OUR TEAM
JOHN PATERSON
Executive Chairman
John is a former CEO with extensive international experience in Oil & Gas, Industrials and Consumer Goods working for multinationals, private and private equity owned businesses. He comes from a finance background and has extensive experience in general management, strategy development, accelerated growth, marketing and distribution, key account management, new market entry, M&A and joint ventures.
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He has a passion for Africa with its diverse cultures, huge natural resources and exciting business potential and has visited the continent many times on business and pleasure including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan and Egypt.
John is also a Chairman of a Scotland based PE-owned technology business and an Associate of 2020 Marketing in Kenya
FRAZER LANG
CEO
Frazer spent several years heading the government relations and business development department of a private sector company, organising over thirty international trade conferences and seventy round tables for African governments to the UK. Working with both the public and private sectors in the UK and Africa, Frazer facilitated the trade and investment ambitions of companies across multiple sectors to enter African markets through developing strategies, advising on local legal and regulatory requirements, making introductions, unlocking bottlenecks and finding trusted local partners.
Having worked closely with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, business, international agencies, funds and donors engaged with Africa, as well as many African governments, up to Head of State level including Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Niger, Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Djibouti and South Sudan. Frazer has developed an extensive network in both public and private sector organisations across the continent.
Noting the lack of engagement from Scotland and Scottish business in Africa, Frazer founded the Scotland Africa Business Exchange (SABE) in 2015. SABE was a multidisciplinary consultancy with the aim of increasing sustainable trade, investment and knowledge sharing between Scotland and Africa, in both directions. Working closely with the private sector and the government it identified and matched needs with providers and suppliers using a sophisticated network of professionals in both Scotland and Africa and was also the precursor to SABA.
