Duncan Preston

Chief Advisor at Primary Ocean

Duncan Preston is a Project Director at Helena. Duncan has over 20 years experience in global energy markets with specific experience in investing and operating in Africa. He has held senior positions in Europe, Africa, and Asia working on long-term development of energy businesses. Recently, Duncan has focused on investing in green and renewable energy businesses primarily in off-grid markets in emerging markets:, particularly Africa. Despite difficult operating environments, these markets provide solid fundamentals for scaling out new businesses. Duncan joined Helena as he saw that despite people wanting to improve their carbon footprint, there was frustration at all stages in the market. Consumers didn’t know their choices; innovators can’t find R&D support, and developers can’t find financing or scale their businesses. He hopes that Helena can use its network and expertise to help facilitate the development of ground-breaking technologies and businesses in order to make an impact on global emissions without being forced to cut economic development. Duncan holds a First Class degree in Economics from the University of Southampton in the UK. He is based in Dubai and Los Angeles.