Alpesh Patel

Alpesh Patel is the founder and CEO of Mi-Fone (BVI) Limited. With the launch of the Mi brand of mobile devices in April 2008, he created a new market category in telecoms. As a lifestyle brand, Mi offers mass market consumers in emerging markets access to a range of stylish, affordable and durable mobile devices.

Prior to starting Mi-Fone, Alpesh was Director of Sales for Africa and the Middle East for Motorola Inc., responsible for shipping over 5 million handsets in the space of two years. During his time with the company he achieved the single largest distribution order for Motorola, of 1 million units, and took Motorola to the number one market share position in key African markets such as Kenya and the DRC.

He holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics from the University of Hull in the UK.

Nicolas Regisford

Nicolas Regisford is the Chief Marketing Officer for Mi-Fone (BVI) Limited. Nicolas began his professional career working in commercial radio in South Africa for a variety of Gauteng-based regional and national stations. After five years in the radio arena he formed a media, music and entertainment company with his then radio partner, the popular drive time DJ (Glen) Lewis Tshinaba, managing and executing client's radio advertising needs. In 2006 Nicolas made his first foray into the African continent with a consultancy providing creative marketing and activation solution services for Motorola, Coca-Cola, Mi-Fone BVI Limited and Voice of America. Nicolas is currently Chief Executive of YSC Consulting and a non-executive director of a retail business in Soweto.

Marwan Homsi

Marwan Homsi is a strategy and management consultant with extensive experience managing projects in the telecoms, media and ICT sectors in Europe and the Middle East. He co-founded Greenwich Consulting in Paris and oversaw the firm's growth to its present size of over 70 consultants, then moved on to Bain and Co., where he advised private equity firms on potential acquisitions. He was subsequently business development director of The Edge Management in Dubai. Marwan has a Master's Degree in civil engineering from the Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics in Paris and an MBA from INSEAD, France.

Vanessa Holmes

Vanessa Holmes is an internationally experienced brand developer. She has a keen interest in developing brands in emerging territories and has also developed large-scale communication programmes for organisations in the US, UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Dubai and various parts of Africa.  In addition to her affiliation with the Mi group of companies, she is also the brand development director at Express Foods Franchise International.  Over the years she has won several international gold awards for CI design and paper mechanics. Vanessa has an MA in analytical psychology and is currently reading for a PhD in the psychoanalysis of branding with the University of Essex, where she also teaches part time. Vanessa is a certified transpersonal group work facilitator and has a diploma in graphic design.

Deji Akinyanju – Non Executive Director

Deji has a BA Information Systems (UK) and an MBA from Cardiff, Wales. He started his career with Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) in London, and has since garnered over 20 years' experience in IT, trading and the hospitality business in the UK, South Africa, Rwanda and Nigeria. Deji is the founder and CEO of FoodConcepts Plc ( www.foodconceptsplc.com ) and started the group in 1999. He has since then led his  company through the various stages to its current position as a top 5 (by market share of revenues) of all QSRs in West Africa, and one of the most-respected and up-market brands in the industry.