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Award success for alumni’s 'insightful' dissertation

Published

Henning Ringholz was among winners of The Worshipful Company of International Bankers' (WCIB) Prize for the quality of his dissertation.

The alumni of our Oxford Executive Diploma in Financial Strategy gained a distinction in his qualification, studied from 2020-21, and was most recently Senior Executive of Small Foundation, which is working to end extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

He was among recipients, from a range of leading business schools, of the WCIB Prize, and has qualified for entry into the organisation's sought-after Lombard Prize.

Henning’s dissertation, related very closely to Small Foundation’s aims, was on 'What needs to happen for more investment to flow into permanent capital vehicles investing in SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa?'

Henning (pictured), from Germany and based in Dublin, Ireland, has won a certificate of merit and £300 and said he was 'pleased and humbled to be recognised through this prize'.

‘Saïd Business School has given me technical tools, a deep network, and fantastic experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,’ he added.

‘While I already had deep and varied professional experience, and degrees from leading universities, the Diploma in Financial Strategy opened my mind to aspects I had never thought I would engage in. I am so grateful for the experience.'

Henning's work continues around impact investment, and he said he is "building out an executive coaching and leadership practice to help other pioneers and changemakers in the social enterprise non-governmental organisation, impact, and frontier finance areas".

Henning’s dissertation paper outlined the challenges for early-stage enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa to obtain adequate funding, and proposes that innovative fund managers should consider permanent capital vehicles as a structure for their funds. It discusses potential returns from investments in early-stage companies and outlines systemic changes needed to allay investors’ fears, and how fund managers can be "agents of change".

Henning has ten years’ experience in impact finance and more than 15 years’ experience in business, consulting, and as an entrepreneur.

His  work was nominated by Programme Director Ken Okamura, Senior Lecturer in Finance, who said: ‘Our hearty congratulations go to Henning on winning the WCIB prize. His work was insightful and dealt with an important topic.’

Omiros D. Sarikas, Liveryman, who presents the WCIB Prize at the University of Oxford, said: ‘Many congratulation to Henning on being awarded the WCIB Prize for the University of Oxford.

‘He is now eligible to enter the prestigious nationwide WCIB Lombard Prize competition, with all participants also offered Honorary Membership of the Company for one year. We look forward to receiving Henning’s participation and wish him every success.’