The Experts Top Tech Trends for 2019 - Kalon Venture Partners : Kalon Venture Partners

SEAN BERNSTEIN

After completing his B.Com Honours in Corporate Finance & Investment at the University of the Witwatersrand, Sean transitioned into the Insurance sector, where he gained experience in the financial services industry. He later entered the dynamic venture capital world with Kalon Venture Partners. At Kalon, Sean plays a pivotal role using his skills to contribute to the firm’s mission of backing innovative tech startups. His expertise spans across corporate finance, private equity, and venture capital, making him a valuable asset in driving growth and financial success in the companies he works with.

MELBOURNE NYAMADZAWO

Prior to joining Kalon, Melbourne was an investment finance teaching assistant and provided consultancy services to startups, assisting them in capital-raising efforts and strategic planning. His academic background includes an undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management with a major in Finance and Entrepreneurship, earned at the University of Johannesburg. Melbourne also completed an Honours and Masters Degree in Strategic Management, with a specific focus on the intersection of strategy and entrepreneurship in startups.

GLEN SCORGIE

Glen has over 20 years of experience in investing and fundraising globally. He began his career as a dealmaker and portfolio manager at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), where he managed the US high-yield bond portfolio, investing over $1 billion of capital in over 150 US and European corporates.

Glen subsequently co-founded RMB’s Opportunities in Global Real Estate portfolio and went on to co-found the RMB Westport Real Estate Development Fund; the largest sub-Saharan Africa real estate private equity fund at the time. Prior to joining Caleo Private Equity, Glen was Chief Investment Officer and a founding member of Gateway Delta Development Holdings.

LERON VARSHA

Leron brings over 20 years of experience in technology and business building to the table. He is responsible for raising and deploying funding into scalable tech businesses, and has developed a wealth of expertise in strategy, operations, sales, and marketing.

Leron completed his BCOM degree at the University of South Africa and his Masters in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at HEC Paris. Leron’s entrepreneurial flair led him to found and run a multitude of companies in the fast-moving consumer goods space, gaining experience in sales and distribution, marketing and branding, and overall operational expertise in running a multi-million-rand business.

During his tenure of 9 years at the helm of the business, Leron negotiated with major multi-national brands and oversaw a turnover of a billion rand. In addition to his consumer goods background, Leron co-founded technology businesses in the development, location tracking, and networking service space. He also led a variety of tech projects, including online budgeting and billing systems and business intelligence and analytical tools, while managing teams of analysts and developers.

Leron is incredibly passionate about the world of disruptive innovation and is excited about identifying and growing entrepreneurs in the venture capital tech space. With his extensive experience and expertise, he plays a vital role in the success of Kalon Venture Partners.

GIL OVED

Gil, a well-known South African entrepreneur and investor, with a qualification as a Chartered Financial Analyst. Gil is an invaluable Non-Executive Director of the Kalon Venture Partners team. Gil co-founded The Creative Counsel (TCC) with Ran Neu-Ner in 2001 and was previously the group co-CEO. TCC was acquired by Publicis Groupe, a leading global marketing, communication, and business transformation company, in the largest deal in advertising history in South Africa and the African continent.

Gil has also shared his entrepreneurship lessons through television, featuring on M-Net’s Shark Tank South Africa and Dragons Den South Africa. Gil, along with the four other Dragons from the Dragons’ Den South African, authored I’M IN, a book to inspire entrepreneurs through their collective lessons learnt in business.

Apart from his impressive achievements, Gil has exceptional talents in mentoring and growing entrepreneurs. He has provided mentorship and support to numerous startups and small businesses in South Africa, helping them to develop and scale their operations. Gil has a wealth of experience in building successful businesses and has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the early stages of their ventures.

Gil has won many awards, notably the EY Southern Africa World Entrepreneur Award for 2016 in the Exceptional category. He was also the Johannesburg chapter chair for the Young Presidents Organisation and the Africa Regional Forum Officer. Gil adds tremendous value to Kalon Venture Partners with his wealth of experience and skills.

FATIMA HABIB

As a non-executive director of Kalon Venture Partners, Fatima brings over 20 years of diverse executive experience across various industries. She began her career at Deloitte and Touche before holding senior positions in corporate South Africa and the South African government. Her experience covers a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, private banking, and the public sector, both locally and internationally, including Wall Street.

Fatima’s academic background is equally impressive, having earned a Master’s degree in Economics, Industrial and Labour Studies, HR and OD from the University of Natal, an Honours degree in Applied Psychology from Wits, and an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences from the University of Natal.

During her career, Fatima has held a number of executive positions, including Executive Director: Corporate Services at the City of Cape Town, Executive: Corporate Services at the JDA, Regional HR executive at Telkom, GM of Absa Private Bank, Chief of Shared Services at SITA, and Assistant GM at Smarte Carte.

Fatima has been appointed by the Minister of Basic Education, to Chair the ICT Advisory Committee to the Minister of Basic Education (DBE) and the Director- General of the DBE. She has previously served on the Board of SEDA, having been appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry and currently serves on the boards of a number of companies where she sits on various board committees as well chairing these like them. In addition to being on the boards of companies, she also serves on boards of NPOs like The Bag Factory and The Gauteng Cricket Board.

EDDY OBLOWITZ

As a non-executive director of Kalon Venture Partners, Eddy brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team. He is the Principal at Contineo Financial Services and serves as an advisor to numerous high net worth families and entities in South Africa and internationally.

Eddy’s career includes serving as a Senior Partner at Arthur Andersen, where he was admitted as a Partner in 1990 and as an International Partner of Andersen Worldwide S.C. in 1994. Throughout his career, Eddy has held various professional advisory roles for both local and international companies, trusts, and high net worth families. In April 2005, he became the Executive Chairman and CEO of Stonehage Fleming Financial South Africa, a position he held until July 2019. Since August 2019, Eddy has been practicing for his own account as Contineo Financial Services.

Eddy’s expertise includes various fiduciary appointments, including directorships, trusteeships, executorships, and curatorships. He provides general and specialist business and financial consulting services to various boards and high net worth individuals and families, their family offices, trusts, companies, and charitable foundations. He also specializes in corporate and inter-generational family dispute resolution, litigation support, exchange control matters, and offshore and local structuring.

Eddy has sectoral experience in South Africa and internationally, particularly in the financial services, retail, FMCG, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and tourism and hospitality industries. As a non-executive director and valuable member of the Kalon team, Eddy’s experience and expertise make him an important contributor to the success of the company.

ARNOLD BASSERABIE

Arnold serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Kalon Venture Partners. With over 13 years of experience as the Group Chief Executive of Fedsure Financial Services Group, Arnold oversaw the growth of the company’s asset base by 25% annually to R40 billion and a 20% compounded increase in its share price. Since then, he has been a strategic business consultant specializing in strategy, business development, and mergers and acquisitions across various industries.

Arnold holds a B.Sc degree in Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics from the University of Witwatersrand and is a certified actuary and financial planner. He has received numerous awards, including Insurance Man of the Year, IMM Marketing Man of the Year, Jewish Business Achiever of the Year and Lifetime Achiever, and the World Presidents Organization’s International Best of the Best Regional Chair.

Arnold’s vast experience in the financial services industry has made him a valuable member of the Kalon team. His focus on strategy and business development has helped Kalon to maintain its position as a leading venture capital firm. As Chairman of the Audit Committee, Arnold plays a pivotal role in ensuring that Kalon’s operations remain transparent and accountable.

ROMEO KUMALO

As a Non-Executive Chairman at Kalon Venture Partners, Romeo brings over two decades of experience in the Information Communication and Telecoms industries to the table. He has previously served as the CEO of Vodacom/Vodafone International, responsible for all the African markets, and as the Executive Commercial Director on the board of Vodacom South Africa. Romeo is also the CEO and Co-Founder of LLH Capital, where he continues to showcase his leadership and commercial strategy skills.

With a proven track record of building teams, creating value, and turning around underperforming businesses, Romeo has established himself as an accomplished leader and commercial strategist. He serves on various private company boards and holds a Master Degree in Commerce along with executive management certificates from esteemed institutions like WITS, INSEAD, and HARVARD Business School.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Romeo is a South African celebrity appearing on the South African version of Shark Tank. His impressive background and expertise make him an invaluable member of the Kalon Venture Partners team.