Hitesh Makhija to speak at YAWC 2024

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Regulus Investment and Financial Services Group, Hitesh Makhija, will be speaking at the Young African Women Congress (YAWC) 2024, organizers have confirmed.

The Young African Women Congress (YAWC) is an annual gathering of young women of African descent living in Africa and in the diaspora who seek to be empowered and be themselves, change-makers for leadership and development on the continent.

At the heart of its mandate is the mobilisation of women from the grassroots level for leadership and development through advocacy, training and projects.

This year’s edition is being held under the theme: “Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment Through Innovation and Technology.”

Mr. Daniel Osei Tuffuor, Founder and Executive Chairperson of the YAWC Network, made the announcement on Thursday describing Mr. Makhija as a global icon.

“He is an outstanding personality, a global icon. What he has done for himself and the world are all testaments to his incredible leadership and success. But behind all that is the sacrifice and dedication that has brought him this far. And so we expect that he will inspire our participants to attain such feats as him. We can’t wait”, he said.

Profile of Mr. Hitesh Makhija

Hitesh Makhijan is an accomplished finance leader with over 16 years of experience across multiple sectors including manufacturing, supply chain, and FMCG sectors.

As the Co-Founder and Group CEO of Regulus Investment and Financial Services in Ghana, he drives growth and innovation in the financial technology (FinTech) space, expanding operations to three countries and overseeing four innovative products.

His expertise spans multiple areas, from financial strategy to capital management, all built on a foundation of sound business acumen and leadership.

Mr. Hitesh began his career with Olam International, where he took on progressively senior roles, including Country CFO for Nigeria and Regional CFO for West Africa, overseeing financial operations across multiple countries under whose leadership, these regions saw significant financial transformations, including real-time reporting advancements, capital efficiency, and robust financial controls.

A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Mr. Hitesh is known for his ability to lead through change, demonstrated in his exceptional work in transitioning businesses to cashless systems, implementing SAP for real-time data, and optimizing treasury functions to make them major contributors to the bottom line.

His ability to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments has earned him numerous accolades, including Best CFO, Best Finance Team, and other internal awards.

Some key highlights of his successful career include leading financial operations for a $1.2 billion business during his time as Country CFO, Nigeria, for Olam, ensuring competitive financial strategy, enhanced controls, and the development of a world-class finance team.

As Regional CFO, West Africa, Hitesh drove financial performance across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon, achieving a remarkable ROE of over 39% on $700 million of invested capital.

He is a Chartered Accountant (CA), ICAI (2006), and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from the University of Delhi (2004).

Hitesh’s technical proficiency includes expertise in SAP, Oracle, ERP systems, and advanced use of MS Office tools like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. He is also multilingual, fluent in English, Hindi, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Thai.

Hitesh Makhija is a leader who combines deep financial knowledge with strategic vision and a hands-on approach to driving operational efficiency and business growth.