John Ross is an Investment Professional with 8 years of experience, deeply passionate about sourcing and developing sustainable investment channels for public governments, local authorities, and private companies in Africa.

After graduating in 2016, he joined SGI-BENIN, the first investment banking and stock brokerage company in Benin.

While at SGI-BENIN, his team has been, since 2017, the Lead Issuer and Underwriter for Benin’s National Treasury, covering an amount of more than $1.6 billion in bonds issuance on the local market of the WAEMU Region.

An important part of his mission was also to establish a fundraising mechanism through Municipal Bonds to facilitate decentralization development, helping cities like Cotonou, Bamako, and Brazzaville finance community projects and build resilience through different times of crisis.

JR’s main purpose is to strengthen African SMEs’ readiness to face the upcoming challenges of the global economy. His engagement focuses on transformative and long-term solutions that: attract investment at scale,provide climate-resiliency structures to local communities

To this end, he has dedicated the last years to promoting climate finance solutions in key industries such as agribusiness, wood transformation, and the digital economy.

John Ross holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting Management from the National School of Business & Management (ENCG) – Ibn Zohr University of Agadir, Morocco.

As a social impact-driven person, he is also part of the Global Shapers Community, a youth entity of the World Economic Forum, which is a global network of more than 17,000 inspiring young people, working to address global challenges with locally conceived solutions.

Outside of his professional life, John Ross is also a dedicated Tennis Player.