Tewodros Ashenafi is an Ethiopian entrepreneur. He currently serves as the CEO of SouthWest Energy -Ethiopia’s first and only indigenous Oil and Gas Company. He also serves as Chairman of SouthWest Development, which provides various services to oil and gas companies in Ethiopia. SouthWest has a leading acreage position in the Jijiga Basin, Ethiopia’s largest proven hydrocarbon-bearing sedimentary basin, covering an area of approximately 350,000 km2 and in the eastern region of Ethiopia bordering Somaliland.

He is the chairman and co-owner of Ambo Mineral Water, Ethiopia’s bestselling naturally-carbonated bottled mineral water, along with beverage giant SABMiller. Ashenafi started his career at Merrill Lynch & Co in New York. Prior to founding SouthWest Energy in 2005, Mr. Ashenafi carried out international political and economic consulting works, advising large International companies and pension funds about investment conditions in emerging markets, mainly in Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In July 2016, Ashenafi played a key role in Ethiopia’s largest ever privatisation deal, where Japan Tobacco International (with Ashenafi acting as the local partner) acquired 40% of Ethiopia’s National Tobacco Enterprise. The Enterprise value of the deal was $1.4 billion, which is also one of largest private transactions in Africa.