Richard Charrington, the Managing Director at Hawksford, has been instrumental in leading the firm’s Mauritius business, particularly following the strategic acquisition of Griffon Solutions in 2022. As a UK Security & Futures (SFA) accredited specialist, Richard’s four decades of expertise in corporate finance, investment structuring, and trade finance, with a specific focus on facilitating investment into Africa, have been invaluable.
Richard’s career began as a commodity trader with C. Czarnikow in 1980, and he later honed his skills in trade finance at Credit-Anstalt Bank. His career took a significant turn in the early 1990s when he joined Ceres Capital International. Here, he played a pivotal role in facilitating South African debt and equity conversions, successfully concluding over US$1.5 billion in debt conversions. His success led him to manage an emerging market sovereign debt fund for Rand Merchant Bank of South Africa, which was securitized in a US$350 million CDO by Deutsche Bank in 2001.
In 2000, Richard took over The Ceres Group, expanding its presence across London, Namibia, and Mauritius, and developing it into a bespoke corporate finance house focused on financial engineering and project finance, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under his leadership, the group has closed over 20 billion Rands worth of business in the region.
Richard founded Griffon Solutions in 2015, a corporate services and management company, and today sits on the boards of several JSE-listed companies and four African investment funds, overseeing assets under management exceeding US$1 billion.
Richard’s deep commitment to supporting African growth through innovative financial solutions and strategic advisory services is a source of inspiration. His pivotal role in shaping cross-border investment and corporate administration across the continent is a testament to his dedication.