In search of a local figure to consolidate its ambitions in West Africa, JP Morgan Chase, America’s largest bank, has set its sights on Michael Ahonzo Avou. The Ivorian is officially appointed to head the bank’s operations in Ivory Coast in October 2024. His mandate will be instrumental in developing JP Morgan’s commercial banking, investment banking and treasury services, while strengthening the company’s position in the region.
JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon made no secret of the strategic importance of this appointment to the success of the bank’s African expansion, according to the Finances AO media outlet.
In my role, I will focus on strengthening strategic partnerships and growing our clients in the region, as part of J.P. Morgan’s ongoing commitment to expand its presence and support economic development in key emerging markets,
he posted on his LinkedIn page. Today, Michael Ahonzo Avou embodies the alliance of local expertise and mastery of international dynamics. His career path, marked by increasingly senior responsibilities within major financial institutions, bears witness to his talent and ability to navigate between different financial universes, from trading to emerging markets, via asset management.
Strengthening JP Morgan’s African presence
With new offices in Abidjan and Nairobi, J.P. Morgan strengthens its regional presence to offer unrivalled access to global expertise and tailored financial solutions. This expansion marks an important step in the company’s mission to support the growth of resilient and dynamic economies across the African continent, helping clients to seize unique local opportunities and challenges.
By connecting our global network to the dynamic markets of West and East Africa, we aim to facilitate not only growth, but also long-term sustainable development. I look forward to building on J.P. Morgan’s established legacy in Africa, ensuring that we continue to be a trusted partner for innovation and progress on the continent,
says Michael Ahonzo Avou. Specialist in African financial markets
Michael Ahonzo Avou graduated from the ESLSCA Business School in Paris with a Master’s degree in Finance and International Negotiation, a cutting-edge education that opened the doors to the world of international finance. His first professional experience was in Paris, with Crédit Agricole CIB, where he worked as an equity derivatives trader. This first role enabled him to develop a fine command of complex financial products and to immerse himself in the world of international financial markets. After these Parisian beginnings, Michael Ahonzo made the strategic choice to return to the African continent, joining the pan-African Ecobank group, where he quickly rose through the ranks. As a foreign exchange trader, then Head of Trading based in Paris, Michael played a decisive role in the group’s international development. For almost 7 years, he helped structure the Treasury activities and supervise operations on African financial markets.
In 2017, he joined coffee trader ED&F Man in London. He was appointed Head of Frontier Markets. In this position, he is constantly called upon to provide hedging and liquidity in emerging markets. He held this position for 4 years, gradually establishing himself as a specialist in African financial markets.
Returning to Société Générale and managing African markets
In 2021, Michael Ahonzo Avou made his return to the banking world by joining the Société Générale group, where he was appointed Regional Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa trading room. He is responsible for trading and risk management throughout the region, ensuring the stability and profitability of banking operations in a sometimes volatile environment. In March 2024, he took the next step by becoming Managing Director of Société Générale Capital Asset Management West Africa. This position put him at the head of asset management for one of the region’s largest banks, a crowning achievement in his career. In this new role, he is responsible for developing the asset management business in West Africa, a high-potential market, by creating investment solutions tailored to the specific needs of African economies.
In this way, the rise of this Ivorian embodies a new era for African finance, in which local talent plays a leading role in the continent’s economic transformation.
