Meet investment banking expert, Aliga
Sep 28, 2010
FOR a former guild speaker, it seemed like Dennis Aliga was destined for a political career. “During my student years, I had no doubt I would be a practicing human rights lawyer,†says Aliga who studied law at the University of Dar-Es-Salaam.
BY SHAMILLA KARA
FOR a former guild speaker, it seemed like Dennis Aliga was destined for a political career. “During my student years, I had no doubt I would be a practicing human rights lawyer,†says Aliga who studied law at the University of Dar-Es-Salaam.
That was before the investment banking wind blew his way. “I had relocated to the UK and was at once attracted to a career in the financial services and investment banking industry,†he says.
Prompted by the lifestyle of “the city sleekers in London’s financial district,†Aliga started reading the Financial Times daily. He was sold when he started imbibing information about big names in the capital markets corporate game such as Carl Icahn and the head-spinning big ticket deals which he read daily.
Aliga then studied investment management at the Institute of Investment Management and Research in London. He also attended the London-based Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments where he got qualifications in regulation and compliance, risk management, mutual funds management and global custody.
His career
Aliga started his illustrious investment banking career in 1999, as a compliance and risk analyst with Smith & Williamson in London where for nearly four years, he was involved in investment banking, corporate finance, asset management, off-shore and on-shore fund management and pensions management.
He then joined Gerrard Limited, one of the largest private client investment management companies in the UK, as an associate director. “At that point, the clarity of policy direction of Dubai to diversify the economy from oil dependence to other sectors appealed to me,†says Aliga who joined the Dubai International Financial Centre in 2004 as the manager for supervision.
Aliga has also worked with Barclays Wealth as the chief operating officer and as the deputy to the chief operating officer for Barclays Wealth Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.
“We grew business in the region and established presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar,†he says. After a year at Barclays Wealth, and lured by the “incredible numbers†Nigerian capital markets were posting, and the excitement of the petroleum industry transactions, Aliga joined UBA Capital in Nigeria as the chief executive officer.
He later moved to Bank PHB where he was appointed the chief operating officer of its investment bank and also the managing director of the bank’s non-banking subsidiaries such as asset management, wealth management and stock broking.
Entrepreneurship made in Arua
At the onset of 2010, entrepreneurship beckoned for Aliga. “As an Arua boy, entrepreneurship is our second nature, you see,†says Aliga of the conception of DMA Capital Group.
“I had built a huge number of high level networks across Africa and globally and felt it was time to seize the opportunity to be a frontline player in African renaissance,†says Aliga.
The firm, of which he is the chief executive officer, is a Pan African financial advisory investments firm based in Lagos, Nigeria.“Our services include capital markets, wealth management and private equity advisory.â€
Any plans to bring this profession back home?
“Certainly, that is why we opened our East Africa office in Nairobi to cover the entire region,†says Aliga.
On Uganda and Investment
“Uganda as an investment thesis is attractive, although we have gone to Number 128 in the latest ranking of world economic forum for competitiveness,†says Aliga.
“But there are certain key initiatives that are transformational,†says the financial expert who is impressed by Uganda’s five-year capital markets development plan, and the oil and gas policy document. He also closely follows the Uganda Investment Authority initiatives and would like to share his experience in a lot more.
His advice to the youth
“You should never let anyone hold you to standards higher than those to which you hold yourself,†says the financial services professional, who prides his career foundation having been laid at Mvara Secondary School.
skara@newvision.co.ug
FOR a former guild speaker, it seemed like Dennis Aliga was destined for a political career. “During my student years, I had no doubt I would be a practicing human rights lawyer,†says Aliga who studied law at the University of Dar-Es-Salaam.
That was before the investment banking wind blew his way. “I had relocated to the UK and was at once attracted to a career in the financial services and investment banking industry,†he says.
Prompted by the lifestyle of “the city sleekers in London’s financial district,†Aliga started reading the Financial Times daily. He was sold when he started imbibing information about big names in the capital markets corporate game such as Carl Icahn and the head-spinning big ticket deals which he read daily.
Aliga then studied investment management at the Institute of Investment Management and Research in London. He also attended the London-based Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments where he got qualifications in regulation and compliance, risk management, mutual funds management and global custody.
His career
Aliga started his illustrious investment banking career in 1999, as a compliance and risk analyst with Smith & Williamson in London where for nearly four years, he was involved in investment banking, corporate finance, asset management, off-shore and on-shore fund management and pensions management.
He then joined Gerrard Limited, one of the largest private client investment management companies in the UK, as an associate director. “At that point, the clarity of policy direction of Dubai to diversify the economy from oil dependence to other sectors appealed to me,†says Aliga who joined the Dubai International Financial Centre in 2004 as the manager for supervision.
Aliga has also worked with Barclays Wealth as the chief operating officer and as the deputy to the chief operating officer for Barclays Wealth Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.
“We grew business in the region and established presence in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar,†he says. After a year at Barclays Wealth, and lured by the “incredible numbers†Nigerian capital markets were posting, and the excitement of the petroleum industry transactions, Aliga joined UBA Capital in Nigeria as the chief executive officer.
He later moved to Bank PHB where he was appointed the chief operating officer of its investment bank and also the managing director of the bank’s non-banking subsidiaries such as asset management, wealth management and stock broking.
Entrepreneurship made in Arua
At the onset of 2010, entrepreneurship beckoned for Aliga. “As an Arua boy, entrepreneurship is our second nature, you see,†says Aliga of the conception of DMA Capital Group.
“I had built a huge number of high level networks across Africa and globally and felt it was time to seize the opportunity to be a frontline player in African renaissance,†says Aliga.
The firm, of which he is the chief executive officer, is a Pan African financial advisory investments firm based in Lagos, Nigeria.“Our services include capital markets, wealth management and private equity advisory.â€
Any plans to bring this profession back home?
“Certainly, that is why we opened our East Africa office in Nairobi to cover the entire region,†says Aliga.
On Uganda and Investment
“Uganda as an investment thesis is attractive, although we have gone to Number 128 in the latest ranking of world economic forum for competitiveness,†says Aliga.
“But there are certain key initiatives that are transformational,†says the financial expert who is impressed by Uganda’s five-year capital markets development plan, and the oil and gas policy document. He also closely follows the Uganda Investment Authority initiatives and would like to share his experience in a lot more.
His advice to the youth
“You should never let anyone hold you to standards higher than those to which you hold yourself,†says the financial services professional, who prides his career foundation having been laid at Mvara Secondary School.
skara@newvision.co.ug