India-born financier Viswanathan Shankar, a non-executive director at Dangote Cement and co-founder of Gateway Partners, has offloaded shares worth $21.23 million in Dangote Cement Plc.
Shankar sold 34.02 million ordinary shares at N850 ($0.62) per share on June 8, 2026, according to a regulatory filing disclosed by Dangote Cement on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
Some industry analysts see the trade-off as a move meant to reposition the financier with the Dangote refinery IPO coming soon.
Who is Viswanathan Shankar?
Shankar is co-founder and CEO of Gateway Partners, oversees strategy, investor relations, and deal execution across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
With nearly four decades of experience spanning investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and private equity, he has built a reputation as a key figure in emerging markets investing.
He was recently appointed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States as a member of the 2026-2027 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee, having previously served on the same committee around a decade ago.
This committee plays a key role in advising on policy and programs that expand U.S. exports of manufactured goods and services to Sub-Saharan Africa, support American jobs, strengthen global competitiveness and help secure supply chains of critical minerals and rare earth elements for U.S. businesses.
Corporate Background
He is the CEO and co-founder of Gateway Partners, Shankar has overseen investments and strategic partnerships across emerging markets, focusing on sectors that drive economic growth and long-term value creation.
Before launching Gateway Partners, he spent nearly 14 years at Standard Chartered bank where he served as Group Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. In this role, he managed the bank’s operations across multiple regions and helped expand its footprint in emerging markets.
Shankar began his international banking career at Bank of America, spending almost two decades with the institution. He rose through the ranks to become Chief Executive Officer for Asia, gaining extensive experience in corporate banking, capital markets, and cross-border transactions.
Education
Shankar holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, one of India’s leading management institutions. He previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Loyola College.
