Valentine Cecil

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Biographical Information

"Lord Valentine William CecilLord Valentine is the fourth son of the 6th Marquis of Salisbury and a member of one of England’s most prominent families. His family shares centuries of history with Africa that continues today. Although primarily based in London, Lord Valentine has retained an interest in Africa for over 35 years and spends several months a year in the region, particularly Kenya and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

"Lord Valentine continued his family’s distinguished tradition of serving his country. A career military officer with the British Armed Forces, Lord Valentine served with distinction in incrementally more responsible positions that included executive roles within NATO and the Ministry of Defence regarding Europe and Africa. He retired as a Major in 1992.

"Following his distinguished military career, Lord Valentine purchased Wilken Telecommunications Limited, a Kenya-based company with regional business interests. He also acquired an interest in Tracker Security Group which provided vehicle recovery and other security services in Kenya and Uganda. Wilken ultimately spun-out AfSat Communications Limited and Lord Valentine was instrumental in growing AfSat into Africa’s leading VSAT and satellite ISP service operator with customers in 26 African countries. AfSat was sold to MWeb Africa Limited, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Naspers Limited, in late 2007.

"Beyond his business interests, Lord Valentine is Vice Chairman of the Eastern Africa Association which represents the business interests of its members in Eastern Africa.

"Lord Valentine is a Graduate of the Staff College and speaks English and French fluently." Powerbase

• Chair, Brookwood Capital
• Patron, Tusk Trust
• Former Patron, Rhino Rescue Trust