complex environments where he combines technical expertise, commercial acumen, and a keen risk awareness—honed from his legal background—with a strong, people-oriented, and culturally aware approach. This unique blend enables him to establish high-performing teams, drive franchise growth, and achieve exceptional business results.

Currently, Amol serves as the CEO of South Africa and Market Head for Africa, leading a global coverage team of over 75 professionals. He also heads Barclays Private Bank in Africa, overseeing wealth management services across the Affluent, High Net Worth (HNW), and Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) market segments.

A dedicated advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Amol is actively involved in various initiatives and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Green Investment Principles (Africa Chapter) and the South Africa Chamber of Commerce UK.