About Longitude Finance
LOFIN is presently a non deposit taking Micro Lender and Venture Capital firm; which is focused in supporting small business groups; with an objective of availing affordable business loans; and encourage financial inclusion while ensuring that the members of the business groups, embrace banking and basic best practices in Financial management.
Our values, mission and vision
'VALUES: At LOFIN we are committed to keep our word and gain the customer’s and other stakeholders’ confidence and trust...'
'MISSION: To unlock the potential of small business owners, especially the business groups of women and the youth; and SMEs by issuing affordable short term loans; and do capacity building on best practises; which will positively improve the lives of the borrowers and their families; through creation of new jobs and wealth....'
'VISION: Be that unique Micro Lender, Venture Capital and Capacity Building firm of choice in Kenya and East Africa, and subsequently Sahara Africa; focused in supporting small business to create more jobs hence alleviate poverty...'
Our Team
The Longitude Finance (LOFIN) team, is made up of very successful financial and banking experts; self-motivated, who have a passion for financial inclusion in Africa; having crisscrossed the Sub Sahara continent executing financial intermediation banking transactions for close to three decades.
Arnold Ekpe
Board Advisor
Board advisor and has served as CEO of Ecobank and United Bank of Africa, and Partner at Capital Alliance.
Established Citibank’s Sub-Saharan Africa Structured & Corporate Finance business.
Clive Carpenter
Board Advisor
Board advisor and Chartered Director, Institute of Directors (UK)
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of United Bank of Africa UK
Deputy Chairman, Business Council for Africa
Michael Monari
Founder
Michael Monari (MSc, MBA) is the Team leader and Founder/CEO of Longitude Finance.
He has over 25 years commercial banking experience at Executive Management and Board Level. Michael has a passion for supporting SME's across the African continent; the largest being job creation platform.
He has worked in several African countries some being Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and lately Uganda as MD/CEO of Ecobank. Across these countries he turned round the banks he was a part of resulting in exponential growth whilst creating wealth and new jobs.
Highly networked in Kenya and across Africa.
Marc Sullivan
Board Advisor
Marc brings on board deep experience in emerging and frontier market and is a restructuring professional with strong background in finance, management, and strategy.
He has wide ranging experience with planning and implementing large scale restructurings and turnarounds, including operational restructurings, financial restructurings, team building, acquisitions, and asset disposal.
Christophe Jocktane-Lawson
Advisor
We are excited to announce that Mr Christophe Jocktane-Lawson, a career international banker has agreed to join our advisory board; and will subsequently be a full board member. Christophe brings over to us three decades of specialized financial services knowledge; having worked in Europe and in a number of African countries as a top executive in Ecobank Group and Citibank. He is very well networked with various FIs and DFIs which collaborate with LOFIN; and his joining our board, will not only strengthen, but it will also boost the support we require from the said institutions.
David Baithe Lamb
Board Advisor
David trained as a lawyer, graduating from Edinburgh University, and is a qualified accountant. He has enjoyed an international career with senior roles in Rothmans International, Barclays Bank, BIC and BATA. David has lived and worked in the UK, Europe, the USA, the Far East and Africa and has interests as an executive and non-executive in several international businesses. Based in the UK he is a name at Lloyds and a director and investor in OCG Software. Formerly Chairman of the Business Council for Africa (BCA) he is now its Senior Adviser. BCA aims to assist the economic development of African nations by supporting SMEs in Africa, creating jobs and transforming lives. As a member of the Longitude Finance Advisory Board he brings value and enhances its mission.