Hamdiya Ismaila

Biography

Hamdiya Ismaila is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Savannah Impact Advisory, with over 23 years of experience in finance, including extensive fund of funds experience supporting emerging managers across West Africa. She brings deep expertise in private markets fund structuring, fund investing, and fund management, and has been a strong champion of ecosystem development across Africa, influencing policy and regulatory outcomes. A committed impact investor, she chaired the taskforce that established Impact Investing Ghana, the Global Steering Group (GSG) -affiliated national advisory board, and served as a GSG Trustee from 2020 to 2022. Hamdiya sits on several boards and councils, including the Ghana Alternative Exchange and the Investment Committee of the USD $200 million Mastercard Africa Growth Fund, and is a frequent speaker at private markets conferences across Africa and globally. She holds an Executive Certificate in Private Equity and Venture Capital from Harvard Business School, a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a BBA (Honours) from Monroe College. She is a Finance Leaders Fellow and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.