Board & Supporters – Africa First Network

Martin Schoeller Co-Founder, Family Entrepreneur, Schoeller Group

Martin Schoeller is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Togo AND AUTHOR OF "Africa First! Roadmap for a joint future". Regarding his professional career, Mr. Schoeller is Managing Director and owner of the Schoeller Group, Board member of the Bavarian Family Entrepreneurs, founder of the Munich Europe Conference and of the Desert Food Foundation (NOW "AFRICA FIRST FOUNDATION"). Mr. Schoeller studied engineering and economics at ETH Zürich (Dipl. Ing)

Dr. Ekkehard Franzke Co-Founder, Investor & Corporate Finance Advisor, Franzke Advisory

Ekkehard Franzke is an investor as well as a strategic and corporate finance advisor. Mr. Ekkehard Franzke has had several Partner positions within the consulting space - including being a Partner at Bain, Kearney and L.E.K. Consulting. Furthermore, he was Investment Manager at Deutsche Handelsbank. Mr. Ekkehard Franzke holds a MA. in Economics from the University of Regensburg and a PhD in Economics from WU Wien.

Ulrich Rieger Leitender Ministerialrat, Managing Director (AFN ), Africa First Network

As a senior ministerial councillor in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ulrich Rieger has organised high-level delegations of companies and academia to more than 30 African countries over many years and has managed more than 100 visits by African ministers to Germany. He has extensive experience and personal contacts. Previously, he was responsible for international financial markets, banking and insurance for 7 years and worked for 10 years in the German Bundestag at the highest level.

Eric Agbo CEO, InnoVision Concepts GmbH

Eric Agbo has been working as a consultant and trainer at the interfaces between politics, economy, business and education since 2004. His focus is on socio-political consulting, diversity and interculture and communication. With his multicultural background he accompanies political bodies, companies, institutions and funded national and international projects. Mr Agbo studied political science, business education and modern history at the University of Augsburg.

Stefan Albat

Stefan Albat has been promoting a business-friendly environment all through his career and in particular while being deputy CEO of the Bavarian Business Association (vbw - Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft) for more than 20 years. Both, the economy in general as well as international business relations have been each within the scope of his responsibilities. Hence, he represented the interests of Bavarian companies at regional, national, and international level in Munich, Berlin, and Brussels. Stefan also organised and hosted numerous international high-level delegations from and to all parts of the world during this period. For many years, he has been serving on boards of various economic development companies like Bavaria International, Bavaria Innovation, and Bavaria co2ncept, to name a few.

Ursula Buck Supervisory Board, Buckconsult

UB is Member of the Supervisory Board and Audit Comitee of SYMRISE AG, Member of the Senior Advisory Board of INTEGRATION CONSULTING and an investor as well as a strategic and top management advisor. Mrs. Buck was Member of Management Board of international Fashion and Luxury Companies (HUGO BOSS, VALENTINO, BOGNER, ESPRIT). Before she was 7 years with McKinsey&Comp. and studied Economics at Augsburg University (Dipl.oec.)

Daniel Schoenwitz Author

Daniel Schoenwitz, is an economist, business journalist and publicist in Düsseldorf. He has been writing for leading publications such as WirtschaftsWoche, Manager Magazin and Handelsblatt for 20 years. Daniel is particularly concerned with the question of how to establish the social market economy in developing countries.

Susanne Auernhammer Founder Helena Auernhammer UG, AFN

Susanne Helena Auernhammer, designer and entrepreneur. She studied design in Hanover. After various positions in the luxury and fashion industry (Richemont Group and the House of Cartier), she ventured into self-employment with her own label in 2012 and founded Helena Auernhammer UG. Creativity meets Africa: Through her enthusiasm for the continent, she has been contributing her entire input to the Africa First Network since December 2021.

Experienced entrepreneurs, investors, advisors and Africa experts - these are our Board and Team members: