Former IFC exec to lead Africa fund’s IR

Emerging Capital Partners, the manager of the largest Africa-focused private equity fund, has hired former World Bank executive Marie-France Mathes as head of investor relations.

Mathes will lead efforts to communicate with LPs in ECP’s $613 million Fund III, which closed earlier this year.

Before joining ECP, Mathes was managing director of Macon PE, an emerging markets private equity advisory firm, and also chaired CAM-NewMarkets, a fund of funds. Prior to this, she was a senior investment officer at the International Finance Corporation, a division of the World Bank which among other things commits to private equity managers in emerging markets.

Hurley Doddy, co-chief executive officer of the firm, said the appointment represented an “unequivocal commitment” to investor relations, describing Mathes as “a private equity veteran with an impeccable record within the industry”.

Following the fund close earlier this year, ECP’s LP roster includes sovereign wealth funds, funds of funds, family offices and African pension funds.

Mathes will also take over relationships with a number of development finance institutions, such as the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, OPIC and CDC Group. The remainder of the fund received commitments from new investors, including pan-African fund of funds manager, South Suez.

ECP is headquartered in Washington, DC and has offices in six countries across Africa.

Mathes described Africa as being “the next great emerging market” in a statement, adding that the firm will seek to capitalise on the growth of consumer markets within the continent, “intra-regional trade” and natural resources growth.