Financing the Transition: Unlocking Solar for Commercial and Industrial Enterprises

Barbara von Toll is the Regional Director East Africa for KfW DEG, based in Nairobi. She is responsible for a loan book of around EUR 400 m. At KfW DEG she has held different positions as Vice President Stakeholder Relations and Corporate Strategy as well as Senior Investment Manager for Infrastructure and Energy and Manufacturing & Services. She holds a Master's Degree in International and Development Economics (Berlin, Germany) and a Bachelor's Degree in International Business (Maastricht, Netherlands).

Henrik Axelsson Lilja serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Odyssey, bringing over a decade of experience in the renewable energy sector in East Africa. His work focuses on the development and expansion of energy projects that contribute to regional growth and sustainability. Before joining Odyssey, Henrik worked as a Senior Manager in Accenture's Management Consulting practice, where he specialized in improving business processes and implementing technology solutions across various industries.

Nambuya is an investment manager at Camco, leading deal origination, structuring and negotiations for the Spark Energy Services platform in Eastern and Southern Africa. With over 10 years of experience, she drives the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions for commercial and industrial power consumers with a particular focus on MSMEs.

Jenny is a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of building successful businesses across Africa, Europe, America, and Asia. She has managed budgets exceeding $300 million in 32 countries and secured over $500 million in debt and equity financing for various projects.

Georg Pflomm is a Project Manager at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa (AHK), which facilitates private sector linkages between Germany and Eastern Africa. He is based within AHK's Competence Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Economy. Georg holds degrees from the University of Mannheim, Germany, and the University of Nairobi, Kenya. His expertise lies in energy markets and governance, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. He is committed to advancing the energy transition through African-European cooperation and fostering environments that support private sector investments.