Ismail Ahmed

Ismail Ibrahim Ahmed (, ) is a Somali-British entrepreneur and the founder and chairman of WorldRemit, a money transfer company, and director of the Sahan Foundation International.

Early life and education Ahmed was born and raised in Somaliland, where he grew up in the city of Hargeisa. After the outbreak of war, with the help of his family Ahmed was smuggled out of Somaliland to reach the United Kingdom as a refugee.

Ahmed has a PhD in economics from the University of London and an MBA from London Business School.

Ahmed worked for a World Bank agricultural development project in Hargeisa, Somaliland, By moving the transactions to mobiles, it created an opportunity for many people in the world that don't have bank accounts but may at least have access to a mobile phone.

In October 2020, Ahmed was named first in the Powerlist 2020, an annual list of the 100 most powerful people of African heritage in the UK. The following year, his company launched the Top 10 Most Influential Africans in the Diaspora list, in order to explore and celebrate the contributions of African immigrants to the USA.