Ninon Marapachi, 32: Dar’s own hedge fund wunderkind

Ninon Marapachi, 32, takes part in an international leaders forum in the US in 2011. Others (left to right) are Aidan Madigan-Curtis (Co-Chief Investment Officer; Global Summit Vice Chair); Marsha Firestone (President, Women Presidents Organization, WPO); Nancy Ploeger (President, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce); Judy Arteche Carr (Managing Director, Arteche Global Group) and Wendy Gellman Senior Counsel, Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. PHOTO | FILE

Ninon Marapachi is a Tanzanian trailblazer whose career in finance is an inspiring story.

At only 32, she is the managing director of a $20 billion (Sh32 trillion) Hedge Fund called Merrill Lynch of the Bank of America-Global Wealth and Investment Management, in New York.

She manages a 10-member team that is charged with sourcing, structuring, negotiating and managing the Fund that is nearly twice Tanzania’s budget for the current financial year.

She shared her success story in an email interview with The Citizen on Saturday:

QUESTION: Tell us the story of how you find yourself where you are

ANSWER: I became competitive from my early school days and was determined to get what I set my eyes on.

I believed everything was possible but most importantly I set and worked towards achieving my goals along the way.

I studied at Muhimbili Primary School and Jangwani Secondary School and finished among the top 10 candidates countrywide.

That would land me an international scholarship from one of a handful of high schools known as United World Colleges.

I attended the Red Cross Nordic United World College (RCNUWC) in Flekke, Norway, to pursue international baccalaureate diploma.

My goal was to move to a university in the US even though my parents were unable to pay the fees. I thus needed another scholarship but that required that I must be among outstanding international students.

Thankfully I managed and got offers from various schools. Mouth Holyoke College (MHC) was my first choice. I was required to pay only about $1,500 (Sh2.4 million) out of a total cost per year of $33,000 (Sh52.8 million).