On a Tuesday afternoon in Accra, Leslie Nelson is not in a boardroom or on a golf course. He’s seated with a group of university students, all of them beneficiaries of his scholarship fund. Some are engineering majors, others are studying business. Most are first in their families to attend university. All of them, he reminds gently, are expected to succeed.
“Access changes everything,” he tells them. “That’s your edge.”
Nelson has spent over two decades operating in high-stakes environments—from Wall Street to West Africa. But whether he’s managing billion-dollar power portfolios, advising private equity firms, or mentoring first-generation college students, his message stays consistent: discipline, clarity, and trust are the foundations of real progress.
Private Equity with a Public Purpose
Nelson is a private equity executive and strategic advisor based in Africa. His parents, originally from Ghana, emphasized education, work ethic, and service—values that echo throughout his career.
Since 2021, Nelson has been focused on an energy transition development platform in Africa, one aimed at decarbonizing power generation while expanding access. “Energy is the first development input,” he says. “You don’t get far without it—hospitals, factories, schools, even clean water all depend on reliable power.”
The platform formed a joint venture in 2023 with one of Africa’s largest investment managers. It’s a natural fit for someone who has long seen opportunity where others hesitate. His portfolio combines traditional infrastructure investment with forward-looking models: gas-to-power bridges, distributed solar, and energy storage.
Reading the Market—and the Room
Before becoming a founder, Nelson held senior executive roles across the energy and finance sectors. As Managing Director for Africa at New Fortress Energy (2018–2020), he helped take the company public in 2019. He was responsible for deal origination, structuring, and execution across the continent.
But his defining corporate chapter was with GE. From 2002 to 2018, Nelson held multiple leadership roles, including CEO of GE’s $1 billion power business in Africa and Country CEO for Ghana. In that dual role, he oversaw projects in oil and gas, healthcare, aviation, and power, often navigating complex political and community dynamics.
One project stalled over community land issues. The legal documents were clean, but local trust was missing. Nelson hit pause, gathered community leaders, and held informal roundtables. “We weren’t just managing a project,” he says. “We were managing expectations, memories, and future hopes.” The restart was slower—but ultimately smoother. The project delivered on time.
From Hurdles to Boardrooms
Nelson’s early life mirrors the rhythm he still uses: sprint, reset, repeat. He was a standout athlete in high school, competing in tennis and football. “In sports the scoreboard is pure. You either win, lose or draw. The outcome is definitive and final.”
Leslie earned a BA in History and English from the University of Ghana, then an MBA in Finance and Global Business from NYU Stern. He also holds a certificate in Asset Management from NYU’s Executive Education program.
He began his career in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and UBS, later transitioning to SES Americom in New Jersey for business development. His move into infrastructure wasn’t planned—but it made sense. “I was always drawn to building things,” he says, “especially systems that help people access what they need to grow.”
The Discipline of Access
Whether leading billion-dollar capital projects or mentoring orphans through university, Nelson operates with a steady thesis: disciplined capital plus deep local insight leads to durable progress. “Strategy is execution stacked over time,” he says. “And execution depends on people.”
Today, he sits on several boards across energy, industry, and education. He’s advised private equity funds, served as vice chair of Baker Hughes Ghana, and helped shape policy through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Accra. But he talks just as proudly about his involvement with the Village of Hope Orphanage, where he supports 15 students through university—providing not only tuition and laptops but also mentoring.
When asked what keeps him grounded, he doesn’t mention his roles or results. He talks about family. His American wife and their two daughters. His mother, who lives nearby. And his regular walks, golf rounds (he plays to a 9 handicap), and TV nights that bring balance to the intensity of his work.
A Playbook of Small Wins
One story Nelson tells often involves a leadership offsite where he challenged his team to write one thing on a whiteboard: “What are we missing?” The answers weren’t grand strategies. They were small barriers: customs paperwork that always delayed shipments, spare-parts misalignment, slow supplier onboarding. Fixing those things unlocked the big ones.
“Strategy is a stack of small wins,” he says. “You don’t need fireworks to make a business succeed. You need traction.”
From London to New Jersey, from New York to Ghana, from tennis balls to hydrocarbons, Leslie Nelson’s story is one of anticipation and precision. He reads the signal before others do. He moves while others plan. And he brings others with him—through jobs, through projects, through scholarships.
That’s his version of equity. Not just ownership, but access. Not just vision, but follow-through. In markets that are still forming, that may be the most valuable capital of all.
Interview with Leslie Nelson
What early experiences shaped how you lead today?
Growing up in the UK as the oldest of three boys, I had responsibility early on. My parents were Ghanaian immigrants—my father was an accountant, my mother worked in publishing sales. They set high expectations. Sports also shaped me. I ran hurdles and played competitive tennis. That taught me timing, focus, and how to recover quickly. Those same lessons carried into my career.
You’ve worked across banking, telecom, energy, and infrastructure. How did you navigate those transitions?
I’ve always focused on building systems that create access. Early in my career at Merrill Lynch and UBS, I learned how capital flows. At SES Americom, I saw how connectivity changes regions. At GE and later at New Fortress Energy, I led teams that delivered power infrastructure in places that needed it most. The sectors changed, but the core stayed the same—disciplined execution with a long-term view.
Tell us about a tough moment in your career—and what you learned from it.
One project in West Africa got delayed due to land issues. Legally, we were in the right, but the local trust wasn’t there. Instead of pushing forward, we paused, engaged with the community, listened to concerns, and adjusted our plans. It taught me that a contract isn’t the same as a relationship. Both matter, but trust is what gets things done.
How did your energy transition platform come about?
After years in corporate roles, I wanted to build something focused on impact and sustainability. In 2021, I launched a platform to support Africa’s energy transition—decarbonizing while expanding access. In 2023, we formed a JV with a major African investment firm. The idea is to match capital with practical, scalable solutions like gas-to-power and renewables in underserved areas.
What inspired your involvement with the Village of Hope students?
I’ve always believed in education as a tool for transformation. These are students who made it into university against real odds. I didn’t want finances to be the reason they couldn’t continue. So we funded tuition, gave them laptops, and support them with career guidance. Watching them grow and prepare for graduation in 2026 has been one of the most meaningful parts of my life.
What advice would you give to someone entering emerging markets for the first time?
Start with humility but stay hungry. What works in New York or London may not work in Accra or Nairobi. Spend time on the ground. Listen before you plan. Build real relationships. And remember—progress isn’t always about speed. Sometimes, the long route builds the strongest foundation.
