Matthew D.Meredith
Managing Principal
Matthew Meredith has twenty years of project development and blended finance experience. A serial entrepreneur, Matthew also works as a Project Manager and Investment Advisor. With years of resident experience in emerging markets, he understands the challenges and realities of executing projects. He is passionate about economic growth and takes a very practical approach to every project in order to achieve concrete results. An SME advisory specialist, he plays the role of intermediary between entrepreneurs, communities, capital providers and government. Matthew also has current technical experience in agricultural trade logistics, cold chain, energy markets and energy infrastructure. He has a BA from Tufts University in International Relations and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business. In addition to a professional level of German and French, he has an advanced Arabic language training.
William C. Fellows Managing Principal
William Fellows has more than 18 years of experience in the MENA region, including 15 years in the Maghreb. His past projects focus on entrepreneurship support, financing and impact investment development, impact venture capital investment, and advisory in conceiving and structuring impact risk capital funds in the Maghreb and Francophone Africa. He has extensive experience in management and development of programs focused on green and circular economy financing. William holds a BA from Vassar College in Diplomatic History, an MA from Indiana University in Islamic History, and an MA in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (JHU – SAIS). He also holds certificates in advanced Arabic studies from Moulay Ismail University in Morocco and the American University’s CASA program in Cairo, Egypt. He is fluent in Arabic and French.
Najwa El Iraki Senior Advisor
Najwa El Iraki is the Founder and Managing Partner of AfricaDev Consulting Ltd, a business development and advisory firm dedicated to the African continent. She is also the Managing Director of the North West Africa for Opportunity Network, a global business matchmaking platform headquartered in London that connects CEOs worldwide for business opportunities. Prior to this, she was the Head of Business Development at Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA). Previously, she was Senior Manager within Mazars’ Financial Services Group in London. Najwa has accumulated 15 years’ experience and holds a master’s degree in Business Management and Finance from Kedge Business School and Aston Business School. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant, member of both international accountancy and UK tax leading professional institutes (ICAS and ATT). She holds a certificate in leadership management from Harvard Business School. Najwa speaks fluently English, French, Arabic and intermediate Spanish.
Maha Filali Mouncef Operations and Projects Director
Maha Filali Mouncef is one of the first employees to join the LixCap team in 2013 as a project manager. Throughout her career, she has managed and contributed to multiple projects in the areas of temperature-controlled logistics (TCL), entrepreneurship, access to capital, and fund evaluation. She was responsible for the implementation of a two-year entrepreneurship support program “Gazelles Al Maghrib”. The program aims to provide technical assistance to targeted Moroccan businesses (start-ups and SMEs) in different business areas to help them grow their businesses, increase revenues, develop core competencies to scale-up, and raise funds. Prior to that, Maha served as a program manager of “Fundamental Growth Partners”, and as Junior Project Manager in the development of Friopuerto Tanger S.A, an $11 million multi-phased fresh food logistics hub at Port of Tanger Med, Northern Morocco. Maha has also held consulting and technical assistance roles in assignments related to fund evaluation in Africa, and SME financing in Morocco. Currently, Maha holds the position of Operations and Projects Director, for which she oversees daily operations activities and leads LixCap’s ongoing project work as well. Maha holds an M.Sc. in project management from the University of Westminster in London and a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco.
Chad Maxwell Senior Advisor
Chad Maxwell has 20 years’ experience developing and managing market-based solutions as an entrepreneur, business professional and management consultant to SMEs and Fortune 500 companies. He has extensive resident experience in Africa, including setting up a business in Senegal and consulting mandates in multiple countries. Chad recently served as the Director of Investment and Asset Management for a family office (FO), where he served on the advisory boards of a water filtration company and an aquaponic company. While there, he also led aquaculture and aquaponic investment feasibility studies. Prior to the FO, Chad served as the Director of Enterprise Management for Barrick Gold Corporation, where he led investment identification of greenfield and agricultural development opportunities for underutilized assets. He is a former Partner and Senior Consultant for Global Mining Corporation and Director of Livestock for Niman Ranch. He has launched, run and exited his own start-up enterprises. He has managed 210 employee operations; controlled USD 20 million operational budgets; structured USD 100 million value chain investment targets for the EU and restructured USD 9 billion entities across several continents and diverse operational environments. Chad has an MBA from the University of South Dakota (Beta Gamma Sigma), and speaks English and French.
Samir Belrhandoria Senior Advisor on Private Equity and PPP Investments
Samir Belrhandoria is a leading investment expert in energy efficiency, renewable energy and infrastructure in Morocco. From 2009-2016, Samir managed the EUR 80 million Moroccan Infrastructure Fund (MIF), a project led by large private capital players, international development finance institutions, and local Moroccan institutional actors. He oversaw deal flow sourcing and secured transactions in several areas, including renewable energy. Similarly, Samir managed the EUR 30 million African Energy Efficiency Fund Attijariwafa Bank (which also participates in the MIF) and SUMA Capital, a Spanish private equity firm. His experience with renewables extends to being Vice President of Corporate and Structured Finance for Theolia Emerging Markets, where he developed, analyzed and financed feasibility studies and projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and other developing markets. His expertise with emerging market investment funds covers many different perspectives. He led fundraising for a pan-African cross-border fund for Attijariwafa and Emerging Capital Partners, acting as Fund Manager. Previously, he conducted the execution and review of mergers and acquisitions for Société Générale in France and ran their corporate and structured finance operations in Morocco. Samir has an MBA with a major in Corporate Finance from GEM Business School in France. He is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Charlie Smith
Business Development Director
Charlie Smith manages business development efforts for LixCap and provides consulting and project management services. Charlie leads client outreach, opportunity sourcing and proposal submissions while also guiding internal systems improvement as LixCap grows. He is a specialist on private sector-focused programming at development finance institutions and US government agencies. Previously, he conducted political risk analysis for advisory firms in Washington, DC, and supported policy research in Beirut, Lebanon with the Issam Fares Institute. Charlie also managed international logistics operations for global consumer goods firms, such as LVMH, while based out of New York City. He holds a MA in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), with concentrations in Middle East Studies and Emerging Markets. He is proficient in Arabic.
Yassine Benider Finance and Investment Director
Yassine Benider has 6 years of professional experience, which includes corporate banking, venture capital, and financial consulting. Through his carrier, Yassine had the opportunity to interact with different categories of clients from entrepreneurs and startups, to SMEs and large corporations. He has an advanced understanding of Moroccan entrepreneurs’ needs, constraints, and market pitfalls as well as a confirmed experience in strategic and financial supporting to Moroccan SMEs and entrepreneurs to scale up. Yassine has been leading project finance activities of the firm. He has carried out financial modelling and structuring for various projects regarding topics such as oil storage station, gas infrastructure, aquaculture farm, and more. Yassine has also completed financial feasibility studies for investment opportunities. As the Finance and Investment Director, Yassine is responsible for financial analysis and reporting while providing advice and workshops for entrepreneurs and start-ups on several topics such as financial forecast, liquidity management and fund raising. Yassine has a Bachelor of Finance from Al Akhawayn University, an M.Sc. in Finance and Investment from Middlesex University, and the International Certification in Corporate Finance (ICCF) program with HEC Paris.
Mohamed Saad El Jai
Senior Economist
Mohamed Saad El Jai has provided program support to LixCap’s Casablanca office since its founding. He has experience in on-the-ground management, assessment and evaluation in Morocco. He has been involved in entrepreneurship in the country since 2011, and previously worked as a full-time staff member of the USAID funded Moroccan Economic Competitiveness Program. Following his work experience with USAID, Saad joined LixCap in 2012 and contributed to the development of a cold storage logistics hub at the port of Tanger Med. Between 2013 and 2015, Saad pursued a Master’s degree of Science in Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria. In parallel, he continued to support LixCap efforts on a retainer basis and also worked as a consultant at Weibold GmbH, where he was in charge of the development of the Middle Eastern and African market. In September 2015, Saad joined the Casablanca office of LixCap on a full-time basis. He plays an integral role as a team leader in LixCap’s ongoing project work. Saad is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.
Rym Kharchi Program Officer
Rym Kharchi joined LixCap in June 2015 as a Program Administrator for the Morocco Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MorSEFF) program, an EBRD program on lending via local partner banks, which LixCap supports in sub-contract to DAI Europe Ltd. Rym is responsible for processing middle office loans with partner financial institutions, including Group BMCE and Group Banque Populaire, and she manages program reporting for a EUR 110 million facility as well as consortium reporting. She is also in charge of Qualified Supplier relations, and she ensures timely and efficient follow-up with sub-borrowers for projects, starting from the financing request up until project implementation. Rym graduated from the University of Liege with a Master’s degree in Management Science, and from University Hassan II with a Master’s degree in public governance and Audit. Rym is fluent in Arabic, French and English.
Asmaa Rkizat Internal Finance and Operations Manager
Asmaa Rkizat joined LixCap in April 2016. Asmaa carries out accounting and administration for three companies, executes analysis for various projects, reviews budgets and contracts, and develops reports for management. She has also been working on several research projects in Africa, including a literature review desk study for Development Food Assistance Programs (DFAP) in Uganda and a market demand study of a financing line for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient equipment and goods. Asmaa has a keen interest in research and used to work as a part-time research assistant during her studies. Her previous work experience includes working in a multinational automotive company, where she was responsible for managing the inventory of three warehouses, monitoring customer accounts, and preparing reports. She graduated from Al Akhawayn University with a BBA in Finance and Logistics. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French.
Oum Keltoum Badalla Program Officer Associate
Oum Keltoum Badalla joined LixCap in September 2017. She has occupied various positions within LixCap, first acting as the Assistant Operation Analyst, then as the Human Resource and Procurement Analyst, and then as a Marketing Consultant for the Gazelles Al Maghrib program. Since June 2019, she has supported the MorSEFF/GEFF program as the Program Administrator. In this role, Oum Keltoum is responsible for the coordination with the engineering team and the clients to draft reports. Prior to her role at LixCap, Keltoum was an Administrative and Accounts Manager in a Print Agency in Casablanca in which she oversaw client accounts, analyzed cash flows, and managed the company’s financial activities. Oum Keltoum holds a master’s degree in Marketing Communications from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom and holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. Oum Keltoum is fluent in Arabic, French and English.
Nibrass Essouihli
Business Development Associate
Nibrass Essaouihli joined LixCap in May 2016 to drive the company growth and development for expansions by identifying new potential opportunities. Nibrass helps LixCap build and maintain solid relationships with different donors, clients, and partners. In addition, she is responsible for developing business strategies and pitches and for managing a variety of opportunities through market research and partnership outreach. At the same time, Nibrass works on developing various projects, such as entrepreneurship and agriculture development projects, as a Business Consultant. Prior to joining LixCap, she was the Project Supervisor in a B2C enterprise. Nibrass obtained a BBA concentration in Finance and Logistics (2014) and an MBA (2019), both from Al Akhawayn University. Nibrass is fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and has basic skills in German (A1).
Soukaina Chakir Program Support, Operations
Soukaina Chakir joined LixCap in September 2017. In her role, Soukaina provides operational and management support to various company projects. Between 2017 and 2019, Soukaina was the Program Assistant for the “Gazelles Al Maghrib” program which targets Moroccan businesses with high-growth potential in their second- stage of their development. Prior to this role, Soukaina had internships in logistics and marketing. Her last experience was in a business development company named Develop Greece, located in Athens, Greece. Soukaina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, with a major in Management and a minor in Logistics. She is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.
Douha Mounir
Program Support, Admin
Douha Mounir joined LixCap in July 2018 as a Program Administrator for “Morocco Sustainable Energy Financing Facility” program (MorSEFF). She is responsible for providing back and middle office support to the client’s operational team. She is currently working for the Green Economy Financing Facility program (GEFF). Previously, Douha was a Business Advisor at Acticall Sitel Group where she worked closely with the customers, creating loyalty programs, and developing a customer database. Prior to that, she had internships in International Business and Finance. Her last experience was in the International Trade Department at Banque Populaire during which she was responsible for the study of credit files, their feasibility and compliance with the Moroccan exchange regulation and participation in credit granting decisions to exporting companies within a credit committee. Douha earned a Master’s degree in International Management from the University of Legal, Economic and Social sciences in Fez. She is fluent in Arabic and French.
Fatima Zahra El Mansouri Research Analyst
Fatima Zahra El Mansouri joined LixCap’s team in October 2017 as a Junior Research Analyst. Her tasks revolved around guiding clients’ decision-making through in-depth market research and analysis. Today, in her role as Research Analyst, Fatima Zahra is responsible for socio-economic studies and research and evaluation and forecasting. She also drafts summary reports while evaluating target countries’ potential investment opportunity for fund-raising purposes. Fatima Zahra’s prior experiences were mainly in the automobile industry. With an internship in the Finance department of Fiat Chrysler Automobile in Casablanca, she helped forecast automobile sales by model, version and series. She was also involved in variance analyses of past, real and forecasted, monthly net incomes. Fatima Zahra holds an Associate in Arts degree in Engineering from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. She went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Management Science with a concentration in Finance at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. She is fluent in French, English, and Arabic.
Amine El Mourabit Research Analyst
Amine El Mourabit joined LixCap in 2018 as a Research Analyst. His main role consists of analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from the company’s various projects. Amine has participated in the IFC funded Temperature Controlled Logistics feasibility study in Kenya, and he is currently working on the USTDA funded LNG feasibility study in Morocco. Amine has been able to develop strong analytical skills in Finance and Econometrics, from both his professional experience and college education. Amine had an internship in Groupe Crédit Agricole du Maroc – Department of Finance, where he was executing tasks related to the financial analysis of corporate clients. He has also had previous internship experiences in accounting. Amine is also passionate about theoretical and empirical research as he carried out several research topics. Amine holds a Master’s in Management Science from University Hassan 1st – ENCG Settat. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English.
Oussama Ritahi Research Analyst, Economist
Oussama Ritahi joined the LixCap team in May 2019 as the Junior Research Analyst. He developed macroeconomic analysis, research and forecasting for the Feasibility Study for Temperature Controlled Logistics Services in Cambodia. He has also worked as a Researcher for the “Gazelles Al Maghrib” Program that targets high-growth potential Moroccan businesses in the second stage of their development. As a confirmed Research Analyst and Economist at LixCap, he develops econometrics models and performs statistical analysis using R, Eviews and STATA. Prior to LixCap, he worked as a Statistician and Transport Modeler for an engineering consulting group, where he contributed to transport planning for Moroccan cities and regions by designing and developing the database and Geographic Information System applications, working on traffic analysis and optimization for public transport, projecting future years’ traffic volume and developing coordinated signal plans based on socioeconomic data. Earlier, he joined Euro Information Direct Services as Data Miner where he contributed to the exploration of the data, elaborated weekly and monthly reporting and forecasted multiple indicators. He graduated from the University of Mohammed-V Rabat with a Master’s degree in Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Modelling. He is fluent in Arabic and French.
Zineb El Mottaki Finance and Investment Analyst
Zineb El Mottaki joined LixCap in November 2018 as a Finance and Investment Analyst. In her role, she works on various tasks including financial modelling of infrastructure projects as well as the design and structuring/restructuring of the business model for startups. Among other tasks, Zineb performs estimations and evaluations of expenses, as well as modelling of debt scenarios. In parallel with her financial tasks, Zineb also works on collecting, processing and analyzing information as part of Business Development. Prior to joining LixCap, Zineb gathered experience through several internships, including two internships in the Structured and Project Finance department at the BMCE. Zineb has pursued a five-year degree at the Mundiapolis campus in Casablanca, and in 2018, she obtained a Master’s degree in Financial Engineering awarded by IAE of Nice.
Manal Kamil Finance and Investment Analyst
Manal Kamil joined LixCap in 2018 as a Finance and Investment Analyst. She is in charge of financial analysis, forecasting and financial modelling in the framework of various programs and projects including Gazelles Al Maghrib, MorSEFF and the LNG feasibility study in Morocco. Manal is also involved in researching, analyzing and interpreting information regarding the company’s business development. While completing her studies, Manal had different internships in finance and accounting that provided her with a range of practical capabilities and skills. During her internship at Al Omrane Casablanca, Manal’s responsibilities included cash management and financial reporting. Manal graduated from The National School of Business and Management with a degree in Accounting and Financial Management. She is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and has basic knowledge of Spanish.
Abdallah Abra
Junior Research Analyst
Abdallah Abra is a young Statistician and Data Analyst that joined LixCap in January 2020 as a Junior Research Analyst. He completed a two-year University degree in Economics, a three-year University degree in Economic Science and finally earning a Master’s degree in Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Modeling. Abdallah had the opportunity to participate in various competitions, and he has also worked on several projects as a freelancer. Additionally, he created an ARDL model used to identify demand elasticities for Morocco’s textile exports. In addition to his data analysis and graphic design abilities, Abdallah has also developed a method which increases the accuracy of an ensemble of Machine Learning models using RStudio. Abdallah’s work at LixCap, including gathering research and evaluating data, is integral to the company’s projects.
Ahmed Bentoumia Junior Finance and Investment Analyst
Ahmed Bentoumia is a Junior Finance and Investment Analyst at LixCap, and he graduated from ENCG, El Jadida. Ahmed has completed several internships that have broadened and strengthened his knowledge in finance and accounting. During his most recent internship at CDG CAPITAL in Rabat, he studied performance measurements and ratings of the OPCVM shares, monetary market, OCT and OMLT in Morocco. Through these various experiences, Ahmed has gained financial research and analytical skills required for the role he plays at LixCap. At LixCap, Ahmed conducts sector and industry studies, designs financial models and develops investment concepts and strategies.
Yousra Fadili Junior Human Resources Analyst
Yousra Fadili joined LixCap in January 2020 as a Junior Human Resources Analyst. Yousra recently graduated from Al Akhawayn University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a minor in Human Resources Development. She also earned a two-year degree from Aix-Marseille University, where she studied Multimedia and Internet with a concentration in Communication and Event Management. She had three different internships with communication agencies where she participated in various projects such as “Les 24h de Golf d’El Jadida”, Mawazine Festival, and the Women’s Tribune Conference. Yousra has also been able to acquire professional experience while working as a freelancer in the positions of Visual Communication Manager and Artist Host with Mawazine Festival. In her role at LixCap, she ensures a beneficial work environment by motivating the employees, analyzing the HR needs of the company and issuing necessary administrative paperwork.
Fatima Zahra Laajili
Junior Business Development Analyst
Fatima Zahra Laajili joined the LixCap Business Development Unit as a Junior Business Development Analyst. In this role, she creates and identifies market opportunities aligned with the values and activities of LixCap. She actively participates in the strategic planning and development of the company. In fact, strategic intelligence, attention to detail and teamwork are key components to her position. Fatima Zahra prepares financial, technical and administrative proposals for active bids. She also assists in the identification of potential partners. Fatima Zahra has mastered management and business administration competencies with a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Management. She has carried internships in various domains, namely sales and HR departments, which have allowed her to put her academic knowledge into practice within professional environments.
Sara Zaynoune Junior Internal Finance and Operations Analyst
Sara Zaynoune joined LixCap in April 2019 as a Junior Internal Finance and Operations Analyst. Sara is responsible for the bookkeeping of two companies. Among her tasks, she develops reports, tracks banking operations and vendor payments and generates monthly taxes returns. She also assists the Operations Analyst with the company’s daily operations by building and reinforcing key company systems. Sara Zaynoune earned a Master’s degree in Accounting Audit Control in 2018 from the Graduate School of Information Engineering, Telecommunications, Management and Civil Engineering in Casablanca. Her previous experiences were mainly in administrative, accounting and financial roles. With internships in “Banque Populaire” and an accounting firm as well as an economy service in Idou Anfa hotel, she was able to develop her skills and her operational management potential. Sara is fluent in Arabic, French and has a medium level in English.
Meryem Bougdem Graphic Designer
Meryem Bougdem joined LixCap in April 2019 as a Graphic Designer. She supports the marketing department by providing graphical support with high-quality visuals as well as building brand identities and creating promotional materials and digital products for the company. Sara’s key deliverables include posters, covers, MS templates, logos and business cards. Previously, Meryem completed an internship in Communication Design at Minimal Creative Agency in Agadir and worked as a Designer in a startup called Cameleo Services in Casablanca. Meryem graduated from The National Institute of Fine Arts of Tetouan with a degree in Design. She is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and has basic knowledge of Italian.
Abdelghani Lemsaad Administrative Officer
Abdelghani Lemsaad has been a member of the LixCap team since its beginning, and he holds the position of Administrative Officer. He has thirty years of business administration experience in Morocco. He specializes in executing the necessary procedures to successfully interface with government agencies and to fulfill authorization requirements on behalf of LixCap’s clients. Previously, he worked as an Accountant in an accounting firm (ACECA) and then as a Commercial Insurance Agent in SAFLOC. His mission was to manage accident records, and litigation case documents in the kingdom. Subsequently, he worked at FSVC (Financial Services Volunteer Corps) as an Administrative Agent during the Maghreb Financial Sector Modernization program, which spanned from 2004 to 2011. He was responsible for carrying out administrative support and travel logistics for field missions with international banking experts, regulators, etc. He is fluent in Arabic and French.
