Now – Director, Investment, Mergers and Acquisitions for GPA Holdings, after acting as Family Transaction Advisor, overseeing all financial valuations aspects until the completion of the acquisition of Bourbon Coffee by the GPA ; In this role, he is now leading the Transformation of the newly acquired subsidiary, the Bourbon Coffee group of outlets in Kigali as he works with other GPA Board members to structure the new GPA’s Mergers and Acquisitions Department.

From March 2020- March 2021 Director, Investment and Corporate Development for Mara Phones Group based in Dubai. Was a member of the Executive Management Team reporting to the CEO and the Board with responsibility for designing and implementing fundraising strategies in support of business goals and growth, managing relationships with investors and lenders, and leading strategic investments and partnerships, M&A.

From December 2019 to March 2020, he transitioned into the consulting business as an International Consultant assisting Private Companies to develop growth strategies and implementation plans and offering Program Evaluation Services to Bilateral, Multilateral, and Government Initiatives.

He brings 12 Years working for the International Finance Corporation (IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group) in Rwanda and Kenya, from where he acquired a strong experience in Development Finance, leading Investment and Advisory services’ Teams across sectors including Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Financial Institutions, Technologies, and Services. This contribution to private sector growth and development from an international bank’s perspective complements over 13 years of experience in the Private Sector, particularly in the Aga Khan Group (IPS- Industrial Promotion Services) where he held numerous executive roles including CEO positions in various industries, developing greenfield projects, growth strategies for existing businesses lines and had responsibility for the Group’s M&A.

Other areas of expertise at the beginning of his career cover leading roles in the telecom for an oil and gas distribution company in his former capacity as Telecoms Chief Engineer in DRC (Zaire Sep), and in Program Evaluation in his mid-career when he left Africa to join an international consulting firm (GMG Canada) in Quebec as a Senior Partner in charge of Europe and Africa, after which he started a five years journey with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as a Senior Manager in Charge of Programs Evaluations and Results-Based Management, working for an independent performance unit reporting to the President and Independent Board through which platform recommendations and outcomes were published by the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation.

He holds an Executive MPA-International Management from the National School of Public Administration at Quebec (ENAP), a master’s in project management from the University of Quebec, and an Engineering degree in Industrial Electronics from the University of DRC.

Proven leader with outstanding relationship building skills and strong communication abilities |Start-up as well as corporate experience | Experience in leading teams of up to 200+ | Banking sector experience including working with Micro-Finance institutions | Multi-industries experience in Rwanda| Accomplished Marketer with proven experience in identifying, analysing and exploiting market opportunities within a variety of organizational structures and corporate development stages | Results driven business partner and team builder with demonstrated repeat success in developing successful teams and organizations | Strong experience developing, implementing and managing complex projects within time and budgetary constraints An organized, detail-oriented and conscientious self-starter, able to strategize and prioritize effectively to accomplish multiple task and stay calm under pressure

Sarah Mwende, Head of Finance for GPA Holdings ltd, has more than 13 years of experience in Finance having worked both in East Africa, spanning various industries including Auditing and tax, security and advertising industries. Sarah has a proven track record of building competent teams, improving performance, business turnaround and simplification.
She is responsible for the overall financial planning, management, and oversight of the organization.
She brings in experience having worked as a finance director in Sketchers Rwanda since 2015, She has held a senior position as the head of bookkeeping and tax at PKF Rwanda and also been the Treasurer of the Association of Kenyans living in Rwanda.
Sarah holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), a Bachelor of Commerce(B-Com) and she is a qualified certified public accountant (CPA-K).

Angelique is a certified sales & marketing manager with demonstrated work history in Investment management, Tender negotiations, B2B marketing and Digital Marketing.

As an entrepreneurial woman, Teamwork and skill empowerment are my best quality as a venture to the highest cooperate ranks.

Gasaro Stella is the Office Manager at GPA Holdings Ltd. Stella is responsible for the efficient functioning of the office through a range of administrative, financial and managerial tasks. She essentially ensures the smooth running of the office on a day-to-day basis and support staff. Her goal is to Promote Effective Communication, Rethink Office Amenities and Look Beyond her Basic Duties. She believes in teamwork and completing tasks in the most effective and efficient way within the organization.
She acquired her skills from educational background and experiences in leadership at her high school journey, where she led several groups of students.
Stella is pursuing her bachelors’ degree in University of Kigali specifically in procurement. She is passionate and innovative, self motivated with a great impactful positive attitude.