Jean-Claude Bastos

Jean-Claude Bastos is an experienced figure in international finance and global development, combining his expertise as a private investor, entrepreneur, and innovation specialist with a commitment to socio-economic advancement in Africa. Born in Switzerland in 1967, Jean-Claude Bastos brings a multicultural perspective to his work, demonstrated by his fluency in six languages: German, French, English, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish. Following his completion of a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, Jean-Claude Bastos embarked on his professional journey as a management consultant. In 1998, he established a corporate finance advisory firm serving the German-speaking SME market. In 2003, Jean-Claude Bastos founded the Quantum Global Group. This international organization specialized in African development, encompassing corporate finance advisory, private equity, asset and private wealth management, real estate, and investment consulting. His commitment to Angola's financial sector materialized in 2008 when he founded Banco Kwanza Invest, the country's first investment bank, where he served as a Board Member guiding strategic direction. Jean-Claude Bastos then established the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) in 2009. The foundation's flagship initiative, the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA), launched in 2011 in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), catalyzed significant change, culminating in a 2012 resolution by the African Union and UNECA to promote innovation-based society across the continent. Jean-Claude Bastos has maintained active involvement in philanthropic initiatives, including the Kitangana Tennis Project for orphans in Angola and support for epigenetics research at the Centre of Neuroscience ZNZ. His literary contributions include co-authoring "The Convergence of Nations: Why Africa's Time is Now" (2015) and "Innovation Ethics: African and Global Perspectives" (2014). Jean-Claude Bastos has also served in several advisory positions, including membership in the International Council of the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs and advisory roles with the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.