A builder of the platforms African business measures itself by.

Akin Naphtal is among the most influential business leaders shaping executive engagement, industry benchmarking and corporate media across modern African commerce.

As Group Chief Executive Officer of InstinctWave Group, he leads a portfolio of convening platforms, awards and publications that bring senior decision-makers into the same room and hold their industries to a shared standard. The work is institutional rather than episodic: platforms designed to outlast any single edition and to become the reference point their sectors return to each year.

As founder of the Africa Digital Economy Forum since 2021, he is a persistent advocate for digital transformation and economic empowerment, positioning Africa as a formidable player in the global digital arena. That advocacy runs alongside a continent-wide programme of awards and forums recognising innovation, leadership and sustainability across Africa's corporate landscape.

His early career at Vodafone Group and GSK equipped him with robust skills in business management and accounting — the bedrock of a multifaceted leadership approach that pairs commercial discipline with a convener's instinct for who needs to be in the conversation.

He operates across multiple African markets and the United Kingdom, treating the continent as one commercial arena rather than a collection of separate ones.