Hassanein Hiridjee (born in 1975 in Antananarivo) is a French-Malagasy entrepreneur. He is the CEO of the panafrican group Axian and a leading figure in the Indian Ocean business world.[1][2]
Hassanein Hiridjee | |
|---|---|
 Hassanein Hiridjee in March 2023 | |
| Born | Antananarivo, Madagascar |
| Organization | Axian Group |
| Title | CEO |
Biography
editEducation
editHassanein Hiridjee comes from a Khoja (sometimes known as Lawati) family who settled in Madagascar.[1] He graduated from the Tananarive French Lycée in 1992. He then graduated from the ESCP Business School in Paris.[3]
Career
editIn France, he held several positions in the financial sector before returning to Madagascar. In 1997, he joined the family business initially named Hirimix, founded by his uncles.[3] In December 2015, the company was renamed Axian. Axian is now active in the telecom, energy, real estate and financial services sectors globally.[4] Its expansion beyond Madagascar began in the Indian Ocean and then Africa more widely through forming a presence in Tanzania with the takeover of the operations of Tigo (Milicom SA),[5][1] in Togo in entering TOGOCOM's capital,[6] in Senegal with a partnership with Xavier Niel,[7] and also in the Ivory Coast.[8]
Civil society involvement
editIn 2017, through Axian Group, he started a foundation called Fondation H which aims to promote the art and practice of African artists internationally. The Fondation H gallery in Marais, Paris has been open since September 2020.[9][10] In May 2023, a new gallery was inaugurated in Antananarivo, Madagascar.[11][12]
Distinctions
editAt the Africa CEO Forum 2022 organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group, he was named "CEO of the year". This award recognizes the CEO who has had the biggest impact in Africa over that year.[13]
One of the directors of the Axian Group and uncle of Hassanein Hiridjee, Raza-Aly Hiridjee, is cited in the Panama Papers financial scandal and allegedly owns a shell corporation in the British Virgin Islands, one of the largest tax havens in the world.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c "HASSANEIN HIRIDJEE". Khoja Business Forum. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Ten Multi-Millionaires From Madagascar You Should Know". Forbes. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ a b "MADAGASCAR : Business and friendship go together for Hassanein Hiridjee – The Indian Ocean Newsletter". Africa Intelligence. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Axian expands its support for African businesses and innovation with new investment unit". Ecofin Agency. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Rostam, Axian Group to invest Sh1 trillion to expand Tigo and Zantel". The Citizen. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Togo : Axian et Emerging Capital Partners prennent le contrôle de Togocom – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 6 November 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Axian double de taille dans les télécoms". Les Echos (in French). 10 April 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Hassanein Hiridjee's Axian opens in Abidjan to target West Afri". africabusinessplus.com. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "" Le plus dur, c'est d'assurer une pérennité " : la scène artistique malgache tente de se structurer". Le Monde.fr (in French). 14 October 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2023..
- ^ Brown, Kate (2 September 2020). "A Madagascan Telecoms Magnate Is Opening an Innovative Paris Gallery to Support African Artists". Artnet News. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Fondation H set to inaugurate new space in Antananarivo, Madagascar". www.gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Is Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, Africa's newest art hub?". The Art Newspaper – International art news and events. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "Hassanein Hiridjee". www.africa.com. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "RAZA-ALY HIRIDJEE". offshoreleaks.icij.org. 2015.