Ngan began his career as an associate at Findercod,[11] an investment banking firm in Paris, where he focused on long-term financing and private equity. In 2010, he joined the Corporate Finance division of Quilvest Group, a family office and private equity fund owned by the Bemberg family,[12][13] where he worked on mergers, acquisitions, and fundraising projects across sectors such as cleantech, technology, media, telecom, financial services, and luxury.[14] He also previously worked at Société Générale.[15]
In July 2012, at age 28, Ngan returned to Cameroon to establish his own cosmetics company, Madlyn Cazalis.[16][17] His goal was to encourage young Africans to choose natural products over skin-whitening options.[18][19]
Ngan is an international speaker on African entrepreneurship. On February 23, 2013, he participated in TEDxAkwa in Douala,[20] the first TED event in French-speaking Africa.[21]
On April 25, 2014, Ngan was invited to Libreville by Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba,[22][23] where he joined workshops with government officials and private sector leaders to discuss social and economic issues and explore ways to promote entrepreneurship among young Africans.[24][25]
On June 23, 2014, he spoke at the 3rd Islamic Development Bank Youth Forum during the bank's 40th-anniversary event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,[26][27] addressing the theme "Youth Entrepreneurship: From Job Seekers to Job Creators."[26][28]
In September 2014, Madlyn Cazalis founder won "The Get in the Ring – Investment Battle" Competition in Cameroon and was listed as one of "The 10 Most Promising Startups of Africa" by BiD Network and the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship. The African Final was held in Kigali (Rwanda) and hosted by BiD Network.[29] In October 2014, Ngan was elected a Member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in Lyon (France).[30]
In October 2014, Ngan was a temporary lecturer for ISCOM a leading French communication school in Paris where he taught a Business Model class. He was also a temporary lecturer for the Paris School of Business (previously known as ESG School of Management) where he taught Management Science class.[31] that same month in October 2014, he was elected to a three-year term on the Youth Advisory Board of Brand Africa in South Africa. The Youth Advisory Board comprises influential youth of African heritage involved in public, private, or civil society initiatives to accelerate Africa's socio-economic development. He prepared the Africa Youth Prize for Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation under the High Patronage of the African Union Commission.[32]
In January 2015, Ngan was one of the 9 young African entrepreneurs selected by ALN Ventures, an African Leadership Network accelerator, created by Fred Swaniker and Acha Leke. Madlyn Cazalis was selected as one of the 8 Most Promising Young Companies in Africa, among 277 African start-ups participating in a 9-month program held in Johannesburg (South Africa). In June 2015, ALN Foundation purchased a 5% equity stake in Goldsky Partners SARL, the parent company of Madlyn Cazalis at a half-million-dollar valuation.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40]
In February 2016, Christian Ngan was a speaker at the 4th Forum International Afrique Développement in Casablanca, Morocco.[41][42]
In 2018, Madlyn Cazalis invested $3 million in the construction of a new factory in Yaoundé.[45][46][47]
On December 23, 2023, on his 40th birthday, he published the book "40 Principes de l'entrepreneur en Afrique." In his biography, he shares his journey, experience, and various business principles for operating in Africa.[48][49]
Music
In 2023, Christian Ngan released his two first albums Like Shuga and Séquoia.[49]
Honors and awards
In 2014 and 2015, Ngan was listed in Forbes magazine's "30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa."[4][50][51][52]
He was twice listed in The Choiseul 100 Africa: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow,[53] listed by Young People in International Affairs (YPIA) in the "Top 35 Africans under 35 in 2014,"[54] listed among the 3 Most Influential Entrepreneurs in Cameroon,[55] one of the Top 40 African Visionaries,[56] Top 100 African Doers[57] and nominated for CNBC Africa's West African Young Business Leader of The Year in 2014.[58]
On 8 September 2014, Ngan was the Country Winner of Titans Building Nations Award for Best SME CEO delivered by CEO Communications. The ceremony was held in Accra (Ghana).[59]
Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics, in its first edition of The Choiseul 100 Africa: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow, which was released in September 2014, listed Christian Ngan among "growing business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, investors, etc…" and "embody the dynamism and renewal of a whole continent and carry the hopes of an entire generation." The list "Identifies and ranks the young African leaders of 40 years old and under, who will play a major role in the development of Africa in the near future."[53]
In October 2015, Christian Ngan was listed among the 25 African Leaders in 2015 by Diva Magazine.[60]
In December 2017, during the 60-year celebration of the Groupement inter-patronal du Cameroun [fr], he received an "award" from André Siaka, former CEO of Brasseries du Cameroun and former president of the organization, to represent the new generation of Cameroonian Entrepreneurs.[61]
In October 2019, he was a judge for the Anzisha Prize in South Africa. A business competition supporting entrepreneurs between 15 and 22 years old.
