About Us

 

Our Expertise in Real Estate and Infrastructure Investments

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BlackLion benefits from its founder's rich experience. With over ten years of experience in residential and commercial real estate finance in the U.S., he underwrote residential and commercial real estate loans and managed a US $2 billion portfolio of Agency and CMBS debt for Grandbridge Real Estate Capital. Upon moving back to Senegal to partake in his birth country's emergence, he learns the intricacies of the local market as a Consultant, and then, as the Investment Director for Focus Immobilier, a national real estate developer, before launching BlackLion, a full-service commercial real estate firm offering advisory, sales and capital brokerage services.

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BlackLion was founded by necessity. The infrastructure and real estate sector is witnessing tremendous growth in West Africa. Yet, developers and investors do not benefit locally from the investment banking services that may allow them to access a wide array of capital sources, while mitigating investment risks.

 

Unlike their European and North American counterparts, local commercial banks have yet to put in place dedicated teams to properly assess the strengths and weaknesses of a project, despite the weight of this sector in their balance sheet and the increasingly large loan amounts.  As a result, the sponsor is expected to offer full performance guarantees. Lastly, a transaction market and secondary debt market are virtually non-existent. BlackLion's ambition is to provide strategic guidance to the industry players in order to allow the sector to reach its potential.

 

Mr Diaw brings a considerable experience in investment and credit analysis, asset management, structured finance, securitization, syndication and real estate development. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration at Georgia State University and holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Finance and Investments from the prestigious New York University.