Our people connect you to the world

Our founding partners Omar and Afif Ben Yedder have between them over 40 years of senior experience in media and financial markets. Our Chairman, Lord Peter Hain, has spent over 50 years at the centre of government and global movements for peace, transparency, governance and justice. Supported by an advisory board of business and political leaders and a global team of research associates, we are passionate about helping our clients reach their objectives with cutting-edge advice and intelligence.

Omar Ben Yedder, Chief Executive


Omar Ben Yedder is the Group Publisher and Managing Director of leading publishing, events and communications group IC Publications. The organisation has over 50 years of experience publishing magazines, country supplements, industry reports and market intelligence on Africa. It now offers a full suite of communications services, as well as organising a number of key events across the continent.

Having previously been an Associate Vice President in the Equity Finance team at Merrill Lynch, Omar brought a new and dynamic approach to IC Publications. Under his leadership, African Banker magazine and IC Events were launched. Today the group also carries out communications advisory, media relations and contract publishing.

Omar's work and personal interests include media, development economics, leadership and education. He has chaired the Africa Story Challenge competition, a programme driven by the Africa Media Initiative. He also sits on the board of Brand Africa. Omar studied Economics and Languages at Durham University and is a Chartered Management Accountant.

Lord Peter Hain, Chairman


Born in 1950 and brought up in South Africa, Peter has been in politics for over 50 years. His South African-born parents, Adelaine and Walter, were forced into exile in London in 1966 after they were jailed and banned from working in Pretoria due to their anti-apartheid activism. Aged 19, Peter became a British anti-apartheid leader, stopping all-white South African sports tours from 1969 onwards.

In December 2015 he received the OR Tambo National Award in Silver from South Africa for his ‘excellent contribution to the freedom struggle’.

In 2017-18 he exposed in the UK Parliament money laundering and corruption involving global corporates under then-President Zuma and the Gupta brothers, and gave evidence to the Zondo Commission in November 2019.

In 2018 he chaired the Nelson Mandela London Centenary Exhibition Organising Committee. In 2017 he chaired the Oliver Tambo Centenary UK Committee. He is a Vice-President of Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), successor to the British Anti-Apartheid Movement. He was MP for Neath from 1991 until 2015 and served in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for twelve years; seven in the Cabinet. As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland he negotiated an end to the long-running conflict, and brought old enemies together in government in 2007.

He is Chairman of the Donald Woods Foundation charity, Patron of the Canon Collins Trust and a Trustee of the Liliesleaf Trust and the Listen Charity. He teaches at GIBS and Stellenbosch Business School and has been Visiting Professor at the University of Witwatersrand Business School.