Industry Leading Advisors
Rick Spitz
Advisor
Rick Spitz has served in leadership roles developing key computer technology products for more than 35 years. He currently focuses on AI technology strategy and related intellectual property development.. In the past, Mr. Spitz served as vice president of software for Apple Computer, leading the Macintosh system software organization and delivering the System 7 MacOS, PowerPC, and pioneering new technologies. Mr. Spitz was co-founder of Reach Local, in Los Angeles, Calif where he was a pioneer in creating automated online advertising systems. He served as CTO at Worldwinner.com launching a successful online games business. As vice president of product development at Sungard’s Decalog division, Mr. Spitz headed development for automated financial trading systems. In earlier years, he served as group manager Digital Equipment Corp leading development for the VAX /VMS operating system.
Rick holds over 50 granted US and International patents. He has a master’s degree in computer engineering (University of Massachusetts), a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering ( Clemson University), and post graduate studies in Executive Leadership (Boston University) and Artificial Intelligence (MIT Sloan).
Ifty Islam
Advisor
Ifty Islam is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Infiniti Tech, a UK-based technology company. Prior to this, Ifty was the CEO and co-founder of Miup, a University of Tokyo based Health AI company that has developed primary healthcare platform to leverage AI and big data technologies to promote pre-emptive medicine in the
battle against NCDs. Ifty has a passion for technology and has been working as an advisor and investor in innovative startup companies. Ifty is also the Chairman and founder of Asian Tiger Capital, an investment banking advisory firm based in Dhaka and London. Ifty was the advisor to the China Consortium on the recently concluded 25% investment by the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in the Dhaka. AT Capital also has a joint venture partnership with leading Chinese Fintech Kingdom Shenzhen Sci. Tech. focused on capital markets technology. Prior to establishing AT Capital in 2007, Ifty was a Managing Director at Citigroup, London from 2004-2007 where he was Head of Macro Strategy/Hedge Fund Research. From 1997-2004 Ifty spent 8 years at Deutsche Bank Securities in London and New York, latterly as Managing Director and Chief US Strategist. He graduated from Queen’s College, Oxford with a BA/MA (First Class) in Politics, and Philosophy.
He was until March 2020, the independent non-executive Chairman of SBM Holdings Ltd (SBM Group), the 2nd largest banking group in Mauritius and a public listed company, while being also Chairman of SBM Bank (Kenya) Limited, Banque SBM Madagascar SA, and SBM Bank Seychelles.
battle against NCDs. Ifty has a passion for technology and has been working as an advisor and investor in innovative startup companies. Ifty is also the Chairman and founder of Asian Tiger Capital, an investment banking advisory firm based in Dhaka and London. Ifty was the advisor to the China Consortium on the recently concluded 25% investment by the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges in the Dhaka. AT Capital also has a joint venture partnership with leading Chinese Fintech Kingdom Shenzhen Sci. Tech. focused on capital markets technology. Prior to establishing AT Capital in 2007, Ifty was a Managing Director at Citigroup, London from 2004-2007 where he was Head of Macro Strategy/Hedge Fund Research. From 1997-2004 Ifty spent 8 years at Deutsche Bank Securities in London and New York, latterly as Managing Director and Chief US Strategist. He graduated from Queen’s College, Oxford with a BA/MA (First Class) in Politics, and Philosophy.
He was until March 2020, the independent non-executive Chairman of SBM Holdings Ltd (SBM Group), the 2nd largest banking group in Mauritius and a public listed company, while being also Chairman of SBM Bank (Kenya) Limited, Banque SBM Madagascar SA, and SBM Bank Seychelles.
Kee Chong LI KWONG WING - Advisor
Mr. K.C Li, Economist, is currently Chairman of Union Pay International Africa Regional Council and sits on the Boards of various international financial institutions as Independent Director.
He is holder of a B.Sc. (Econ) from the London School of Economics and LLM in International Tax Law. He started his professional career in 1974 as a Lecturer in Public Finance at the University of Mauritius. Afterwards, he held different prominent positions in the Mauritius public sector, including Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Stock Exchange Commission. He launched the first Unit Trust and the first Property Fund in Mauritius in 1989.
K.C. LI was a Board member of the State Trading Corporation, the National Remuneration Board and the National Economic and Social Council. He also sat on the Council of the University of Mauritius and the Financial Services Consultative Council.
K.C. LI was an external lecturer for the University of Surrey School of Management (UK) and has published numerous reports and articles on cooperative banking, project management, development finance, structural adjustment and fiscal planning issues.
In 1992, Mr. Li started his own private consulting firm and served as Consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
In 1993, he founded the Mauritius International Trust Co. Ltd (MITCO), one of the first professional firms licensed to provide international tax and investment advisory services in Mauritius.
He was also a Member of the Parliament of Mauritius (2010-2014) and sat on the Public Accounts Committee.
In 2015, Mr K.C Li was awarded the national honour of ‘Grand Officer of the Star and Key’ (GOSK) of the Indian Ocean by the Republic of Mauritius for distinguished services in the economic, social and political fields.
In May 2018, he was granted the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award by the Banker Africa for his outstanding contribution to the financial sector in Mauritius and in Africa. He sits on the Board of Directors of several Emerging Markets Funds and Asia Hedge Funds, including Private Equity, Infrastructure and Real Estate Funds in Africa & Asia.
He is currently a Board Director of Afreximbank (based in Cairo). In this capacity, in 2017, he pioneered the partnership between SBM and Alipay, the leader of digital financial services and lifestyle platform of the giant e-Commerce Group Alibaba, thus making of SBM, the first banking group to offer Alipay services in Africa.
He was awarded the Magnolia Award by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government in 2014. In September 2018, in the context of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing, the Inter-Bank Association between China and African Countries, a consortium of major African banks and China Development Bank, was launched, of which Mr KC Li is a Founder Council Member.
He is also the Chairman of the UnionPay Africa Regional Council since June 2019 and a member of the Kisumu Economic and Social Council in Kenya since January 2020. Sits on various Boards of important financial institutions
Currently Chairman of Union Pay Africa Regional Council. also, a Director of Afrexim Bank, AfrexInsure, Value Partners Asia Hedge Fund, VP Real Estate Fund, and China Private Equity Fund.
K.C. LI was an external lecturer for the University of Surrey School of Management (UK) and has published numerous reports and articles on cooperative banking, project management, development finance, structural adjustment and fiscal planning issues.
In 1992, Mr. Li started his own private consulting firm and served as Consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the U.N. Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
In 1993, he founded the Mauritius International Trust Co. Ltd (MITCO), one of the first professional firms licensed to provide international tax and investment advisory services in Mauritius.
He was also a Member of the Parliament of Mauritius (2010-2014) and sat on the Public Accounts Committee.
In 2015, Mr K.C Li was awarded the national honour of ‘Grand Officer of the Star and Key’ (GOSK) of the Indian Ocean by the Republic of Mauritius for distinguished services in the economic, social and political fields.
In May 2018, he was granted the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award by the Banker Africa for his outstanding contribution to the financial sector in Mauritius and in Africa. He sits on the Board of Directors of several Emerging Markets Funds and Asia Hedge Funds, including Private Equity, Infrastructure and Real Estate Funds in Africa & Asia.
He is currently a Board Director of Afreximbank (based in Cairo). In this capacity, in 2017, he pioneered the partnership between SBM and Alipay, the leader of digital financial services and lifestyle platform of the giant e-Commerce Group Alibaba, thus making of SBM, the first banking group to offer Alipay services in Africa.
He was awarded the Magnolia Award by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government in 2014. In September 2018, in the context of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing, the Inter-Bank Association between China and African Countries, a consortium of major African banks and China Development Bank, was launched, of which Mr KC Li is a Founder Council Member.
He is also the Chairman of the UnionPay Africa Regional Council since June 2019 and a member of the Kisumu Economic and Social Council in Kenya since January 2020. Sits on various Boards of important financial institutions
Currently Chairman of Union Pay Africa Regional Council. also, a Director of Afrexim Bank, AfrexInsure, Value Partners Asia Hedge Fund, VP Real Estate Fund, and China Private Equity Fund.
