Zemedeneh Negatu, Fairfax African Fund

Chairman | Fairfax Africa Fund | Co-founder CBE Capitol Investment Bank

Zemedeneh is widely recognised as one of Africa’s top business leaders and has received numerous global awards and recognitions.

An Ethiopia-American, Zemedeneh has worked in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, the Middle East and throughout Africa. He has advised Wall Street investment banks, Governments, Sovereign Wealth Funds and multinational corporations in various sectors including financial services, airlines and consumer products. His high profile clients have included Diageo, British American Tobacco (BAT), Blackstone (the American private equity firm) and Ethiopian Airlines.

Zemedeneh was the founder of Ernst & Young (EY) Ethiopia and had served as its Managing Partner for 18 years and was the Head of the firm’s Transaction Advisory Services for East Africa. In 2025, he co-founded CBE Capital Investment Bank, a pioneer in Ethiopia’s capital markets.

Zemedeneh is currently the Chairman of the American investment firm Fairfax African Fund, LLC, based in Washington D.C. Fairfax has invested millions of dollars in Africa the past several years with significant additional investments committed for the next several years. Zemedeneh is also the Chairman of the African subsidiary of one of the largest and best known European multi-national fast fashion design and manufacturing companies.