Who We Are

Shaun Zagnoev

Shaun was one of earlier partners at Ethos Private Equity where he played a key role in the evolution of Ethos into a globally recognised private equity firm, which secured funding of more than $2 billion from leading local and global institutional investors. Shaun’s direct involvement in 24 portfolio companies at Ethos equipped him with a broad private equity perspective across numerous industries. His direct involvement in five public-to-private deals helped him develop the skills and experience to navigate complex transactions. He has been particularly successful in managing portfolio companies through complex or difficult circumstances. Shaun has a keen sense for recognising superior investment opportunities and played an active role in leading deal origination for Ethos. Since leaving Ethos in 2019, Shaun has continued to invest in various asset classes and now wishes to channel his new private equity activity through Springboard Capital.

Avi Mishan

Avi CA(SA) is a results-driven technology executive with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Avi completed his B Com (Law) degree Cum Laude in 2005 and went on to obtain an honours degree in Accounting in 2007. In 2010, Avi qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He has a proven track record of building and leading high-performance teams, driving innovation, and delivering successful projects on time and within budget. Avi’s versatility, tenacity and ability to identify gaps in the market has resulted in him becoming intrinsically involved in the running of numerous successful corporations in a variety of sectors, such as property, finance, and FMCG. He is the Founder and Managing Director of SMD Technologies, Sourcefin and several others. In addition to running several successful companies, Avi is a member of the Young President’s Organisation, was a winner of the Jewish Achiever Entrepreneurs Award in 2017 and is actively involved in his community.

Dionne Ellerine

Dionne holds a B Com LLB degree and is an admitted Attorney. She moved to London in 1998 to work for Stenham Property where she managed commercial property investments across the United Kingdom. In 2009 Dionne joined her family business, where she successfully transformed it from an operational-focused entity to a long-term investment holding company. The family invests globally in various sectors, including listed equities, real estate, and private equity. Dionne also serves as a non-executive director on the boards of several key holdings and is an active member of the investment committees for the family’s private equity-focused investments. She was awarded the Unlisted Business Person of the Year Award at the ABSA Jewish Achiever Awards in 2016 and is an active member of YPO.

Marom Mishan

Marom graduated with a BSc. in Actuarial Science and Statistics from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur. He has a track record of leading successful teams and delivering innovative products in fast-paced environments. Marom’s expertise spans across a wide range of domains, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Marom is passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems and is constantly exploring new and innovative ways to push the boundaries of what is possible. 

Justin Blend

Justin (B.Com LL.B) is a founder and director of Africrest Properties.
With an entrepreneurial flare for understanding tenants wants and needs, Justin has helped build Africrest from its humble routes redeveloping dilapidated buildings in Johannesburg, into an industry leader in the residential property Built to Rent asset class in South Africa, specialising in converting office buildings into apartment estates. Africrest holds the record for completing the largest office to residential conversion in South Africa. Justin has also sat on the boards of many community based organisations.

Leon Richman

Leon CA(SA) achieved both his Bachelor of Accounting Science and Bachelor of Accounting Science Honours Cum Laude at the University of the Witwatersrand. He then completed his articles at Investec, focusing on investment banking and private equity. Thereafter, Leon worked at an alternative asset manager, where he invested in private market assets across the capital structure.