Michael Habte is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of global experience spanning capital markets infrastructure, financial strategy, quantitative economics, and institutional development. Most recently he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), where he co-led the design, establishment, and successful launch of Ethiopia’s first organized stock exchange. Under his leadership, ESX achieved a 140% oversubscribed capital raise and successfully deployed the country’s first electronic trading and back-office systems.

Michael has held senior roles at leading international financial institutions including BBVA, Citigroup, Moody’s, and Bloomberg. His expertise covers the full spectrum of asset classes—equities, fixed income, commodities, and FX—as well as end-to-end experience in trading infrastructure, market surveillance, IPO readiness, and product innovation. He holds a masters degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University and dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from the University of Houston. He is a certified capital markets professional (CISI Levels 1 & 3) and is fluent in English and Amharic.