The Social Finance Programme team
The Social Finance Programme operates through a central team based in Geneva, Switzerland, with a few colleagues based in the country offices. In addition, a global Social Finance Network - working in different technical units at headquarters and in field offices around the world - further extends the work of the Social Finance Programme.
| Craig Churchill Chief | Craig has more than two decades of social finance experience in both developed and developing countries. In his current position as the chief of ILO's Social Finance Programme, he focuses on the potential of financial services and policies to achieve social objectives. Craig has authored and edited over 40 articles, papers, monographs and training manuals on various topics including microinsurance, customer loyalty, organizational development, governance, lending methodologies, regulation and supervision, and financial services for the poorest of the poor. Craig holds an M.A. from Clark University and a B.A. from Williams College, both in Massachusetts. |
| Ines Bentchikou Junior Technical Officer | Ines works on the financial inclusion of refugees as part of the PROSPECTS project, and supports the development and promotion of Social Finance’s international programme on financial education. She has experience in SME and value chain development, socio-economic inclusion in fragile settings, systemic approaches and monitoring and evaluation. Before joining the ILO, Ines worked in trade-related technical cooperation to support emerging African designers and develop fashion manufacturing in Africa at the International Trade Centre. Ines holds an MSc in Emerging Economies and International Development from King’s College London, and a dual B.A. in Global Business Management from NEOMA Business School and Dublin City University. Speaks: French, Arabic, English |
| Valerie Breda Senior Technical Officer | Valerie leads the ILO’s efforts to promote the transition from cash to digital wage payments and coordinates the Global Centre on Digital Wages for Decent Work. She has over 10 years of experience in financial inclusion and worked on a range of topics including access to finance for workers, digital payments, financial cooperatives and their apexes, and financial education. Before joining the central team in Geneva in 2016, Valerie worked in several ILO offices in Asia and Africa. Valerie holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Versailles/Saint Quentin and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, France. Speaks: French, English and Spanish |
| Sophie Evans Technical Associate | Sophie joined the ILO as a Technical Associate in Financial Education and supports projects related to financial education and communication. Sophie has over a decade of experience in the professional services industry and has also worked at the World Economic Forum as a Community Manager of the Forum’s Japanese corporate members. More recently, Sophie has pursued her passion for financial literacy by establishing her own financial education practice, helping parents to better manage their everyday finances whilst raising financially literate children. Sophie is a UK qualified tax advisor, holds a BA and MA in Oriental Studies (Japanese) from the University of Oxford. Speaks: English, French and Japanese |
| Corina Constantinescu Visiting Scholar | Corina is a Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Institute for Financial and Actuarial Mathematics at the University of Liverpool. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Corina supports Social Finance with an assessment study of the impact of inclusive insurance and she will explore other research interests in financial inclusion, fair pricing and regulation. Prior to being an academic, Corina worked as an actuary and led the life insurance department of one of the first private Romanian insurance companies. Corina holds an M.S. and PhD in Mathematics from Oregon State University. Speaks: English, French and Romanian |
| Nalina Ganapathi Senior Administrative Assistant | Nalina joined the ILO in 2000 and has been working with the Social Finance Programme for the past 17 years as Senior Administrative Assistant. Apart from the ILO, she has also worked for the World Meteorological Organization and for the United Nations Office in Geneva for 13 years in the area of Administration and Finance. Nalina holds a Ph.D. in Management and an MBA in Human Resources Management. With a keen interest in research and writing, she has several management-related articles to her credit. Speaks: English, French, Tamil, and Malayalam |
| Yousra Hamed Senior Technical Officer | Yousra leads the Social Finance's international programme on financial education, financial inclusion for migrant workers, refugees in fragile settings as well as access to finance through employers' associations. She also acts as the coordinator of the Social Finance Network. She has 15 years of experience in access to finance as a researcher and technical specialist. Her research interests include the issues of impact assessment, social performance, microfinance and decent work. Before joining the ILO, Yousra taught economics and finance at the universities of Le Maine and Reims (France) and worked as a consultant and researcher with NGOs and consultancy firms. Yousra holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in economics from Université Paris XII, and a B.A. in Financial Management from ISG-Tunis. Speaks: Arabic, French, English and Spanish |
| Fadia Jradi Financial Inclusion Expert | Fadia is the financial inclusion and entrepreneurship officer in the MENA region, where she focuses on Iraq as part of the ILO’s PROSPECT project. She has more than 17 years of experience in financial inclusion. Prior to joining the ILO, Fadia led the operations of social financial service providers and served at the United Nations, leading various microfinance and SME development initiatives. She also founded an NGO dedicated to women and youth empowerment and she is a master trainer in financial education. Fadia holds a master’s degree in International Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University in the United States, in addition to a B.A. in accounting and a B.A. in Business Administration, both from Beirut Arab University in Lebanon. Speaks: English, Arabic and French |
| Margarita Lalayan Senior Programme Officer | Posted at the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin, Margarita is in charge of capacity building and the ILO’s Making Microfinance Work training programmes. She has 19 years of experience in finance and development. Margarita worked with a number of training and research projects focused on organizational development and strategic planning, product development, market research and other aspects of social finance. Prior to joining the ILO, she served as the COO of a grassroots MFI in Armenia. Margarita holds a degree in Economics from the Armenian State University of Economics. Speaks: English, Russian and Armenian |
| Victor Hugo Sanchez Valverde Secretary and Administrative Clerk | Victor supports the Social Finance Programme’s administrative and operational activities. He has over 20 years of experience working for the National Bank of Costa Rica as service clerk, accounts manager and accountant. Before joining the team, he worked as a text operator at the ILO TRAITEXT Spanish department, preparing documents for the ILO’s different meetings (International Labour Conference, Governing Body meetings, and regional meetings) and publications. Victor holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. Speaks: English and Spanish |
| Djauhari Sitorus Project Manager | Djauhari leads the PROMISE II IMPACT project in Jakarta, which aims to create an enabling environment for an inclusive financial sector for SMEs in Indonesia. The project is aligned with the government’s post-pandemic economic recovery policy and fosters the adoption of digital technology by SMEs and banks. Prior to joining the ILO, Djauhari worked in financial sector development, the financial service industry and academia, holding positions with the World Bank, Indonesia’s National Council for Financial Inclusion and the University of Indonesia. Djauhari holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics, an MBA in international banking and finance from the University of Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from the University of Indonesia. Speaks: Bahasa Indonesia and English |
| Joost Tijdink Communications Officer | Joost supports the programme’s communications and knowledge management activities. Before joining the ILO, Joost worked for the local Dutch government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as NGOs in Moldova and the Netherlands to support communication strategies. Joost holds an M.S. in political science and international relations from the University of Amsterdam and a certificate in microfinance from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. He completed his bachelor's degree in international communication at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) and the University of Málaga (Spain). Speaks: English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and French |
Sustainable investing | |
| Rakshita Agarwal Intern | Rakshita joined the ILO Social Finance team as an intern in September 2022. Her focus areas include international environmental law, international investment law, international law of global governance and international humanitarian law. She is a lawyer by profession and has prior experience working on innovative financing mechanisms in India, including a Skill Impact Bond aimed at enhancing skill-set and employability of Indian youth in COVID-19 recovery sectors. Rakshita holds a Master of Law (LL.M.) degree from the University of Cambridge (2022) and a B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) degree from National Law University Odisha, India (2020). Speaks: English and Hindi |
| Ekaterina Chubarova Technical Officer | Ekaterina joined the ILO in 2021 and works on projects related to just transition finance, sustainable investing, enterprise formalization and the social and solidarity economy. She has a background in financial services and asset management, having previously worked for ABN Amro Bank in Paris. Ekaterina holds a master's degree in finance and banking from University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a master's degree in economics from Nizhny Novgorod State University and a master's degree in intercultural communication from Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University. She is a CFA charterholder, has passed the CFA UK Society Certificate in ESG Investing and she is part of the CFA Society Switzerland ESG Committee. Speaks: Russian, English and French |
| Luisa Guerra Project Junior Officer | Luisa works on sustainable investing and supports our collaboration with the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF) with the aim to improve social and environmental management and to increase the impact of agricultural investments. She has worked previously at the ILO on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, UN inter-agency partnerships and development partner relations. Before joining the ILO, she worked for the African Development Bank and the UN Research Institute for Social Development. Luisa holds a master’s degree in economics from the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord in France, a master’s degree in development from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Speaks: French, Spanish, English and Portuguese |
| Fernando Messineo Libano Technical Officer | Fernando joined the ILO in 2019 and he works on issues related to sustainable investing and social and environmental risk management, particularly with AATIF. He previously worked at UNEP Finance Initiative and has several years of experience working in corporate finance, investment banking and private equity in Brazil. Fernando holds a Master's degree in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, in addition to a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of São Paulo and an MBA in International Relations from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas. He is also a CFA charterholder. Speaks: Portuguese, English, French and Italian |
| Tomoka Omoto Junior Professional Officer | Tomoka joined the ILO as the Junior Professional Officer and supports projects related to just transition finance and sustainable investing. With several years of experience in finance, Tomoka has a background in the capital market working as an equity broker in Tokyo and London. She then worked in the financial data provider as a climate specialist for institutional investors in Asia. She also previously worked at UNEP Finance Initiative. Tomoka holds an M.A. in Environment, Sustainability, and Resources from Geneva Graduate Institute, and a B.A. in Foreign Studies from Sophia University. Speaks: Japanese and English |
| Patricia Richter Senior Technical Officer | Patricia leads the programme’s work on sustainable investing and innovative finance. A development finance professional with twenty years of experience, her expertise covers the areas of social and environmental risk management, social performance, impact measurement, and rural finance with a regional focus on Africa and Asia & Pacific. She has authored publications on topics including social and environmental management systems, impact measurement as well as on innovative finance. She serves on the Technical Review Committee of the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) and the Steering Committee of the Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investing Network (SAFIN). Before joining ILO, Patricia researched financial system development and microfinance in East Africa, served on the Board of the Melton Foundation, and worked as advisor on economic development at a regional parliament in Germany. Patricia holds a PhD in economics and an M.A. in intercultural management and business administration. Speaks: German, English and French |
Impact Insurance Facility | |
| Edgar Aguilar Technical Officer | Based in Côte d’Ivoire at the ILO Regional Office for Africa, Edgar is the focal point for market development in Africa. He is also providing technical support to the ACCEL Africa Project on financial innovation. Edgar has over five years of field experience developing financial services for smallholder farmers and related value chain actors. Before joining the team, he supported the Impact Insurance Facility designing holistic risk management solutions for agriculture value chains. He also worked with private financial institutions in Ghana and Mozambique in the microfinance industry. Edgar holds a master's degree in rural development for southern countries and an engineer diploma in agriculture, both from Montpellier SupAgro in France. Speaks: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese |
| Aparna Dalal Senior Research Officer | Based in Hong Kong, Aparna leads the Facility's Research and Innovation initiative. She works primarily on mobile services, bundling insurance with other financial services, analysis and documentation. She has a decade of technology and business management experience in the public and private sector. Before joining the ILO, Aparna was the Director of Special Projects at the Financial Access Initiative at New York University, where she led microinsurance research projects. Aparna holds a master’s degree in public administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas. Speaks: English and Hindi |
| Camyla Fonseca Knowledge and Capacity Building Officer | Camyla leads the Facility's knowledge and capacity building initiative, as well as the Facility’s insurance education work. She is a Certified Knowledge Manager with more than eight years of experience in inclusive insurance and has extensive experience in instructional design and adult learning methodologies. Before joining the Facility team, Camyla worked in international cooperation for education at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo in Brazil, and in urban poverty reduction at the World Alliance of Cities against Poverty of the United Nations Development Programme in Geneva, Switzerland. Camyla holds a MA in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva and a BA in International Relations from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. Speaks: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Polish |
| Lisa Morgan Technical Specialist | Lisa provides expertise on insurance and other risk management solutions in the public and private sectors. She has over two decades of work experience in Europe, Africa and Asia. Her experience includes pricing, reserving and budgeting for private and national health insurance schemes. Before joining the ILO, Lisa worked in Milliman’s London Health Practice and at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Lisa serves on the board of the International Actuarial Association Health Section and coordinates the Microinsurance Network’s Best Practice Group on Health and Financial Inclusion. Lisa is a qualified health actuary and Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in the UK. She has a diploma in actuarial management from Cass Business School, London and a B.S. in actuarial science from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Speaks: English, Afrikaans and French |
| Pranav Prashad Senior Technical Officer | Pranav provides technical expertise on disaster and climate risk, agriculture insurance, distribution and building scale and efficiency through technology. He has more than three decades of experience in insurance and business management. Pranav has initiated and taken to scale agriculture, health insurance, weather index insurance projects in Africa and Asia, using a diverse set of distribution channels and enabling the projects with technology. He is also the lead author of the Impact Insurance Facility paper on the use of mobile phones in insurance. Pranav holds an MBA and a bachelor's honours degree in economics, both from the University of Delhi in India. Speaks: English and Hindi |