Marie-Laure Mazaud
CEO

Background: Marie-Laure has extensive experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, project financing and governance. Previously Executive Director in charge of the transport sector at the CDC, she has also held the posts of Director of International Finance and Credit at the Alcatel-Lucent Group, and Head of Structured Finance at Coface.  She has been a corporate director for ten years, and currently chairs the audit committees of two mid-size companies with a strong international presence.

Mission at STOA: Make STOA a permanent key player in infrastructure development and financing in emerging countries.

Interests / hobbies: Visiting capital cities and discovering new sights by bike.

Her dream: Go ski touring in distant lands!

JEAN-PIERRE BARRAL
Deputy CEO

Background: Jean-Pierre Barral has extensive experience in public and private infrastructure financing, acquired within the AFD Group, the IFC and the private sector. He opened Proparco’s New Delhi office and then headed the infrastructure team at headquarters, specializing in debt financing. He has worked in infrastructure project development, first as Director of Development for Africa at ContourGlobal, then in the IFC’s Africa infrastructure team, particularly on InfraVenture projects. He also held various positions at AFD, and was head of the energy and digital department before joining STOA.

He is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique, is Chief Engineer of the Ponts, Eaux et Forêts, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Missions at STOA: Deputy CEO.

Interests / hobbies: planting trees.

His dream: to do the GR20 with my family.

ANDRÉ MOUNIF
Regional Director – Eastern Africa

Background: André was Senior Project Manager in PROPARCO’s Energy and Infrastructure Department. He began his career in the French Ministry of Transport. Alongside public entities he was involved in launching a large number of major infrastructure projects such as GSM-R projects, and the CDG Express, La GV SEA and HGV Eco-tax projects. André is an engineer who graduated from the Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’Etat [National State Civil Engineering School].

Missions at STOA:  Origination, assessment and negotiation of investment projects.

Interests / hobbies: Travel, football and golf.

His dream: Speak seven languages.

MATHIEU LEBÈGUE
Senior Advisor – Latin America

Background: Mathieu started his career in 2008 at Proparco, the French DFI, holding various positions within the institution, including Deputy Head for Brazil & South America between 2014 and 2018 (where he was in charge of infrastructure financing). Mathieu is graduated from Sciences Po Paris (France) with an MsC in Finance.

Missions at STOA:  Mathieu has been acting as Senior Advisor for Latin America since September 2018, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mathieu is in charge of originating and structuring deals across Latin America as well as monitoring STOA’s portfolio across the region.

LAURENT MERLAUT
Senior Investment Director

Background: Laurent has 20 year experience in finance and industry. Prior to joining STOA, he was Senior Investment Officer in the Energy, Digital and Infrastructure department at Proparco, where he was notably responsible for the development of telecom investments. Before, as a Director within the Global Infrastructure team at Natixis, he arranged and advised on various types of telecom and power infrastructure financing. Laurent started his career with Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia) as Project Manager in the international tendering department, covering Africa. He joined the banking industry as credit officer in charge of telecom, transportation infrastructure and real estate transactions.
Laurent graduated in telecom engineering and completed an MSc in management and finance in HEC Paris, with a CEMS joint degree at Università Bocconi, Milan.

Missions at STOA: Origination, assessment and negotiation of investment projects.

Passion/hobbies: travelling, learning languages, sailing regatta, playing piano.

MOHAMED BEN OSMANE
Investment Director

Background: Mohamed holds a dual expertise in finance and infrastructure projects. Prior to joining STOA, he has spent several years at EY, both in the Audit and Transaction Services departments, where he had the opportunity to work on several energy and infrastructure deals in Africa, Middle East and Europe. He also occupied the role of Project Leader in the context of the construction of a 100 MW wind farm in the Sahara Desert as well as Business Development Manager, at Moroccan-based energy developer Nareva Holding.

Missions at STOA: Origination, assessment and negotiation of investment projects.

Interests / hobbies: Photography, guitar and bass.

His dream: Get a photo published in National Geographic.

ANTOINE DURAND
Investment Director

Background: Previously Project Manager in the Structured Finance Department at VINCI Concessions, he has worked on setting up financing for motorway and airport projects worldwide. He has also worked for AFD and at Egis in transport economics and is therefore very familiar with the areas in which STOA works.

Missions at STOA: Analyse the financial, technical and commercial parameters of the project opportunities identified by our teams, in order to summarise and present the most interesting of these to STOA’s investment committee.

Passion/hobbies: Geography.

AMINE MASNAOUI
Investment Manager

Background: Amine joined the investment team as an analyst in 2018, having worked for one and a half years in the energy sector, with a special focus on emerging markets, at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Globeleq and Akuo Energy. He graduated from the Ecole des Mines de Paris.

Missions at STOA: His work involves the quantitative assessment of STOA’s investment opportunities across all countries and target sectors.

Interests / hobbies: A keen football fan, he learned to speak Spanish fluently by reading the local sports press and watching the big games in Di Stéfano’s language.

His dream: Cut the ribbon of the first Hyperloop.

AYOUB SAMI
Investment Manager

Background: Ayoub joined the investment team as an analyst in 2018, having worked in the legal and financial fields (Linklaters LLP, Eversheds CWA Morocco, Ayache Salama, BMCE Bank of Africa Group) in banking and project finance. He graduated from ESSEC Business School and the Paris Bar School and holds a Master’s degree in Project & Structured Finance (Paris Nanterre University).

Missions at STOA: Involved in procedures across the board (market, technical, regulatory, financial, tax and operational) and in project development (infrastructure, renewable energy, telecommunications, etc.).

Interests / hobbies: Public speaking, theatre and hypnotherapy.

His dream: Help finance the first deep-sea port on Mars.

ALEXIS PASKOFF
Senior Investment Analyst

Background: Alexis joined STOA in May 2020 as a financial analyst in the investment team. He previously worked for three years in the energy sector, including one year within Total Solar developing solar utility power plants. He holds a master’s degree from the Ecole des Mines de Paris.

Mission at STOA: He will assess our investment opportunities regarding financial, technical, legal and commercial matters and will contribute to the monitoring of our assets in portfolio.

Interests / hobbies: He has been running and swimming for many years and he now starts cycling to take up triathlon.

His dream: Be an ironman finisher.

CORENTIN SALLE
Investment Analyst

Background: Corentin joined the investment team as an analyst in March 2021 after an end-of-study internship at STOA. A graduate of ESSEC Business School, he specialised in project finance after experiences in consulting and in the public sector, working at the President’s Cabinet of the Ile-de-France Regional Council.

Missions at STOA: Evaluating investment opportunities with a focus on financial, technical, legal and commercial matters and ensuring the monitoring of our assets in portfolio.

Passion/hobbies: Cognac, politics, and shopping (not at the same time)

CAPUCINE LEROUX
Investment Analyst

Background: Capucine joined the investment team as an analyst in April 2022, after her end-of-study internship at STOA. Following a dual degree between EDHEC and the London School of Economics, she specialised in project finance in developing countries after working in financial services for a year and a half, focusing on energy and emerging markets. Keen to contribute to a low-carbon economic development, she previously worked at EY, the French IPP Cap Vert Energie and Deutsche Bank London.

Missions at STOA : Analysing investment opportunities from a financial, technical, legal and commercial standpoint; ensuring the follow-up and development of existing portfolio companies and assets.

Passion/hobbies : Hiking, podcasts, and crumpets.

Un rêve : To hike through the French Pyrenees from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

PIERRE TARDIVEAU
Asset Management Director

Background: Pierre has fifteen years of experience in the field of infrastructure finance, both in project financing & acquisition and in operational management of assets. He started his career at EY, then worked at VINCI group in the structured finance teams in charge of new greenfield and brownfield projects, and as Financial Director of several concessions (Le Mans Stadium, VINCI Stadium, Aerodom), and finally Executive Vice President of Belfast International Airport.

Pierre is a graduate of ESSEC (Grande Ecole program) and INSA Lyon.

Missions at STOA: maximise asset values.

Interests / hobbies: languages, cross-country skiing and windsurfing.

His dream: cross-country skiing on the Transjurassienne!

SARA BIGLARY
Asset Management Officer

Background: Sara benefits from more than 10 years of experience in financing and monitoring of energy and infrastructure projects, both in industry (Sunedison, Isolux Corsan) and in bank (Société Générale, Rabobank). Her diversified experience has allowed Sara to consolidate a global understanding of project development in emerging countries. Before joining Stoa, Sara was Investment Officer in the Infrastructure team at Proparco during 5 years, with a focus on transportation. She is graduated from the Ecole Centrale Marseille and the ESCP.

Missions at STOA: Sara is in charge of the monitoring of participations, as such she will ensure the good execution and performance of the projects financed by Stoa.

Interests / hobbies: travels, dance, pastry.

Her dream: travel across West Coast of America or Australia in camping car with her family.

CAROLINE BERTHIER
Chief Financial Officer

Background: Prior to joining STOA, Caroline worked for five years in the middle office at Ardian. She then joined the Caisse des Dépôts Group as Administrative and Financial Manager of the infrastructure and transport department.

Missions at STOA: Financial Management and Human Resources Management

Interests / hobbies: Tending her herb garden

Her dream: Go round the world with her family

LAURENCE MARLE
Legal Head

Background: Prior to joining STOA, Laurence worked for eleven years as a finance lawyer at Clifford Chance in Paris, then as a company finance lawyer at the Agence Française de Développement.

Missions atSTOA: Laurence oversees all the legal aspects of STOA’s operations.

Interests / hobbies: Laurence has three children, loves literature and genre films, and enjoys swimming and other water sports.

VIRGINIE VITIELLO
Environment & Social Head

Background: Virginie has twelve years of experience in the field of the environment and sustainable development abroad. She has also acquired valuable experience on the ground, particularly in Africa where she worked for four years. Before joining STOA, Virginie was Senior Consultant at ERM, a leading consultancy firm in the field of environmental and social responsibility.

Missions at STOA: Virginie integrates environmental and social (E & S) aspects into project analysis in order to manage E & S risk and create value over the long term. She sets up procedures and guidelines covering all aspects of the investment process. She helps our partners implement E & S action plans.

Interests / hobbies: Virginie practices Iyengar yoga and plays the piano.

Her dream: Go round the world with her family in a motorhome.

THEVA MOLINA
Environmental and Social Officer

Background: Prior to joining STOA, Theva was a project manager in the Latin America and Caribbean regional office of Insuco, a consulting firm specialized in social management and sustainable development. Theva has experience in environmental and social (E&S) management systems and in the application of international E&S standards. Throughout her professional experience, she has specialized in gap analysis, compliance, impact assessments and stakeholder engagement plan for infrastructure and transport projects. She spent 15 years abroad, notably in the Latin America and Caribbean region and in the Middle East.

Missions at STOA: IIntegrate environmental and social (E&S) components to ensure quantifiable positive long-term impacts of investment processes. This consideration of E&S aspects at different stages of the projects, notably through E&S gap analysis, compliance with international E&S standards as well as E&S monitoring, allows the formulation of procedures and guidelines that guide partners in the implementation of E&S action plans.

Passion/hobbies: Travel and languages.

Dreams: Flying in a hot air balloon.

HUGO MOREL
Legal counsel

Background: Hugo has several experiences in the Finance teams of law firms and in the energy/environment project finance team of Bpifrance, where he participated in several financing operations for wind and photovoltaic farms. He graduated in economics/management and law from the University of Paris-Dauphine and holds the Certificate of Aptitude for the Profession of Lawyer.

Missions at STOA:  Hugo is involved in all legal aspects of STOA’s operations.

Interests/hobbies: concerts, sport (as a practitioner and fan), travel and gastronomy!

A dream: to fly.

SÉBASTIEN COMBAZ
Middle-office Manager

Background: Sébastien has a substantial experience in private equity and financial markets, thanks to his 20-year experience working for Crédit Agricole Indosuez, ABN Amro, NYSE Euronext and CNP Assurances on derivatives and structured finance products. Before joining STOA, Sébastien has been working as middle-office manager at Proparco for 3 years, after obtaining his Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from CNAM Paris.

Missions at STOA: Administrative, accounting and financial management of holding companies and of STOA together with the administrative and financial manager and the Asset Management team.

Interests / hobbies: Travelling, skiing and drawing.

JÉRÔME SAVERY
Head of Internal Control and Compliance

Background: Jérôme has a decade of experience in compliance and investigation. He graduated in financial engineering from Paris Dauphine and in criminal law from the University of Aix-Marseille. He started his career in investment banking and in the customs intelligence services before joining the Forensic team of PwC in Paris in order to assist clients in the deployment of compliance and internal control systems and the investigation of fraud. Subsequently, he was in charge of compliance at AFD group, also covering Proparco, and contributed to the deployment of the initial compliance system of STOA. Finally, he participated in the setting up of a unit dedicated to fraud and corruption investigations where he was in charge of the investigation mission.

Missions at STOA: In charge of monitoring compliance and operational risks, particularly in our operations, as well as managing the internal control system.

Interests/hobbies: Bike trip with my family, boxing and ballroom dancing.

A dream: Save the planet Earth !