Rakesh Wahi

Co-Founder

TAG was founded by Zafar Siddiqi and Rakesh Wahi in 2007 with a view to develop human capacity in emerging markets. It follows the groups vision to bring high quality educational standards and adapting it to to emerging markets.

Biography

Rakesh Wahi is Chairman of CMA Investment Holdings, a family investment company that has representation through its portfolio companies in over 20 countries. Mr. Wahi is an entrepreneur who has been involved with early stage investments in emerging markets for the last 24 years and has been the driving force of the group’s strategic partnerships across all sectors. The Group’s strategy is to take global brands to emerging markets.

His vision in Africa is to set up the continent’s largest repository of economic and business information built through a point of presence throughout the continent and exhibit the information through television (CNBC Africa), print (Forbes Africa) and online mediums (ABN Digital). His Group currently operates in 8 African countries through 12 bureaus. By 2013 the Group will be in 15 countries (18 bureaus) and by 2014 in 20 African countries. He is setting up his second university in Ghana in academic collaboration with Lancaster University from the UK.

Mr. Wahi is the Founder of – CNBC Africa, Forbes Africa, ABN Productions, ABN Training Institute, ABN Education Trust, Murdoch University Dubai, Curtin University Dubai, Lancaster University Ghana and Tech One Global. He closely oversees the management, operations and strategic growth of all these ventures. His core focus is on long term corporate development through building strong management teams in media, telecoms, IT, Technology and education.

Over the last 8 years Mr Wahi has been involved with the development of business media and financial journalism in the African continent. He has worked on skills development and implemented the policy of empowerment through employment by creating competencies through training, development and indigenisation.

Mr. Wahi is the founder of the ABN Education Trust set to finance the college education in financial journalism of children from previously disadvantaged families in South Africa. The Trust has funded the electrification of villages in India (TIRI project) as well as orphanages in Alexandre, South Africa.

Prior to moving to the UAE in 1988/89, Mr. Wahi served with the Corps of Engineers in the Indian Army for about 9 years and was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (“VSM”) by the President of India in 1985 for distinguished services to the country. Mr. Wahi was also part of India’s scientific expedition to the Antarctica where he established India’s second base in 1987/88.

Mr. Wahi was educated at the Doon School in India and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree (NDA, 1979) and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering (CMA, 1986) from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Mr. Wahi is a Member of the Institute of Engineers, Calcutta, India. He is a Founding Member of IBLF – a global investment group and on the Board of Fourth Dimension, the education affiliate of Cricket Australia. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science (Engineering, IT & Multimedia) by the Minister of Education in Namibia and is also a fellow member of the Australian Institute of Management – Western Australia.