Scott McMunn, chief executive officer of the LMA, said, “It is fantastic to welcome Abraham to the board, for the first time seeing African bank representation.
"As the loan market evolves, it is crucial to have diversity of thought, as well as broad geographical and sectoral coverage, allowing us to continue to speak on behalf of all our members across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).”
The LMA was established in 1996, with an objective being to improve liquidity, efficiency and transparency in the primary and secondary loan markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The LMA works with lenders, law firms, borrowers and regulators to educate the market about the benefits of the syndicated loan product, and to remove barriers to entry for new participants.
Said Abraham, “I am delighted to be joining the LMA Board, and I am excited to see developing markets have strong representation and to be part of the authoritative voice in the EMEA loan market. I look forward to the opportunity to drive further growth and development in the loan market across Africa.”
Abraham has worked across loan- and debt capital markets for over 20 years. She began her career at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in 1999 and spent the first part covering a wide range of syndications across EMEA. In 2004, she moved to Barclays Investment Bank where she started focusing on developing markets across Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA).
Abraham also worked at the Financial Conduct Authority for three years, approving companies and securities for listing on the London Stock Exchange.
In January 2019, Abraham moved to Rand Merchant Bank, where she is head of loan syndications.
LMA membership currently stands at more than 845 organisations covering 69 jurisdictions and comprises commercial and investment banks, institutional investors, law firms, service providers and rating agencies.
