Team
Who we are
Head, SME Finance Forum
QAMAR SALEEM is the SME Finance head, the world’s leading center for knowledge exchange, good practice promotion and public-private dialogue in this...
Knowledge and Partnerships Lead
Sarah Chataing is the knowledge management and partnership lead for the Forum. She oversees the production and dissemination of knowledge and...
Awards and Project Lead
Minerva Kotei leads the Women’s Entrepreneurship Finance work at the SME Finance Forum. She has over 18 years’ experience in emerging markets...
Operations Coordinator
Karla Espinoza is a results-driven operations leader with extensive experience in strategic initiatives, fostering public-private partnerships, and...
Principal Operations Officer - Agricultural finance and agricultural insurance - IFC
Panos Varangis is currently the Global Lead for agricultural finance and agricultural insurance in the Finance , Competitiveness & Innovation -...
Global Chief Industry Specialist Digital Finance - IFC
Hans Koning is global Chief Industry Specialist Digital Finance at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. IFC...
Senior Financial Sector Specialist, Agriculture - World Bank Group
Toshiaki Ono is a senior financial sector specialist at the World Bank where he supports various lending projects and analytical work to promote...
Global Lead for policy, assessment and structuring of sustainable finance - IFC
Francisco Avendano is IFC’s global focal point for climate assessment and sustainable finance offering across investment products. Before joining IFC...
Senior Financial Specialist, Access to Finance - IFC
Sanjay Kalpage is a Senior Financial Specialist with IFC’s Financial Institutions Group (FIG) Advisory team in Africa, where he co-leads the Banking...
Regional Lead for Digital Financial Services at the Financial Institution Group Asia & Pacific - IFC
Fangfang Jiang is the Regional Lead for Digital Financial Services at the Financial Institution Group Asia & Pacific, International Finance...
Regional Lead for Risk Management & Country Anchor covering Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal - IFC
Partha Guha Thakurta is the Regional Lead for Risk Management & Country Anchor covering Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal (BBN) at the Financial...
Managing Director and CEO - Receivables Exchange of India Limited (RXIL)
Mr. Ketan Gaikwad, the Managing Director and CEO of Receivables Exchange of India Limited (RXIL), is a banker with a career spanning 30 years. Prior...
Head of SCF Payables in EMEA - Deutsche Bank
Anil Walia heads Deutsche Bank’s SCF Payables in EMEA. After completing his Master’s Degree in Plasma Physics some decades ago, Anil took the not-so-...
FIG Advisory Services, Bank Advisory Services Co-Lead Africa - IFC
Vivian Owuor is based in Lagos Nigeria and co-leads IFCs Financial Institutions Group Banking Advisory Practice Group for Africa. Prior to that she...
Capital Markets Lead, FIG Upstream & Advisory, Asia and Pacific Region - IFC
Oluwatoyin has over 17 years’ experience in capital markets development, regulation and investment product development. She is passionate about...
Global Product Specialist - Climate Finance - IFC
Will works with IFC’s Financial Institutions Group with the mandate to gr ow IFC’s c limate commitments to an average of 35 % of its portfolio...
Regional Gender Lead, Asia & Pacific and Country Anchor, India Advisory Services, Financial Institutions Group - IFC
Natalia has been working with IFC for the past seven years as a Gender and SME Advisory Specialist across Asia & Pacific She has 22 years of...
Agri-Finance Lead East Asia Pacific Region - IFC
Mr. Dellien is the Agrifinance Lead for EAP at IFC and the FIG AS Country Anchor for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Mr. Dellien supports Financial...
Global Specialist - Financial Institutions Group - IFC
José has over 2 5 years of experience in international banking and emerging markets, focused on unbanked or underserved populations. Currently at IFC...
Analytics Coordinator
Tianxiao Fang (Luke) is the Data and Analytical Lead at the forum. His responsibilities include tracking, providing, and forecasting weekly profit...
Communications Lead
Geethanjali Jagannathan is an experienced Operations Officer in the Financial Institutions Group at IFC, specializing in knowledge, learning, and...
Sr. Operations Officer, SME Banking & Banking on Women - IFC
Anushe leads advisory services for the Global SME Finance Facility, a joint investment and advisory platform focusing on SMEs including women owned...
Senior Operations Officer Women Banking Champions Program Lead, Financial Institutions Group, Advisory Services, Africa - IFC
Manar has over 25 years of professional banking experience in emerging markets with a focus on the Middle East and Africa region. In her role as a...
Principal Industry Specialist - Asia Climate Lead - Global Blue Finance Lead, Financial Institutions Group - IFC
Pushkala is the Principal Specialist and Asia Pacific Lead for Climate Investments in the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) for IFC, based in...
Access to Finance Specialist - Global Financial Inclusion, Financial Institutions Group - IFC
Collen Masunda is an Access to Finance Specialist in the Global Financial Inclusion unit of the Financial Institutions Group at IFC. In this role, he...
HEAD AGRIBUSINESS RETAIL DEPARTMENT - NMB PLC
Isaac Masusu has more than 24 years of experience in the banking having worked from SMEs, Branch Operations, corporate/wholesale banking and a mix of...
Practice Lead - Supply Chain Finance, Trade & TB - FIG Advisory Services, Asia Pacific - IFC
Rajesh Mehra is the Practice Lead for Trade & Supply Chain Finance, Financial Institutions Group covering Asia and Pacific at the International...
Memberships coordinator
Pritha Rajouria is the Membership Coordinator at the SME Finance Forum, where she engages with potential members, helping them understand the forum’s...
Practice Lead – Financial Inclusion, Asia Pacific - IFC
Christian is a financial services professional with over 20 years of experience providing advisory services in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. His...
Network Administrator
Samantha joined the SME Finance Forum at the end of 2024 where she is responsible for facilitating the annual membership renewal process and...
Senior Operations Officer - Financial Institutions Group Advisory - IFC
Murat Sultanov is a Senior Operations Officer in the Financial Institutions Group Advisory at IFC. He serves as the Asset-Based and Supply Chain...
Global Head of Global Trade Finance Program & Global Supply Chain Finance Program - IFC
Makiko Toyoda is the Global Head of Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) & Global Supply Chain Finance Program (GSCF) at International Finance...
Senior Operations Officer - Financial Institutions Group, Latin America - IFC
Mr Wilson is Senior Operations Officer with the International Finance Corporation, Financial Institutions Group in Latin America, based in Bogota,...