Professional History: Tarek Mouganie is the Founder and Group CEO, Affinity. He began Affinity to invest in and give loans to micro and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) because of his belief that another Africa is possible and that access to affordable finance is a matter of urgency and a fundamental human right. He points out that in Africa, only 40% have access to banking and only 8% to credit. His mission to create a more inclusive financial sector seeks to begin change that. Since he started Affinity in 2015, Tarek has supported over 7,500 micro and SMEs in Accra, disbursing $6 million dollars in loans to them, especially women who may find it more difficult to access such loans. He says that as the founder of a small bank focusing on the excluded, his team is doing something remarkable and unique in a regulated and established sector that’s averse to innovation.

Previously, he has worked as an analyst with the Man Group in the UK and at GLG Partners, where he was responsible for investments in the five to 30 million USD range, including deals in sub-Saharan Africa. He also worked at Deloite and Touche and at Zenergy Power, a high-temperature superconductor manufacturer. He has published a number of papers on applied superconductivity.

He founded Front/Back, a members’ space in Accra promoting art, music and food from Africa and its diaspora. It has provided a space for hundreds of artists in different stages of their career. Tarek is also a board member of 1:54, the largest African contemporary art fair. Front/Black is the home for the Association of Bartenders in Ghana, with members winning numerous awards in Europe and the US, many firsts for Africa. In 2021, it was voted top 50 best bars in the world, for its artist series cocktails.

Tarek began his career as an academic at the University of Cambridge where he obtained his PhD in Engineering. At Cambridge, he was the President of Amalgamated Societies, where he promoted a holistic approach to education through popular speakers and selected for the Under 35 steering committee of Chatham House for three years. His interest was on the social impact of investment in sub-Saharan Africa. He also served on Dr Jane Goodall's Institute board for four years.

Tarek was the Co-founder of the Ghana Triathlon Federation in 2013. He organised Ghana’s first triathlon and West Africa’s first championship and was the first athlete to represent Ghana in triathlon at the world championships. Since then, several national athletes have competed internationally.

Tarek was nominated to be the Honorary Consul to Cabo Verde in Ghana in 2016 and has served the Ministry of External Relations since.

Academic and professional credentials: B.Eng in Materials Engineering from Imperial College London
PhD in Physics from Cambridge University

Programs: 2024 Yale World Fellow