Eric Naivasha, Director East Africa, Kenyan, eric@myc4.com
Eric is a Microfinance Expert with over ten years experience in microfinance operations, monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment of microfinance programmes, consulting and capacity building with a focus on microfinance banking, MSE development, cooperatives and community banking. Eric holds a postgraduate degree in Economics, accounting and auditing experience. He has practical experience in financial operations, research and development of financial products, business planning, due diligence, microfinance best practice, institutional development and fundraising and has worked in over 10 African countries in the last 10 years.
“I get great motivation from understanding that poverty can be alleviated through business. This is what MYC4 stands for. Personally, it is richly rewarding to be part of a special team that enables African entrepreneurs access fairly priced capital located thousands of miles away”
Titus Kuria, Credit Operations Manager, Kenyan, titus@myc4.com
Titus is a banking and finance professional with over nine years working experience in credit management, relationship management, banking operations, management of microfinance operations, financial analysis and investments evaluation. He worked with leading East African banks, Cooperative Bank, ABC bank and Equity bank in various positions in banking and micro-credit. He has also worked with Oikocredit, identifying and evaluating socially relevant projects for funding. Prior to joining MYC4 he worked as a private microfinance consultant assisting clients in product development, systems audit, feasibility study, system implementation, staff recruitment among others, his last role being general manager in Ngao Credit, a local micro-finance institution. Titus holds a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and an executive MBA. He is also certified public accountant. Follow Titus on Twitter.
“Having grown up in the slums of Kenya, I was always amazed at the number of brilliant business ideas that were not fully harnessed or at best were steeped in mediocrity due to lack of funding. I am proud to be part of MYC4 vision of eradicating poverty by the year 2015 through connecting these business ideas to the requisite finance.”
Githa Kurdahl, Operations Manager, Danish, githa@myc4.com
Githa holds a bachelor’s degree in Business, Language and Culture from Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and is enrolled in the graduate programme Business and Development Studies. In 2008, Githa spent four months as an intern with MYC4's partner in Côte d'Ivoire before joining the MYC4 Operations team in Copenhagen. She has later spent a total of 10 months at MYC4's office in Nairobi, Kenya. Besides Danish and English, she speaks French and is currently learning Swahili. Follow Githa on Twitter.
“During my time in Africa, I have witnessed firsthand the change that a single loan can make and seen the passion and pride that empowerment brings. At the same time I have faced the tough realities of making this change happen. I therefore now want to use my passion and skills to support MYC4 in becoming a real and effective tool for change in people’s lives.”
Faith Wambua, Operations Assistant, Kenyan, faith@myc4.com
Faith is a young aspiring professional with a Diploma in Business Management and Project Management. Previously, she worked with Marcus Evans International conferences division (a business information company) and at Viva productline as the front office assistant. Faith joined MYC4's Nairobi team in September 2009 as front office staff and is now supporting the office as well as the local MYC4 partners as operations assistant.
"Having come from a humble background, it gives me satisfaction to be a part of this great team that is committed to transforming people’s lives through social finance. I truly believe that poverty can be alleviated through the power of business and social finance."
Karl Kristian Kjær, Operations Assistant, Danish, karl@myc4.com
Karl Kristian is fresh of the tree in the world of micro financing, but has had experiences with Africa from a young age, where he has lived in 5 different African countries. Karl graduated from Svendborg Business College in 2010 and started working for MYC4 in August 2011 after a four months internship at Vestergaard Frandsen in Nairobi, Kenya.
"I always wonder why Africa is associated with the 'problem continent' – I see Africa as the opportunity and solution!"
Rasmus Torpe Hansen, Intern, Danish, rasmus@myc4.com
Rasmus holds a BSc in Economics and Business Administration from Roskilde University (RU) and an AP Degree in Financial Management from Niels Brock. His area of interest is Social Impact Assessment and categorization of Social Enterprises which has also been the subject of his bachelor thesis. Rasmus is a newcomer in the field but with the passion and urge to understand how to make the world a better place by reducing inequality and poverty.
"If I didn’t have access to financial products myself and there was a 40 % unemployment rate in Denmark as well, I sure hope someone on the globe would reach out and lend me some money so I could start my own business.”
Louise Ravn Christiansen, Volunteer, Danish, louise@myc4.com
Louise holds an MSc degree in Violence, Conflict and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London and a BA in Political Science, with a focus on International Relations, from Stony Brook University in New York. She has experience from various development and human rights organizations, from political collaborations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to behind-the-scenes NGOs. Louise has lived around the world, including the United States, England and Malaysia, and she is fluent in Danish and English.
"Africa is a continent that is filled with proud entrepreneurs who are willing to work to change their destines and the lives of many.”
BOARD
Niels Thuesen, Chairman
Niels has for more than 20 years been working with emerging markets from an investment perspective and has an extensive network related to professional investors. In relation to emerging markets, he has been architecting a Public Private Partnership related to stimulate the private sector in emerging markets. In he’s carrier he has extensive experience from managing and transforming companies in the growth faze from small companies to large companies, and managing financial investments.
Present, he holds a number of positions as board member and is involved in M&A activities and asset management through he’s own company. Furthermore, he is member of the advisory board to HE the president of Mozambique, where he is advising in how to develop the private sector.
For eleven years, from 1998 to 2008, he was CEO for BankInvest Group; an asset manager with specialized asset management teams dedicated to frontier markets and emerging markets (private equity, credits and listed stocks). Over that period, the company more that 20 doubled Net Profits to owners, more than 10 doubled Assets under Management and 5 doubled the number of employees.
For eight years, from 1990 to 1997, Niels was CIO and managing director (CIO and COO) for BankInvest Group and before that portfolio manager for the same company from 1987.
Jørgen A. Horwitz
Jørgen has been working in Danish Bankers´ Association since April, 2002. Jørgen A. Horwitz has the following background:
- 1995-2002 Managing Director of HORESTA (Association for hotel, restaurant and tourism industry in Denmark)
- 1990-1995 Head of Legal Department at Mærsk Olie og Gas A/S
- 1988-1990 Head of Legal Deaprtment at Philips Industri og Handel A/S
- 1985-1988 Assistant General Manager at A/S Kjøbenhavns Handelsbank
- 1982-1985 Articled Clerk ft N. J. Gorrissen Law Firm
Additionally, Jørgen A. Howitz is a board member of The International Chamber of Commerce, member of the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation, board member of The Guarantee Fund for Depositors and Investors in Denmark, member of the Strategy Group of The Innovation Board, board member of Selvstændighedsfonden, substitute in The Financial Business Board, member of The Danish Growth Council and board member of The Zoological Garden.
Susan Payne
Susan has worked in the emerging markets on both the sell and buy side for over 20 years. After having been called to the Bar in Canada in 1985, Susan joined JP Morgan in 1986, working on the equities, fixed income and syndicate desks before joining the original eight-person global Emerging Markets Group. During her tenure as Head of Emerging Markets Sales, Europe, the global group grew to number over 250 people and became established as the market leader in emerging markets securities, including both debt and equities over several years.
In 1993, Susan joined Goldman Sachs International as an Executive Director and Head of Sales and Trading responsible for developing its emerging markets debt business in Europe. In 1997, Susan founded Emergent Asset Management Limited, an award –winning, alternative investment firm based in the UK, where she is a Principal. In addition to its stable of hedge funds, Emergent manages the largest agricultural fund in Africa, where its local office is based in South Africa.
In both 2007 and 2008, Susan was listed by Financial News as one of the Top 100 Women in Finance in Europe. Susan was awarded one of eight Shell UK Women of the Future Awards 2006 for “Mentor of the Year” and was short-listed for the CBI First Women Awards in Finance, 2005. Recently, Susan was appointed as a UK Women of Achievement Ambassador. Susan is a Patron of the charity Medical Aid Films. She is also Head of the London Chapter of 85 Broads, the largest professional women’s network in the world, and is an outspoken advocate of women's issues in the workplace.
Steven Thomas
Steven has over 25 years experience working with technology, primarily in the financial sector. He is currently Chief Technology Officer at SMT Data - a Danish software development company that delivers IT Business Intelligence solutions. Steven was CTO and Deputy CEO at MYC4 from 2009-2011 where he played a key role in implementing the organizational and processes changes that significantly improved portfolio quality while also reducing MYC4's operational costs.
Steven's Positions prior to MYC4 include freelance management consulting, Executive Director for Program Management at Saxo Bank, and Vice President at Fidelity Information Services. Steven started his career with 19 years at IBM working with software development and database tools and methods - originally as a programmer, later as a consultant and then as a project manager and people manager. Steven has a Master's degree in Computer Science from Stanford and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from University of Oregon.
SHAREHOLDERS
Founding shareholders:
Kjaer Group A/S (DK)
The Way Forward ApS (DK)
casa-share ApS (DK)
Other shareholders:
Middelfart Sparekasse A/S (DK)
Dutch Oak Tree Foundation (NL)
SeiAr Invest Aps (DK)
Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen (CH)
DOEN Foundation (NL)