Janice Johnston 2024 Speaker

CEO

Edge Growth Ventures

Biography

Janice Johnston (B.Bus.Sci, H.DipTax, CFA) CEO: Edge Growth Ventures Janice has a deep and diverse investment background, spanning over 20 years with highly regarded financial institutions in South Africa and the UK. She has significant debt, venture capital and private equity investment experience across multiple sectors and business stages and is a CFA Charterholder. Janice is committed to strategic leadership of impact investments into innovative, growth businesses in key sectors with the potential for significant environmental/social impact and financial return through collaboration, diversity, and inclusion. Janice spent 10 years with Prudential Capital plc (part of M&G) in London as a senior member of its Principal Finance team prior to joining Edge Growth, a leading SA impact investor and accelerator for SMEs. She was CE of its Growth Equity portfolio which invests in innovative, high growth companies with the potential for significant financial return and social impact. Thereafter, Janice joined the Identity Partners Group, a majority black women led investment group. Having worked in the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team which led the negotiation of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP) since August 2022, Janice was a Financing Advisor tasked with facilitating and coordinating the implementation of the JET IP. Janice re-joined Edge Growth Ventures, from July 2023, as CEO of the fund management business, which has over R2bn capital under management, Janice is involved in several mentorship initiatives and is the chair of 100 Women in Finance in South Africa.