Walid Bakr
Walid is a graduate of Alexandria University's School of Engineering (in Alexandria, Egypt). He holds a Bachelor's degree, with top honors, with a major in communications engineering.
Walid is a Private Equity veteran with over 20 years of experience in investment, finance, management and operational roles across the Middle East, Europe and the USA. His investment expertise and responsibilities span deal origination, execution, value creation and exits. Walid structured and developed successful investment strategies and platforms that were instrumental in raising several funds, including the very successful USD 400 mln North Africa Fund II (launched in 2014) - with participation of global high-profile investors including the EBRD, EIB, IFC, DEG, Proparco, South Suez, and others.
Walid is the founder and Managing Partner of Ripples Impact - a newly established boutique investment and financial advisory firm with a focus on growth strategies, restructuring and reorganization. As part of an advisory engagement, Walid most recently served as interim CEO of a leading Egyptian industrial group where he led the reorganization and debt restructuring of the group.
From 2009, and until his departure in Q2 2017, Walid has been a Managing Director with the Abraaj Group ($14 Bln under management). He led Abraaj's Egyptian operations and was a senior member of the MENA investment team. During his tenure he led one of the most successful investment portfolios in Egypt with over USD 600 million of assets, and two of his investments ranking among the top EGX performers. Most notably, he led the investment in, establishment and structuring of Cleopatra Group (Egypt's largest Hospital Group) and led its subsequent successful listing on the Egyptian Stock Exchange in June 2016 (5+X value appreciation since listing).
Prior to joining Abraaj in 2009, Walid was a director with Riyada Ventures (A boutique regional investment banking and advisory firm, and previously Managing Director of Technology Development Fund (TDF, Egypt's 1st VC fund). He started his career with AT&T in Kuwait and moved on to manage and establish several technology companies in France and the US.
Walid is actively engaged with education and entrepreneurship initiatives in Egypt. He served on the Board of Trustees of Education for Employment (EFE) Egypt, Bidaya Fund's (Government SME Fund) advisory board, AUC's Entrepreneurship and Innovation counsel and is an active Endeavor mentor. He's a venture partner of MindShift Capital, co-founder of Alex Angels Fund and an active startup mentor, advisor and angel investor.
Walid has been selected as an Eisenhower Fellow in 2017 and a Kauffman Fellow in 2013. He holds a BSc in Engineering (top honors) from Alexandria University.
A member of Class 16, Walid served his fellowship at Abraaj Capital under the mentorship of Senior Partner Tom Speechley.