Dr Omawumi Kola-Lawal

Non-Executive Director, Group

Omawumi is a Non-Executive Director of IBIS Consulting and has specialized environmental, social and safety skills in Risk Assessment, Management Systems Development and Implementation, Policy Development, Training, Auditing, Due Diligence and Performance Improvement. Her current interests are Climate Finance Strategy and Development Impact Measurement/Reporting.

For over 20 years, Omawumi has worked to develop and implement policies, strategies and systems for managing environmental, social and safety risks in over 200 companies/projects in the oil and gas, manufacturing, telecoms, power, transport, mining and financial services sectors in Africa. She set up and ran a boutique consulting firm, HSE Technologies, which for 11 years, provided specialist environmental and safety risk management advice and solutions to Nigerian corporate clients. She has also worked to set up internal functions for integrating environmental, social and sustainability aspects in Philips Consulting Lagos, African Capital Alliance and the Africa Finance Corporation. Omawumi also works with the International Finance Corporation, providing expert E&S advice and assisting in managing environmental and social risks in IFC’s Financial Intermediaries portfolio in Africa and the Middle East.

Omawumi holds a BSc (Hons.) in Pharmacology from the University of Lagos and an MSc in Environmental Technology (with Distinction) from Imperial College London. She also holds a PhD from the University of Salford, Manchester, where she conducted research on key factors influencing environmental management system implementation in Africa.

A firm believer in adding value, Omawumi has developed free awareness-building tools for sustainability practitioners, including a new Series titled What Investors Want, which provides guidance to project sponsors and developers, on meeting international investors’ environmental and social requirements. She is an avid writer and writes for local and international media and has authored several published titles on safety, environment and social awareness.

Simon Clarke

Environment Social Governance

Simon is one of the Founding Directors of IBIS Consulting and has over 18 years of experience in the areas of sustainability and climate change. He has worked in over 20 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. Simon primarily advises listed corporations as well as private equity firms and DFI’s on sustainability and climate change. He has particular experience working in the Mining & Metals, Chemicals, Construction, Telecommunications, Finance, Oil & Gas and Manufacturing sectors. Simon’s experience has included helping clients develop integrated corporate sustainability and climate change strategies focused on practical business outcomes. His climate change experience covers greenhouse gas reporting, resource efficiency, climate policy and physical climate change risk. His sustainability experience has focused on strategy, delivery of capacity building and training to all levels of management, sustainability management systems, sustainability reporting and assurance. Simon also supports Private Equity clients in developing and implementing ESG monitoring, reporting and assurance systems.

Simon completed a B.Sc. Hons Degree and a Masters in Environment and Development through the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. He is a trained ISO 14001 environmental auditor, a registered Professional Natural Scientist and holds an Advanced Certificate in Project Management. Prior to forming IBIS, Simon was a Partner and practice lead of the Sustainability and Climate Change practice at Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in South Africa, and prior to that was at PwC. Simon regularly publishes thought leadership articles on sustainability and climate change trends and was recently the climate change specialist and contributing author to a large study on the environmental and social impacts of shale gas in South Africa.

Teddy DeRoy

Environment Social Governance

Teddy is one of the founding directors of IBIS Consulting and is the Managing Director of their East Africa, North Africa and European businesses and is based in Paris, France. Teddy has worked widely in Western Europe and in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Teddy has carried out more than 1,000 ESG and EHS projects for large industrial facilities to SMEs. His project experience predominantly includes ES Due Diligence but also compliance auditing, management system (development, implementation and auditing) and capacity building / training. His sectoral experience includes oil & gas, mining, power, infrastructure, chemicals, manufacturing, agro-industry, real estate and financial institutions. He is highly familiar with Sustainability standards (IFC-PS, EPIII, UNPRI, VGGT, ISO 14k and OHSAS 18 k).

Teddy has worked in >20 African countries and was based in South Africa in 2007-2008, in the DRC from 2015-2016 and in Kenya from 2016 – 2020, before moving back to France in early 2021. Prior to joining IBIS, Teddy spent two years as the EHS & CSR Director of Perenco in DRC and prior to that as Partner at ERM France where he led the M&A, Compliance, Management System and Training Practices comprising a team of 25 staff. Teddy is a qualified Chemical Engineer (ESPCI – Paris) and holds a MSc in Environmental Sciences (Imperial College – London). Teddy was an accredited ISO 14k and OHSAS 18k (UKAS – 2011-2014) auditor.

Belinda Ridley

Environment Social Governance

Belinda is a Director, and Head of Social Performance and Development Impact at IBIS. She has 18 years’ experience in the environmental, social and sustainability management fields. She has particular focus in social performance management and social and land acquisition risk for clients operating, acquiring land and investing in Africa. Belinda is a specialist in the application of IFC Performance Standards and the Equator Principles; in particular IFC PS5: Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement. Belinda is also leading the team of specialists developing IBIS service offering in Human Rights (including Gender and SGBV), Human Resources and Development Impact to Finance clients (PE, Impact Investors, DFIs, Private Banks, Asset Managers), directing teams developing bespoke ESG and Impact Management systems, and designing and delivering Impact Strategy and Measurement and Monitoring frameworks to help clients assess and report on the Development Impact of their investment portfolios to their stakeholders.

Belinda’s specific expertise includes ESG and IMM Strategy and Management Systems; Environmental and Social Due Diligence and Social Risk Assessment; Social Performance Auditing and Monitoring; Social and Human Rights Risk Assessment; Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement; Resettlement Action Planning and Review. Belinda primarily works with Private Equity and Impact Funds, DFI’s, commercial banks and trade clients investing and operating in Africa across sectors including financial services, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, property, power (renewables and conventional), chemicals, mining and oil & gas power (renewables and conventional), chemicals, mining and oil & gas. She has worked in over 25 countries in Southern, West and East Africa, Northern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Belinda holds a BA in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in Impact Measurement and Management from the UCT Graduate School of Business and recently completed the Foundation Programme in Private Equity hosted by SAVCA/GIBS Institute of Business Science.

Riz Mohammed

Environment Social Governance

Riz Mohammed is the Finance Director of IBIS Consulting based in Johannesburg. She has 20 years of relevant experience of which she has spent the last 12 years working as a financial manager in the professional services sector. Prior to joining IBIS in 2017, Riz was responsible for the finance function for the South African, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzanian offices of a large multi-national consulting firm. Before that, Riz spent 10 years at an insurance brokerage where she was responsible for day to day business operations. Riz is currently responsible for all aspects of the finance function at IBIS including accounting, business support, financial analysis and reporting, audit and tax. Riz holds a Bachelors of Commerce Degree in Accounting and is currently completing her Professional Level of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants qualification. Riz has undertaken various short courses in financial management, tax, BBBEE and IT.

Petrus Gildenhuys

Environment Social Governance

Petrus is one of the founding directors of IBIS Consulting and Managing Director of their Sustainability Reporting and Assurance business - a licensed assurance provider with AccountAbility (UK). He has 25 years of experience in the environmental, health & safety and sustainability management fields, working in sectors such as mining, agriculture, utilities, oil and gas, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, financial services and government. He has worked in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, UK, Germany, Brazil, Chile and the Antarctic. He primarily advises listed and other multinational clients on sustainability and integrated reporting as well as independent 3rd party assurance of those reports. Petrus also supports Private Equity and Impact Fund clients in developing and implementing ESG monitoring, reporting and assurance systems.

Petrus has BSc (Botany & Geography), BLarch (Ecological Design) and MBA (Strategy) degrees. He is a registered Professional Natural Scientist in the field of Environmental Science with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and is also a registered Lead CSAP (Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner). He has completed over 300 advisory, assurance and compliance related consulting projects placing him amongst the most experienced sustainability assurance practitioners in Africa. He has also lectured on several sustainability related topics at the CEM (Centre for Environmental Management) at the North West University as well as Wits University. Prior to the founding of IBIS, Petrus established a boutique sustainability reporting and assurance consultancy that was later amalgamated into IBIS. Before that Petrus led the sustainability practice at PWC in South Africa for nearly 10 years. Petrus serves on the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) Integrated Report Assurance sub-committee in South Africa that develops guidance to practitioners on assurance matters.

Oliver Warner

Environment Social Governance

Oliver is the Managing Director of IBIS Asia, based in Singapore. Oliver has been advising Financial Institutions on sustainable finance and ESG for the last 18 years in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America, with the last 10 years based in Singapore. Oliver was previously Sustainable Finance Manager at Standard Chartered Bank focussed on emerging markets where he reviewed and advised on transactions to meet the requirements of international sustainability standards, such as the Equator Principles and the IFC standards, as well as internal Environmental & Social policy, guidance and risk screening tools. From 2014 to 2018 Oliver led the Sustainable Finance practice across Asia Pacific for a global management consultancy.

Oliver brings a strong understanding of the practical and pragmatic application of international E&S standards, including capacity building and training, development and implementing E&S management systems, E&s;S due diligence and assisting project/investees in navigating, understanding and meeting financiers’ E&S expectations. Uniquely, he has substantial first-hand experience in over 20 countries in Asia and in a range of sectors. including agribusiness, chemicals, food & beverage, infrastructure, manufacturing, mining (and metals processing), oil & gas (upstream, midstream & downstream), pharmaceuticals, power (thermal, renewables & transmission) and ICT.

Oliver has authored / co-authored a number of publications on sustainable finance commissioned by financial institutions, including Reporting Requirements for Environmental & Social Due Diligence for the Equator Principles Association. Oliver is a Chartered Environmental Professional, a full Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), a Registered Principal Environmental Auditor in the UK and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London. Oliver holds a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

Alan Fowler

Environment Social Governance

Alan is an Associate Director and Manager of IBIS South East Asia. He has over 30 years of experience in the sustainability consultancy industry, specialising in environmental and social due diligence (ESDD), development and implementation of environmental and social management systems (ESMS), and monitoring of projects against international standards adopted by financial institutions, such as the Equator Principles, the IFC Performance Standards and the Asian Development Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguards. In recent years he has focused more on supporting private equity clients with ESG due diligence and the implementation of post-investment value-creation programmes, and has worked with banks and their clients on sustainability-linked loans and derivatives.

He has worked in a diverse range of industry sectors, including power (renewables and thermal), oil and gas (onshore & offshore, upstream, midstream, and downstream), manufacturing, agribusiness, food and beverage, technology and telecommunications, and real estate. He has worked on projects throughout the world including 14 countries in Asia, seven in Africa, four in the Middle East, and 23 in Europe. Alan has spent extended periods on secondment to major infrastructure projects and clients in the oil & gas and power sectors in the UK, Russia, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, and Brunei, during which he developed expertise in pragmatic and cost-effective approaches to meeting complex requirements.

Alan has been based in Singapore for six years, and spent the last 15 years as a Partner in two global environmental consultancies, where he managed offices in the UK and Russia and led teams focusing on due diligence and sustainable finance in Asia. He holds an MA in Geography from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London. He is a Chartered Environmental Professional, a full Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), a Registered Principal Environmental Auditor in the UK and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Gretchen Blake

Environment Social Governance

Gretchen is an Associate Director at IBIS. She has more than 30 years’ experience in Human Capital with expertise in human resources management, job quality, gender inclusion and diversity, and complex labour relations and dispute resolution.

Her career has spanned HR consulting to large and medium sized public and private enterprises as well as more recently serving over a decade as the Chief People Officer and executive team member of a large Private Equity invested forestry and manufacturing concern (MTO Forestry Group). Gretchen has established herself as a go-to expert in the Africa context, recognized by DFI’s and Private Equity funds for her pragmatic, solutions orientated approach.

Prior to Gretchen's role as HR executive, she was actively involved in providing specialist consulting to a variety of Clients in her position as Director and Principal Consultant for ODA (Organisation Development Africa). Key career highlights included strategic consulting for the Mvelepanda Group, as well as participating in the working groups providing advice to the South African Labour Ministry in the early 1990's in the areas of Transformation and Employment Equity.

Gretchen has focused extensively on gender transformation in different sectors; championing the implementation of mechanisms to attract, retain and develop women in the workplace. She is a qualified mediator with experience across multiple sectors including agriculture, transport, construction, manufacturing and printing.

Kenny Kirkby

Environment Social Governance

Kenny is an Associate Director and Head of Strategic Advisory Services at IBIS. Kenny has over 11 years experience working in the sustainable finance / ESG field with a focus on supporting a variety of financial sector clients leverage ESG and Impact considerations as a means to drive commercial value. His specific focus includes working with clients in the development of new and innovative investment mandates / products with a focus on environmental and social (ES) impact outcomes, policy and framework development, tailored ESG management systems, system embedding, capacity building and training, impact measurement and management (IMM), and strategic exit support. He also assists clients design, develop and/or update existing monitoring systems to enable efficient and effective reporting on portfolio ESG and Impact performance and strategy and policy alignment.

Kenny’s experience includes working with many of the leading private equity / debt firms, asset managers, banks and development finance institutions (DFIs) investing into emerging markets. He has led the development of over 20 ESG management systems, toolkits and reporting frameworks, including developing ESG toolkits for a large European based DFI and a major Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) to help guide good ESG practices when considering investments into financial institutions (FIs). He has also led the development of several IMM frameworks for Impact funds focused on provision of clean energy, financial inclusion, SME development, jobs growth, diversity and inclusion, affordable housing, food security, education, gender equality and empowerment, healthcare and climate change. He is also leading several retainer agreements with IBIS financial sector clients, including one of the leading commercial banks in South Africa, providing on-going advisory support to their sustainable finance team. Kenny’s experience also includes working with some of the largest emerging market focussed banks, providing advisory support on the development of green, social and sustainability bond / loan frameworks (including sustainability-linked frameworks), including independent reviews against ICMA / LMA principles (i.e. use of proceeds, process evaluation and selection, reporting, KPI and SPT calibration, etc.) taking into account the local / emerging market context.

He also has a strong technical background having completed over 50 ESG and Impact due diligence assessments in more than 15 different African countries and across a variety of different sectors, including power, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, ICT, healthcare, financial services, construction, property, logistics, etc. He remains close to developments in the ESG and Impact fields, and is well-versed in a range of methodologies, standards and guidelines, including, but not limited to, IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles, TCFDs, SDGs, GRI, UNEP FI Principles, IFC Operating Principles for Impact Management, ICMA Social / Green Bond Principles, EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, SASB, Impact Management Project, IRIS+, 2X Challenge, etc. Kenny holds a BSc degree in Economics and Environmental Science and an MSc in Environmental Management from the University of Cape Town. He also has two postgraduate certificates in Impact Investing from the UCT Graduate School of Business.

Lebo Letsoalo

Non-Executive Director, South Africa

Lebo Letsoalo is a non-executive director of IBIS’ South African business. She is a supply chain specialist with 18 years experience and has held executive roles in Supply Chain with a number of leading South African and multi-national companies including Sasol, Eskom, DeBeers, Fluor and IBM. In 2008, Lebo was profiled by the Financial Mail as one of the top 10 most inspiring women within State Owned Entities. She was also nominated for a Global Business Leadership Award at the International Conference on Gender & Sustainability in New York in 2017.

Lebo is currently a Supply Chain Coach and advises on sustainable supply chain and optimisation solutions. She is the Chairperson of the Southern Africa Shippers Transport & Logistics Council (SASTALC), is a Director of the Black Industrialist Group (BIG) and also the Founder and Chairperson of the African Women in Supply Chain Association (AWISCA). Amongst other roles, Lebo is also a non-executive director of Booyco Engineering and the Kwazulu Natal Maritime Cluster. Lebo has a Diploma in Purchasing, a BTech Logistics and an MBA. Lebo is currently completing her PhD in Sustainable Supply Chain.