Paul Owers says; “I was introduced to Africa almost by accident and encountered an environment where the norm was to challenge the status quo.”
Paul Owers joined Actis when it was established in 2004 and is responsible for all corporate and transactional legal matters. He has over 20 years’ experience of navigating legal, regulatory and risk issues across growth markets. Paul was integral to the spin-out of Actis from CDC in 2004 and to the follow-up transaction in 2012, whereby Actis became a completely independent fund management business.
With parents who met whilst working in West Africa, he became reacquainted with the continent in his first role after leaving law school – and likens his experience of Africa to the temptation of Turkish Delight in C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ – once you have had a first taste it is difficult to give it up. His commitment to Actis has been founded on the belief that whilst constantly pushing the boundaries of the possible in growth markets, making successful investments and investing responsibly are complementary – and not contradictory – objectives.
After reading Jurisprudence at Keble College, Oxford, Paul went on to spend seven years with Norton Rose in London, focusing on trade and project finance in Africa. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1987 and qualified as a Solicitor in England in 1989. He joined CDC in 1994 and became Actis’ General Counsel in 2004.
