Our team of seasoned professionals, with over 70 years of combined experience in Commodities Trading, Private Equity, Strategic Investments, Advisory, Business Development and Risk Management excels in navigating special situations and leveraging its network across Middle East to empower our clients in Africa and Eastern Europe with uniquely competitive solutions.
Committed to fostering sustainable growth and forging long-term relationships based on trust, integrity, and innovation, Meridia Solutions is dedicated to delivering excellence in every transaction.
Mr. Jean-Philippe (JP) Syed, Partner & CEO, brings extensive experience and leadership to Meridia Solutions. JP has led numerous transactions across North, West, and Southern Africa, amounting to billions of dollars across asset classes like commodities, private equity, debt, capital markets, and real estate. His strong connections in the Middle East and Africa, along with fluency in French, English, Spanish, and Italian, allow him to source and deliver unique opportunities for African clients.
Previously, JP was a Partner at Development Partners International LLP in London, a major Africa-focused Private Equity fund managing USD 3.2 billion. He was an Investment Banker at JPMorgan and BNP Paribas in New York and a consultant at McKinsey in the Middle East. He has held multiple Board roles for leading companies in Africa and the Middle East.
His expertise in large-scale operations and corporate strategy has shaped our organization's growth.
Mr. Andrei Smilenov, Partner & CCO, brings expertise to Meridia Solutions, boosting our trading knowledge in the oil and natural gas sectors. He built a structured financing business with USD 3.25 billion in book notional, showcasing our skills in prepays, commodity repos, risk participation, deferred payments, and inventory monetization.
His global experience across Europe, Asia, and the Americas shows our ability to navigate regulations. Andrei's success in closing oil and gas hedge restructurings has yielded profits. He also led the structuring of power plant gas supply agreements and inventory financing deals, highlighting our strength in energy transactions.
Andrei's role in managing risk, quantifying exposure, and executing delta flattening hedges ensures stability. His innovations include the Maya oil hedging strategy and a commodity-collateralized revolver for gas storage.
Mr. Andrea De Gennaro, Partner & CFO, has broad experience in building businesses, especially in alternative investments, capital markets, and fintech.
Andrea co-founded a consultancy specializing in Trend Following & CTAs hedge fund strategies, playing a key role in go-to-market strategies and offering value propositions to banks in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. He also contributed to designing models for strategic and tactical hedging using commodity futures and options.
Andrea's consultative approach, negotiation skills, and strategic vision are key to maintaining strong client relationships. As a director at a credit risk consultancy, he established the firm's presence in London, leading strategies and managing relationships with market leaders.
His expertise and ability to navigate complex environments position our organization as a leader in innovative solutions. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.
