Our Team
George Anastasiades, Co-Managing Partner
George, a Founding Member of Somana Partners, is responsible for managing commercial partnerships and institutional finance relationships. He also supports our strategic partners across Africa and the Middle East.
Background
George is a Chartered Accountant and has over 25 years of experience in international taxation, private investment, and cross-border structuring.
He has advised on complex investment vehicles for institutional and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as on major cross-border commodity transactions.
He began his career at PwC in Australia before relocating to Ireland, where he advised global financial institutions at Andersen/KPMG.
In London, he founded a successful boutique investment advisory firm specialising in private equity and leveraged currency strategies. More recently, he played a key role in establishing a Single Family Office managing over $200 million in assets for a prominent Middle Eastern family, where he advised on direct investments and implemented strategies to hedge commodity exposure.
Craig Somerset, Co-Managing Partner
Craig, a Founding Member of Somana Partners, leads global client engagement, and oversees palm oil supply partnerships in Malaysia. He also supports our Strategic Partners across Asia.
Background
With over 20 years of experience in financial services, Craig specialises in cross-border structuring, client growth, and the management of multi-million-dollar projects across emerging markets.
Originally from Wales, he began his career in the U.K. before relocating to United Arab Emirates, where he held senior advisory roles at leading financial institutions, including Barclays. He later joined a prominent single-family office, before moving to the Royal Bank of Canada in London to advise UHNW clients across MENA and APAC.
Craig went on to co-found investment and strategic advisory firms in Southeast Asia, working with commercial and private clients on cross-border investment, smart partnerships, and market entry.
He subsequently consulted one of the region’s leading integrated palm oil producers, introducing them to strategic partners across South Asia, Africa, and Central America to lease plantation land and develop upstream facilities, including palm oil mills.
Kazi Hussain, Strategic Partner, GCC Region & South Asia
At Somana Partners, Kazi drives business development across the GCC and South Asia, combining his expertise in Islamic and conventional finance to align institutional capital with real-economy growth opportunities.
Background
With over 20 years of experience in finance, Kazi specialises in Islamic finance, structured trade, and cross-border capital solutions. He has led and advised on more than $5 billion in sukuk, syndicated loans, and private placements across the GCC, Europe, and emerging markets.
His career includes senior roles at HSBC Amanah, Europe Arab Bank, the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (IsDB Group), and Sama Capital. He has worked with sovereigns, corporates, and financial institutions on Sharia-compliant financing structures and strategic investment mandates.
Kazi has particular expertise in structured commodity transactions and bespoke trade solutions, often bridging institutional capital with real economy sectors such as energy and agri-commodities.
He holds an MSc in Development Economics from SOAS, University of London.
Christian Rurangwa, Strategic Partner, Central & East Africa
Christian leads our growth across Central and East Africa, working with C-suite and procurement teams to expand containerised and bulk palm oil market access and develop long-term supply partnerships.
Background
He is the founder of one of Africa’s fastest-growing agri-tech, logistics, and trading companies. With over a decade of experience in agri-commodity trading, logistics, and farm management, Christian has built strong relationships across regional value chains, connecting producers, traders, and bulk buyers throughout Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the DRC.
His expertise spans various soft commodities originated from Africa, including edible oils, underpinned by a deep understanding of the commercial and logistical realities of African inland markets.
A Finance graduate with more than ten years in the financial sector, Christian combines technical insight with leadership. He is an Executive alumnus of Renew Capital (USA), G.A.P. Certified, and an ANAU AgriTech alumnus (Armenia).
Kemp Kadir, Special Advisor
Kemp serves as Special Advisor to Somana Partners, working with the leadership team to drive strategic commercial alliances and growth initiatives. He brings deep regional insight and experience in introducing institutional financing for government infrastructure development projects, commodity trade and high-impact partnerships that deliver sustainable long-term value.
Background
Kemp is a Malaysian business leader with over 30 years of experience across ICT, energy, aviation, healthcare, and finance.
He began his career with PETRONAS before going on to establish several successful ventures and partnerships, including partnering with Ohga Pharmacies of Japan to distribute Japan-standard medical and pharmaceutical products across Malaysia and Indonesia. He also collaborated with Textron Aviation Inc. to provide world-class chartered aircraft services.
Today, he chairs and directs several companies in Malaysia and abroad, with interests spanning technology, trade, and infrastructure. His current work focuses on developing integrated ICT solutions for healthcare networks, including public and private hospitals, fostering collaboration between universities and industry, and advancing innovation-driven learning and business exchange.
Kemp also serves as Advisor and Liaison to the Government of Aceh, Indonesia, supporting initiatives in trade, investment, and infrastructure development.