Ken Olisa

London, UK

Chairman

Interswitch

Biography

Ken Olisa is Chairman of Interswitch, a digital payments and commerce company and Chairman and Architect of Inogesis (formerly named The Virtual Technology Cluster Group), an organisation connecting large corporates to entrepreneurial IT companies. He is also Chairman of Restoration Partners, the boutique technology merchant bank.

He is an IT industry veteran with over 30 years of technology experience commencing with various posts at IBM prior to joining Wang Labs. He has considerable public company board-level experience and is a Director of Thomson Reuters.

In 2015, Her Majesty the Queen appointed Ken as Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Greater London.

Ken Olisa’s Newsfeed

08 Jun 2018

‘Most influential black Briton’ intervenes on University’s side in ‘dearth of black students’ debate

With the University branding reports of a 'dearth of black students' in certain colleges by the Financial Times 'misleading', Sir Ken Olisa, Chairman of the Aleto Foundation, has weighed in on the debate on the University's side.

12 Jan 2018

Queen Elizabeth II: Monarch appoints Kenneth Olisa a knight

Queen Elizabeth II has appointed Kenneth Olisa, the new chairman of Interswitch as a knight. He was honoured with a knighthood for services to Business and Philanthropy in the 2018 New Year's Honours. The honouree is a British businessman with a career in technology which commenced at IBM spanning

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Ken Olisa’s Background

Interswitch

Chairman

Nov 2017 - Present

London, UK

Interswitch is an Africa-focused integrated digital payments and commerce company that facilitates the electronic circulation of money as well as the exchange of value between individuals and organisations on a timely and consistent basis.

Inogesis

Chairman

Jan 2016 - Present

London, UK

Inogesis, formerly VTC Group, enables multi-national companies to attract entrepreneurial IT companies into their supply chains. This model allows disruptive technology innovators to gain access to revenue opportunities offered by industry focused cluster sponsors, advisers providing expert scale-up services and networking opportunities, and support from the Academic and Investment communities.

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Other Business Interests

Institute of Directors

Deputy Chairman

Jul 2016 - Present

London, UK

As the UK’s longest-running organisation for professional leaders, the IoD is dedicated to supporting their members, encouraging entrepreneurial activity and promoting responsible business practice for the benefit of the business community and society as a whole.

Great London Lieutenancy

Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London

May 2015 - Present

London, UK

The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London is Her Majesty’s representative in Greater London and is charged with upholding the dignity of the Crown. Across the thirty two Boroughs (but not the City of London) he is responsible for the promotion of civic, commercial, voluntary and social activities within London and thus is part of the fabric of London in all its manifestations.

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Ken Olisa’s Education

University of Cambridge

Natural Sciences