Francis Nkontchou, former Ecobank chairman, has become a major stakeholder after his investment vehicle, Bosquet Investments Ltd, purchased Nedbank’s 21.22 percent stake in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), in a deal expected to cost $100 million.
Nkontchou, a Cameroonian financier, was the former chairman of Ecobank from 2020 to 2024.
His path to this point has been shaped by a mix of elite European education and global banking experience. A graduate of Supelec (École Supérieure d’Électricité) in Paris with an MSc in Electrical Engineering, and later of ESCP Business School with a Master’s in Finance and Accounting, Nkontchou moved early into the world of finance.
Nkontchou began his career at Chemical Bank (later part of JPMorgan Chase) in Paris and New York, rising to Vice President and Head of Trading and Sales between 1989 and 1994.
From there, he took on senior roles at leading investment banks, including JPMorgan Chase and later Credit Suisse in London, where he became managing director of Global Macro Trading. He also worked briefly as a portfolio manager at BlueCrest Capital Management and served as a board advisor to Laurent-Perrier, the French champagne house.
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In 2007, he co-founded Enko Capital, a London and Johannesburg-based asset management firm focused on African opportunities. As managing partner and chief investment officer, he built Enko into a significant player in private equity, listed equity, and debt strategies, reflecting his conviction that global capital can be profitably mobilised into African markets.
His association with Ecobank began when he joined the board in 2014 as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Six years later, in June 2020, he was appointed Chairman, succeeding Emmanuel Ikazoboh, and steered the group through the twin challenges of COVID-19 disruptions and a difficult macroeconomic environment. Under his watch, the lender focused on digital expansion, loan book clean-up, and operational efficiencies, which helped restore profitability. He stepped down in June 2024, handing over to Papa Madiaw Ndiaye.
Having spent over three decades navigating global financial markets, Nkontchou has cemented his place as one of the most influential figures in African banking. Known for his leadership at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) and his Africa-focused investment ventures, Nkontchou has now emerged as a major shareholder in the pan-African lender, underscoring his long-term bet on the continent’s financial sector.
With his new stake, Alain Nkontchou has positioned himself at the heart of Ecobank’s next growth chapter, blending his career-long expertise in global markets with a personal conviction in Africa’s banking future
