PRISM GROUP AND RSP IN MERGER TALKS WITH BFC GROUP HOLDINGS

PRISM GROUP AND RSP IN MERGER TALKS WITH BFC GROUP HOLDINGS

The Consortium behind the acquisition of UAE Exchange is in advanced discussions withBFC Group Holdings over a potential merger that would create a regional financial services powerhouse in the Middle East with licences to operate in over 30 countries.

Prism Group AG and Abu Dhabi’s Royal Strategic Partners formed a Consortium in December 2020. The Consortium has agreed to buy the assets of Finablr Ltd, which has a presence in 170 countries and includes the UAE Exchange, Unimoni and Xpress Money brands, from Finablr Plc. BFC Group’s products include BFC Forex and BFC Payments.

Negotiations with BFC are at an advanced stage and the transaction should be finalised by the second quarter of 2021. The deal would create the largest remittance services and currency exchange group in the MENA region, to become the only operator with a direct presence in all six GCC countries.

The proposed deal underlines the Consortium’s ambition to become the progressive regional player within the payments and currency exchange space. It would combine two of the largest and most well-established remittance-service companies in the region and create a market-leading financial services group with huge growth potential in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world. It will invest in a digital transformation plan that will revolutionise the way payments are made by making it easier and faster to make payments.

The Consortium has made rapid progress since it agreed to acquire Finablr Ltd. In December, it appointed independent investment bank Moelis & Co to restructure the company’s debt. Earlier this month, it hired leading US financial compliance advisor Matrix to overhaul its money-laundering policies and compliance procedures.

Prism Group CEO Amir Nagammy said: “We are confident of the deal concluding and excited about taking a major step towards creating a market-leading, pan-global financial services company in the region. We are at the start of a new era in the financial services industry in the Middle East and the combined group will be well-placed to play a leading role in the transformation of the sector. We plan to leverage new technology to become the first

truly omni-channel financial services company in the region, offering fast and efficient payment systems for over 24 million clients.”

Dr. Hamad Al-Ali, CEO of Royal Strategic Partners, said: “This proposed merger illustrates the rapid progress the Consortium has made towards realising its goal of creating a regional fintech company that can compete on the global stage. We have a unique opportunity to build a financial services group of significant size and scale, which has the potential to transform the way transactions are conducted around the region and the wider world.” BFC Chairman, Ziad El Chaar, said: “BFC has been operating in the region for over a

century. During that time, it has established a hard-won reputation for integrity and innovation. The proposed merger represents a new chapter in the company’s history and would secure its future under new ownership.”

Ebrahim Nonoo, Managing Director and CEO of BFC, said: “Our discussions with the Consortium are well-advanced and I am excited by the opportunities a merger would create. Our combined retail network will be the largest in the Gulf and the Consortium has the expertise, experience and vision needed to build a 21 st century payments infrastructure that will benefit millions of customers.”

The deal will be subject to regulatory approval in India, Bahrain and Kuwait.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Notes to editors

1. Global Fintech Investments Holding AG (“GFIH”), a subsidiary of Prism Group AG (“Prism”) signed a share purchase agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Finablr Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Finablr PLC, in December 2020. 2. BFC Group Holdings specialises in global money transfers, foreign currency exchange and wholesale currency services. Its assets include BFC Forex and BFC Payments. It was founded in Bahrain in 1917, originally to trade gold bullion and foreign currency. It is led by the founder’s grandson, Ebrahim Nonoo, who is Managing Director and CEO, and chaired by Ziad El Chaar.
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Adrianus Schoorl

Group General Counsel and Head of Compliance

Adrianus (Aryan) Schoorl is presently the head of the financial services regulatory team in the Middle East of the leading law firm White & Case LLP and features prominently in the legal rankings and directories. His specific area of expertise is financial technology and Aryan worked with a number of regulators on building out frameworks and supervision capacity. Aryan will be our Group General Counsel and Head of Compliance from May 2022.

Yuval Ben-Haim

Non-Executive Director

Yuval Ben-Haim works in senior positions with companies at the forefront of technological change. He is President of Goji Food Solutions, a pioneering technology company that has popularised RF cooking, using radio waves to heat food quickly and efficiently, and was an executive at Impulse Dynamics, a medical technology company specialising in treating chronic heart failure. Yuval was a Business Development Manager at Hobart Group, a private equity firm that invests in medical technologies, overseeing international M&A and investment deals with a value of over $1 billion. He received a BSc in Physics and Medical Physics from University College London and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD in France. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organisation.

Siri Georjon

Office Manager

Siri Georjon has a broad knowledge of administration and project management. She holds a bachelor degree of Science in Nutrition from Queen Margaret University (UK) and a Master’s in Health Science from the University of Lucerne (CH). After graduation, she worked in various administrative roles and has experience in both back- and front office management. She then joined a start-up, where she spearheaded several projects and helped build an effective administrative process from scratch.

Nisrine Batata

Head of Marketing and Communications

Nisrine Batata specialises in financial marketing, communications and public relations projects across Europe, Africa and the MENA region. She was most recently the Head of Government and Enterprise Affairs for Africa at Time Magazine, and spent more than 10 years as a project manager at Jeune Afrique Media Group, the leading media group of Francophone Africa, covering strategic planning of the Africa CEO Forum, the annual conference for the African private sector.

Holly Taylor

Executive Assistant

Holly Taylor has extensive experience of front- and back-office roles and has held a number of administrative jobs over the last 10 years. After completing college with a distinction in Business and Management she worked as a junior legal secretary before moving to Santander Corporate Banking, where she supported the Head of Corporate Lending. Holly relocated to Dubai in 2016 and has since worked alongside a number of C-Level executives, including CEOs and Partners.

Malin Henschel

Head of Financial

Malin has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. She most recently headed up the operational due diligence team at a prominent wealth management firm, leading the reviews of structures and operations of a vast range of investment firms. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a Master of Science in Corporate Finance from the Institute of Business Administration at Université Jean Moulin Lyon III.

Alexandra Lavrovscaia

Project Manager

Alexandra Lavroscaia is a business-development project manager with a background in private equity, real-estate fund management and real-estate technology. She has more than 10 years’ experience in managing complex projects, cross-border transactions, fund-raising and investor relations in a diverse range of industries. Alexandra has a Master’s degree in International Business from HULT International Business School in London and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, Montreal.

Peter Goss

Head of Product

Peter Goss is a UK-based Technology Leader with expertise in the IT lifecycle; Enterprise and Solution Architecture; Product and Technology Strategy; Product Management; and Governance and Solution Assurance. For more than 20 years Peter has delivered architecturally aligned solutions, strategy, target operating models, and architecture capability definition to support business transformation and deliver key business outcomes. Peter has worked in leadership and senior roles for London Underground Ltd; Capgemini; KPMG; and Experian, bringing diverse experience across finance; banking; credit services; legal; local government; education; transport; publishing; and health. Peter has a Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester, is TOGAF-9 certified and an IAF practitioner.

Ali Farid Khwaja

Advisor

Ali has more than 15 years’ experience in equity research and investments. He is a Director at KASB Securities, one of Pakistan’s leading stockbrokers. Ali was a Partner at Autonomous Research in London (now a part of Alliance Bernstein), where he led equity research of European Fintech companies. Prior to that, he was the CFO and Board Director of SafeCharge Group (LSE: SCH LN), a global payments company listed on the London Stock Exchange. He has been a top-ranked Technology Analyst in Europe at Berenberg and UBS. Ali is an alumnus of Georgetown Leadership Seminar and the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a Patron of the British Pakistan Foundation and a member of the Business and Entrepreneur Forum of the UK Conservative Party.
He holds a First Class Honors in BSc Investment and Financial Risk Management from Cass Business School London and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) qualifications.

Sanjay Manchanda

Chief Operating Officer

Prior to joining WizzFinancial, Sanjay Manchanda was CEO of the Dubai-based property developer, Nakheel (2012–2020). He also served as a Partner for the Middle East at the professional services network, Price Waterhouse Coopers (1987–2012) and as Chief Restructuring Advisor for the Dubai-based jewellery retailer, Damas International.

He received his Bachelor of Commerce from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi.

Amir Nagammy

Co-Founder and Chairman

Amir Nagammy is a London-based investor and entrepreneur focused on the technology and financial services sectors in emerging markets.  He has a 25-year track record of building and scaling companies in the UK, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), India, Africa and other emerging markets, transforming them into profitable, large-scale enterprises that consistently produce impressive returns. Amir studied for a BA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Derby, Advanced Studies in Accountancy at RGC, and a Master’s Degree in International Management & Entrepreneurship from Swinburne University of Technology.

Errol Fonseca

Advisor

Errol Fonseca is the Co-Founder of online travel and tourism portal, Blahotelsearch. Prior to this he was at Travelex from 2014-2020, most recently as its CEO for North America, Canada and Panama, where he launched its first global cross-border payments programme with Samsung as well as pioneering new markets.

He has served in senior roles in New Zealand, India, the UAE and the Gulf for such household-name multinationals as Ahli United Bank, American Express, ANZ Bank, Bahrain Financing Co, Bank of New Zealand, GE Capital, Modi Xerox and Standard Chartered Bank.

He graduated from Massey University, New Zealand with a Diploma in Business Management.

Obiora Ogbunude

Advisory Board Member, WizzFinancial

Obiora Ogbunude is the Managing Partner of Blakeney Management, a London-based investment firm. Blakeney is one of the longest-standing international fund managers focusing on Africa and the Middle East. Over the last two decades Obi has led investments in many of the leading companies in Africa and the Middle East, in sectors including financial services, telecoms, e-commerce and FMCG. Obi graduated from the London Business School (MBA 2000), is a trained physician, and holds degrees in Medicine and Surgery (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, 1991) from the University of Benin in Nigeria.

Ben Sanders

Head of Strategy

Ben Sanders specialises in strategy and day-to-day technology operations for award-winning fintech and high-growth company start-ups and scale-ups across multiple industry sectors. Most recently he was MD of Europe for Pollen, a travel and entertainment marketplace voted the fourth-fastest growing company in the UK. Ben began his career as a management consultant at Bain & Company, based in Madrid and London, and then moved to the e-Commerce team of Worldpay Group.
After their successful IPO, he moved to Pockit, a digital banking platform for the financially excluded, and oversaw a five-fold increase in customer and revenue growth over three years.

Angad Chadha

Head of Technology

Angad Chadha has a diverse background, with experience in investment banking, start-ups and machine learning. His roles in investment banking include Event-Driven Trading and Financial Engineering for Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley respectively. He has worked on a number of machine-learning projects, collaborating with data scientists to build predictive models and recommendation algorithms from inception. Angad graduated with a Distinction in Financial Engineering from Imperial College London.

Dominic Traynor

Director

Dominic Traynor is a London based company director and solicitor specialising in equity capital markets, and is a partner at Druces LLP, one of the City’s oldest law firms. At Druces and formerly at Ronaldsons LLP, a niche capital-markets firm, he advised on the structuring and listing of more than 30 companies on the Main Market and Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange and he has extensive experience in corporate governance. As well as being a director of Prism Group/Global Fintech Investments Holding, he is a director of the Australian-Saudi electric vehicle-battery chemicals company, EV Metals Group plc; was a founding director of AIM-listed construction materials company, SigmaRoc plc; and sits on the boards of a number of other companies. Dominic graduated from the College of Law, York, and received his LLB from Durham University.

Anthony Wagerman

Chairman of the Advisory Board, WizzFinancial

Anthony Wagerman has worked with Travelex, the world’s largest specialist foreign exchange company, for 17 years, and was its CEO from 2015-2018. He was also its Retail Director, Managing Director for Europe & Americas, and Deputy CEO. He helped to build Travelex into a global leader in foreign exchange for retail and corporate customers. He also served as a Non-Executive Director on a number of Travelex Boards in the UK, the US and Brazil and held board positions at several joint-venture companies in the Middle East. He is a non-Executive Director at BFC Bank (UK) Ltd and a Senior Advisor to the Esselco Group of companies. He is a Trustee of a leading anti-racism charity and sits on the board of an educational advisory charity.

Ebrahim Nonoo

Executive Chairman and CEO of Money

In 1992 Ebrahim Nonoo joined his family firm, BFC Group, founded in 1917 in Bahrain. He started as a foreign exchange dealer and the following year became a Director of the business, overseeing the expansion of this Gulf-based money transfer, foreign currency exchange, and wholesale currency exchange provider into Kuwait, establishing the Bahrain Exchange Company (BEC) and BFC Exchange Limited (formerly known as EzRemit) in 2003. Prism Group announced its acquisition of BFC in August 2021 and it is now part of Prism’s WizzFinancial group.

BFC specialises in fast, reliable money transfers through a variety of services, is pioneering new financial and security tehcnologies, and has an extensive correspondent network that includes several prestigious international financial institutions. Through them BFC has a presence in over 100 countries, and has 95 branches in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UK and India.

Guy Rothschild

Co-Founder and COO

Guy Rothschild has 20 years of experience in financial and management roles at public and private international companies. He is the Founder and Director of ROTCO GmbH, which provides financial and strategic advice to businesses, family offices and individuals. He has an in-depth knowledge of the European, Asian, and North American markets, and a thorough understanding of corporate structures. He has taken part in M&A transactions and was part of the team that led a private equity owned business from start-up to full production. Guy has a BA in Economics and Accounting from Bar-Ilan University and an MBA in International Business from CASS Business School.

Dr Sultan Ali Al Ahbabi

CEO

Dr Sultan Ali Al Ahbabi is the CEO of Prism Group. He is a Board Member of Siadah International Real Estate Development in Dubai. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Construction and Engineering Management from Texas A&M University, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Abu Dhabi University. He also holds a Business Certificate from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); the Society of Engineers, UAE; and the American Academy of Project Management.