Suresh is CEO and founder of B-Certified CLOWD9, the world’s first cloud native, decentralized payments issuer-processing platform. Born in the cloud, the platform delivers uncompromising, limitless payments technology around the globe.

Suresh is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record of leading rapid growth companies. He has expertise in developing products and services on behalf of both, financial technology, as well as FCA regulated companies.

Bringing a wealth of knowledge in global payments with a number of prior senior roles including President & Managing Director of Global Processing Services now known as Thredd, as well as FTSE companies such as Paysafe Group and PXP Financial, Suresh has represented the Fintech sector and the UK Government on a number of trade missions to Mexico, Australia and China.

He has a substantial understanding of electronic money, throughout its complete value chain, with strategic knowledge on what works and does not work in various international markets having worked with many unicorns from inception including Monzo and Starling Bank.

In 2011, Suresh launched the first ever contactless wristwatch in the UK. This is in addition to being responsible for launching the first App controlled NFC solution for the iPhone in Europe.

In 2015, Suresh helped Revolut launch its idea to the market by being their first issuer and Bin Sponsor.

In 2017 Suresh became the first non-American in its 11-year history to be awarded the prestigious Industry achievement award by PAY magazine and, In 2018 Suresh was voted #1 in the Payments Power 10, an annual top ten list of key influencers in the payments industry voted by the industry.

Suresh was selected to join the working group for the Payment Strategy Forum which helped shape changes in the payments industry that the FCA implemented through the Payment Systems Regulator.

Ivy Apea Owusu stands as a formidable force in the energy sector, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Oil Services LTD. With over 20 years of experience, Ivy has been pivotal in driving the successful implementation of downstream sector deregulation policies in Ghana.

Her expertise in Energy Structured Finance, honed during her tenure with GE Capital in the US and UK, spans Debt and Equity financing across Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Renewable and Ancillary Energy sectors. Beyond her corporate achievements, Ivy is a dedicated business leader, championing community health and education initiatives. 

Her influence extends to various boards, including the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) where she currently serves as the Board Chair, Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Woodfields Energy Resources LTD, Legacy Bonds LTD and the Commercial and Allied Services (CAS) Cluster of Jospong Group. As a member of the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), the Management Committee of School of Arts – University of Ghana, Executive Women’s Network (EWN), the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a Corporate Executive in Residence for University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) Department of Accounting, she actively promotes the advancement of youth and women in leadership.

Ivy’s thought leadership is widely recognized, with speaking engagements at prestigious events such as the 2024 PETROSOL Women in leadership conference, the 2024 Ghana Female CEO Summit, the 2023 Ghana Mining and Energy Summit, 2022 USAID Power Energy Africa Conference, the 2022 University of Ghana School of Humanities Graduation Ceremony, ABSA Bank Ghana International Women’s Day, and African Refiners Association South Africa. Her academic credentials are equally impressive, holding leadership certificates from Harvard and Stanford Business Schools, an MBA from Vanderbilt University, and a BA in Accounting and Economics from the University of Ghana.

Her accolades include HR Oriented CEO Award, Exceptional Woman in Oil & Gas Award, Oil and Gas personality of the year and recognition as one of the top 20 Matriarchs in Corporate Ghana by Instinct Business Magazine. Celebrated as a pioneer in the downstream oil and gas industry and longest-serving Board member at CBOD, Ivy’s contributions continue to inspire many, making her a true matriarch of the African energy landscape.

Ivy is married with two children

George Nenyi Kojo Andah is a seasoned business leader and strategist with nearly three decades of experience driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence across the FMCG, telecommunications, and public sectors in Ghana and Nigeria. With a proven track record of delivering results through strategic brand building, digital transformation, and forging strong partnerships, George is widely recognized as a thought leader and a highly sought-after speaker on marketing and strategy.

George has held pivotal leadership roles, including Chief Marketing Officer at Scancom Limited (MTN), Chief Marketing Officer at Airtel Nigeria, and Chief Operating Officer at Globacom Ghana. In these roles, he successfully spearheaded rebranding initiatives, launched impactful marketing campaigns, and expanded market share. As Marketing Director at Guinness Ghana Breweries (Diageo), his efforts bolstered brand equity and delivered significant growth. Most recently, George served as the CEO of Asaase Broadcasting Company from January 2023 to November 2024, where he led the company’s strategic transformation and growth agenda.

In December 2024, George was appointed Chief Operating Officer of NextGen InfraCo, where he brings his extensive expertise in strategy execution, market leadership, and stakeholder engagement to the infrastructure sector. His leadership focuses on fostering partnerships that deliver value for investors, drive sustainable growth, and create meaningful impact in communities.

A full member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (FCIM), George is a passionate advocate for good governance and community development. He has served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for Communications in Ghana, championing initiatives to enhance transparency and accountability. As a founding member of OccupyGhana, George continues to inspire civic engagement and reform in both public and private sectors.

George holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and an MBA from the University of Ghana Business School. Beyond his professional accomplishments, George is a devoted family man, married to Yaa Asantewaa Barning-Andah, and the proud father of four children.

Widely respected for his insights and leadership, George Andah remains committed to empowering organizations, mentoring future leaders, and shaping a brighter future through innovation and strategic collaboration.

Akwasi Obeng-Adjei is the Director of Group Internal Audit: Investment Management South Africa and Insurance Rest of Africa at Absa Bank South Africa with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry in South Africa and the rest of Africa. He has a well-grounded experience in Advisory, Business Process, Financial Risk, Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Audit Services and Risk Management.

He is an academic with a vested interest in innovation, Futures, investment management and entrepreneurship as a discipline. He has presented on this subject matter at several conferences and organisations and has received numerous accolades. He has an extensive experience in the African continent both professionally and academically.

He is a PhD Candidate (Univ of Witwatersrand) and holds an MBA (Univ of Stellenbosch), Master of Commerce (Univ of Witwatersrand), BSc Honours – Management (Univ of Johannesburg), BSc IT & Mathematics qualifications. He is permanently based in Johannesburg

Through his teaching, research and service at Ashesi, Dennis seeks to foster AI-enabled entrepreneurship in Africa. Dennis often teaches Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). His research is focused on NLP. Among other things, Dennis led the creation of the first open-source publicly available speech dataset in native Ghanaian languages – Asante Twi, Fante, Akuapem Twi and Ga. Dennis is working on the development of AI datasets and tools which can be used by enterprising Africans to develop AI solutions which work well for African speakers.

Dennis graduated from Ashesi University in 2012. After a few years working as a Software Engineer in Ghana, he went to the US for graduate studies where he acquired knowledge and skills in the development of machine learning models. He earned his Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Dennis served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota, Duluth and the University of Maryland, College Park before returning to Ashesi to join the Computer Science and Information Systems faculty.