The former Asia/Pacific Lead for housing finance at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), becomes the Managing Director (MD) of this pan-African housing development financier.
By Bernard Bangda
Thierno-Habib Hann took office as the new CEO of Shelter-Afrique, a pan-African housing development financier, on January 12, 2023, in Nairobi. The Guinean was appointed to the position in August 2022, while he was serving as the Asia/Pacific Lead for housing finance, at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Bangkok, Thailand.
He takes over from Zambia’s Kingsley Muwowo, who has been serving in an acting capacity following the change in management in 2022. Thierno-Habib Hann brings over 20 years of international experience in housing finance, capital markets/investment banking and structured finance. He is recognized as having “a wealth of leadership experience in development and investment, sharp insight into the real estate landscape and a strong track record of delivery.”
“International experience in finance, spanning over 20 years”
Thierno-Habib Hann Hann holds an MBA in Finance & Investments from the Zicklin School of Business, Bernard Baruch, City University of New York; a master’s degree in Accounting and Finance (M.S.T.C.F) and a bachelor’s degree in Management and Applied Economics (GEA), from Paris IX Dauphine University. He began his career at the consulting firm Arthur Andersen, LLC as a Senior Consultant in Financial Services and Capital Markets in New York City. He has worked at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs as Manager and Vice President, respectively and led investment teams issuing mortgage-backed securities (RMBS/CMO) and credit derivatives (CDS) in these organizations.
He also served at the World Bank Group as the Private Sector Development Program Manager in Guinea, responsible for designing and implementing the business climate improvement program while developing a bankable pipeline of investments and government advisory projects in strategic sectors of the economy.
Thierno-Habib Hann is also the co-founder of “AngelAfrica” – a Pan-African thinktank formed to achieve economic prosperity on the continent by building and fostering innovative technological ideas, investors and business partnerships.
“Strengthening governance, be an embodiment of the organization’s values and driving Company’s investment strategy focused on delivering large-scale affordable housing”
An expertise and commitment now put to work for Shelter Afrique, and as such, expectations are many. « Strengthening governance, be an embodiment of the organization’s values, and driving the company’s investment strategy focused on delivering large-scale affordable housing,” reads the press release.
Shelter Africa is a pan-African housing finance and development institution established by African governments and the African Development Bank (AfDB). It was born out of the desire to address the need for sustainable housing delivery and related infrastructure projects in Africa. The company’s mandate is to provide financing through debt, quasi-equity, and equity to both public and private institutions for housing and urban infrastructure projects in its member countries.
« Many African countries face a significant turning point in their housing agenda. We want to be part of this turning point »
“The institution and title may have changed, but I believe we all share a joint commitment and goal of developing our world and I look forward to collaborating with them,” said the new CEO. He noted that: many African countries face a significant turning point in their housing agenda. We want to be part of this turning point. It is an honor to lead this team, and together, we will work towards harnessing national resources to improve local populations’ living conditions.”
As such, he has outlined his roadmap: “My immediate focus will be to optimize the organization’s performance and ensure we deliver on our mandate. To do this, the management is committed to strengthening the brand and corporate governance, ensuring financial sustainability with a strong execution capability, strengthening risk management framework as well as deepening capacity within the organization and advocating for innovative solutions in the delivery of affordable housing.”
The new CEO of Shelter Afrique intends to go further. “I also plan to embark on broad stakeholder engagement to understand other ways to address our mandate; we welcome the views of our shareholders and partners as the task of delivering affordable housing is a shared one, and no single organization can address the growing housing crisis alone,” he said.
The new head of Shelter Afrique also argued for greater female representation in the organization and corporate governance: “We are very pleased that as part of our renewal, our Board has nominated two women to lead as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the first time in our history. We look forward to their stewardship and vision for the organization.”
