NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--African Asset Finance Company (AAFC), the leading provider of cost-effective access to state-of-the-art equipment in frontier and emerging markets through Equipment-as-a-Service (EASE®), today announces the appointment of Imraan Soomra as Officer of the Corporation.
Imraan has over 30 years of executive experience, bringing with him significant global business acumen and local market expertise. With previous roles ranging across the healthcare, media and industrial sectors, Imraan was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Africa’s largest fishing company, operating across South Africa, Namibia and the United States.
Imraan is a chartered accountant, having started his career at Deloitte, and holds an honours degree in commerce as well as additional leadership qualifications from Harvard Business School. Since January of this year, he has been Chief Operations Officer of AAFC.
Prior to joining AAFC, Imraan also served as an advisor to the Harambee Youth Accelerator project, providing strategic advice on addressing youth unemployment in South Africa. He is also currently partnered with various bodies in the ESG space, advising corporates on how to embed ESG into their commercial strategies.
“I am thrilled to be taking on a more significant role at AAFC and EASE®, having already supported the latter through the launching of our healthcare program earlier this year,” commented Imraan Soomra.
“By making equipment available through an easier-to-access offering than existing alternatives, EASE® is accelerating economic development and growth – creating jobs and improving living standards in the markets in which it operates.
“One of my key personal goals is to deliver impact for shareholders by helping organisations move from traditional outlooks towards one of profit with purpose. For this reason, AAFC and EASE® are businesses I am proud to be a part of, and I look forward to seeing the continued expansion of our healthcare and other programs in the very near future.”
AAFC provides finance, expertise and support to local teams in the delivery of EASE®’s transformative equipment solution. As Chief Operating Officer of AAFC, Imraan is responsible for the overall management and operation of EASE® – overseeing the expansion of each of its sector programs, including healthcare and ICT.
His appointment coincides with the recent signing of EASE®’s first customers in Nigeria and Ghana. EASE®’s healthcare program, and its unique pay-per-use model, has enabled both FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital and HTS Diagnostic Centre to access state-of-the-art Siemens medical equipment and meet growing patient demand for their services.
These agreements see customers also benefiting from operator training and ongoing maintenance and support, not only ensuring that patient demand is met but that customers are able to deliver as reliable and consistent a service to their patients as possible.
EASE®’s equipment-as-a-service offering is supported by the EASE® payment platform, a solution that quickly and easily distributes each patient’s fee between EASE® and its customers.
Frans van Schaik, Chairman and CEO of AAFC, said: “Imraan’s appointment marks an operational milestone for AAFC and is testament to the accelerating success EASE® is enjoying in the healthcare sector in a rapidly growing number of markets across the continent.
“EASE® represents the synergy between local knowledge and international knowhow and capital, something that is typified by Imraan and the wider team. By bringing to bear a lifetime of in-country experience, the EASE® team is able to identify appropriate use-cases for its programs, overcome local challenges and deliver opportunity for its customers.
“We are pleased to welcome Imraan to a position in which his extensive experience and knowledge can help shape EASE®’s future successes.”
By using cash flows generated through the use of the equipment itself, EASE®’s unique pay-per-use model enables businesses to transform capital expenditure into operating expenditure, thereby providing a commercially sustainable alternative for organisations looking to optimise resources, avoid costly financing alternatives, and invest in other areas of their businesses.
About EASE®
Equipment-as-a-Service (EASE®) provides organisations with cost-effective access to state-of-the-art equipment on terms that match their circumstances and business needs. Through its unique pay-per-use model, EASE® enables customers to obtain equipment without having to tap into equity or credit, allowing organisations to access the equipment that is critical to the quality of their service and the growth of their activities. EASE® is powered by AAFC.
To find out more about EASE®, visit https://www.easeglobal.com.
