Eva Warigia appointed Africa's Associate Director of Investor Relations at New Forests

Kenyan business executive Eva Warigia has been appointed Associate Director for Investor Relations in Africa by global investment manager New Forests.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, New Forests manages nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies.

The company said on Wednesday that Warigia will be responsible for building relationships with investors focusing on its African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP) which aims to raise up to Ksh.67 billion ($500 million) over the next two to three years to help scale sustainable forestry in Sub-Saharan Africa.

She previously spent six years at the East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, most recently as its Chief Executive Officer responsible for supporting business and capital flows into East Africa.

Prior to that, Warigia was a senior consultant at Africa Practice, providing consulting and advisory services to clients around financial restructuring, communication, business growth and investor relations. 

New Forests at the same time announced the addition of four other members to its Kenya-based team under the leadership of Paul Ohaga, Senior Director, New Forests Africa.

Kuda Phairah will be the Associate Director of Operations while Moses Kimani is New Forests’ Associate Director of Investments.

Stephanie Bishop meanwhile joins as Associate Director, Environmental and Social for New Forests’ investment program in Africa, while Sean Lloyd is Manager, Operations.

“We’re excited to be building a team of highly skilled and passionate people, who share in our vision of seeing investment in land use and forestry as central to the transition to a sustainable future,” Paul Ohaga, New Forests, Senior Director, Africa, said.

In October 2022, New Forests announced it had raised Ksh.27 billion ($200 million) from its first investors in the AFIP; British International Investment, Norfund and Finnfund.

The platform will AFIP will invest in a portfolio of plantation forestry operating companies and related assets in Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily targeting established assets that can be expected to provide stable and predictable cash flows across a diversified set of markets.

Its main impact areas will be climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, gender and diversity, and community and livelihoods.