Page 52 - 2018 Powerlist

Business, Corporates, Financiers & Entrepreneurs

Yvonne Ike
Managing Director, Sub-Saharan Africa (Ex-RSA),
Bank of America Merrill Lynch

One of the world’s leading investment bankers specialising
in Sub-Saharan Africa, Yvonne has more than two decades’
experience in financial services, including capital markets
operations and fixed income, derivatives and equities
products.
She has led senior teams in New York, Geneva, Hong
Kong, Nigeria and South Africa and was instrumental in
raising the profile of Nigeria as an investment destination
for international investors.
Before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch in
September 2014, Yvonne was a chief executive officer at
Renaissance Capital West Africa, and from 1984 to 2009, she
was a managing director at JP Morgan.
She also worked as a partner at Africapital Management
Limited from 2009 to 2011. Yvonne started her career as an
auditor with Ernst and Young International and has been an
FSA registered representative since 1994.Yvonne has been
an FSA-registered representative since 1994.
She is also a trustee of Bridge Leadership Academy,
Christopher Kolade Foundation, Dangote Foundation and
is an independent non-executive director of Guinness
Nigeria PLC. She is passionate about actively contributing
to Africa’s development and is involved in several initiatives
including, African Gifted Foundation, Women for Women
International. Kanya King
Yvonne has received many international awards Chief executive/founder, MOBO
including being recognised by the Queen as one of the Top
200 Businesswomen in the UK to make a significant impact
in society in 2007. Kanya founded the MOBO Awards in 1996, when a broadcast
slot with Carlton Television came up and with just six weeks
to organise the event from beginning to end.
Many thought there was no mainstream audience for
the diverse genres of ‘music of black origin’, from reggae to
RnB and hip hop, but 21 years later Kanya has proved them
categorically wrong.
The MOBO Awards have, unlike anything else, helped to
drive music of African and Caribbean culture to mainstream
popular status in the UK and the platform has helped to
launch and promote the careers of stellar artists from Emeli
Sande to Tinie Tempah, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse.
Kanya managed to push the brand at a time when the
music industry was more concerned with Britpop, and
British urban music was still regarded as niche.
She remortgaged her home to fund the inaugural TV
production herself.
Now much more than an awards ceremony, MOBO is a
year-round, agenda-setting brand encompassing everything
from a live tour to a TV channel and website, while also
offering training and mentorship to generations of young
people aspiring to join the music industry.
Outside of MOBO, Kanya is a consultant on government
initiatives for disadvantaged youth and a founder member of
New Women, an influential body of high-profile women in
the media.
She was awarded an MBE in 1999, as well as an honorary
fellowship of Goldsmiths College and the honorary degree of
Doctor of Business Administration at London Metropolitan
University.

48 Powerlist 2018