Christopher De Vargas Machuca Email & Phone Number

At AFRIA, our team is dedicated to nurturing, scaling and propelling businesses in Africa, enhancing value, and promoting sustainable growth. As Board Member, I play a key role in driving equity investments and fostering growth in Africa's most promising business sectors, from industrial operations to logistics and services. With an entrepreneurial approach, I lead initiatives that enhance our portfolio companies’ value, promote operational efficiency, and foster sustainable growth. Additionally, I manage key advisory and consulting mandates, guiding companies in capital raising and strategic planning to achieve impactful results and long-term success.• Led strategic growth across three sectors (Industrial, Services, Logistics), enhancing portfolio company performance & diversity and expanding market reach, driving a 15% increase in results.• Optimized logistics operations for the portfolio transport companies reducing costs by 15% and increasing efficiency by 10% through streamlined management and expansion into new services.• Secured key advisory and consulting mandates in sectors like hospitality, food production, and real estate, raising + €70M in funds for and supporting growth for various companies.

At TOM, we've set the benchmark for container depots in Africa by pioneering operational excellence, technology integration and process optimization.As a Shareholder and Executive Board Member, I drive our mission to offer leading intermodal transportation and inland container yard operations across Senegal and West Africa. I focus on strategic development, technology integration, and operational transformation to strengthen our competitive edge in the market.• Led the transition from traditional, manual processes to a fully integrated ERP system, taking the company from pen and paper to a digital-first approach. This initiative improved data accuracy, reduced manual workload by 50%, and shortened processing times by 30%, enhancing overall operational efficiency.• Spearheaded an all-encompassing audit of the company’s financials, processes, and operations to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. The audit led to actionable insights that streamlined operations, improved compliance, and resulted in a 9% increase in profitability within the first year.• Developed and executed strategies that improved intermodal transportation and inland container yard operations, achieving a 12% reduction in operational costs while maintaining high service standards.• Led the development of strategic growth initiatives and new market expansion strategies, contributing to a 10% increase in cargo throughput and solidifying TOM Medlog’s presence in key markets.

Dakar Region, Senegal

London, England Metropolitan Area

• Facilitated comprehensive investment due diligence for pre- and post-acquisition activities, benchmarking, M&A strategy, and portfolio research across transactions exceeding £1 billion in value• Directed strategic management of 20+ top tier Private Equity & Venture Capital firms across Europe and North America, while leading a culturally diverse team of 9 multilingual associates• Engineered and expanded key business partnerships, clinching groundbreaking contracts elevating new and existing clients to top account status with annual revenues in excess of £1 million and achieving 23% above projected growth targets• Distinguished as an exceptional performer with multiple accolades: thrice named Top Performer company-wide, and honored as Best New Joiner, Team of the Month, and Manager of the Month• Pioneered monthly training sessions globally, enhancing new employees’ capabilities across various offices and contributing significantly to the company’s knowledge base and operational excellence

London, England, United Kingdom

I coordinated primary research for Global Private Equity Firms, Hedge Funds and Strategy Consultancies. Supporting clients on investment due diligence, acquisitions and portfolio/ client research.

London, United Kingdom

proSapient is a Primary Insight Platform that allows our clients (hedge funds, private equity houses and consultants) to access various forms of primary insight from expert consultations, market research and quantitative surveys.The company is the first ML/AI platform in the industry.

Senegal

First Inland Container Depot in West Africa - Warehouse Department• Conducted analysis of operational data, providing actionable insights for warehouse procedure enhancements leading to management reforms for an 80-strong workforce• Strategically managed workload and performance, introducing KPIs and achieving a 3% cost reduction by optimizing resource allocation and process flows

London, United Kingdom

Online Reputation Management Start-Up incubated in the Google Campus• Spearheaded market research initiatives to accurately define the target market, instrumental in securing the startup's initial customer base and set the foundation for sustained business growth• Identified product development opportunities, successfully pitching and implementing two new features integral to the company's service offering

Senegal (Dakar)

• Customized marketing approaches for 10+ clients, generating substantial additional sales and strengthening customer retention.• Devised a performance reporting template, slashing preparation time by 80% and bolstering departmental efficiency across five divisions

Master'S Degree, International Business, First Class Honours, 3.9/4 Gpa

Activities and Societies: FootballRanked 1st in France by MOCI magazine in 2018. The programme is designed for future global business.

Master'S Degree, Business Administration And Management, General, (Discontinued)

This AMBA (Association of MBAs) accredited course provides a good grounding in the fundamentals of business education, and also equip.

International Pre-Master'S, Business Management Pathway, Business Administration And Management, General, First Class Honours, (79%)

Activities and Societies: Deputy Stream Representative, Mixed Tennis Team.Full-time course aimed at improving academic English.

Bachelor Of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Management/Marketing, 3,31/4

Activities and Societies: Board Member of the Sports Club (+350 students) and President of the Tennis section, Writer.

High School Diploma, Economics And Social Sciences Stream (Es), With Honours

Activities and Societies: Tennis and Football.