ABOUT US
Our Team
Building a more inclusive organization from the inside out
Our own executive leadership and staff is built around the knowledge that our diverse skill sets and backgrounds help us develop innovative financial products and services that will make a meaningful impact for women, their families and communities.
Women’s World Banking, Inc.
Women’s World Banking, Inc. is a New York-formed not-for-profit corporation classified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Women’s World Banking is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of recognized leaders in banking, finance, law, and women’s economic participation. The Women’s World Banking Board has fiduciary responsibility for the organization and is charged with approving the organization’s policies, strategies, and annual budgets. The Board meets quarterly.
Officers
Directors
Aniqa Sandhu
Managing Director - Global Digital Financial Services at Veon
Honorary Members for Life
Ela Bhatt
Former Board Chair of Women’s World Banking Founder of SEWA
Michaela Walsh
Founding President of Women’s World Banking
Stichting to Promote Women’s World Banking Board of Directors
Women’s World Banking is a Dutch registered Stichting, or charity organization. Women’s World Banking is governed by a Board of Directors, all of whom are long-standing champions of Women’s World Banking and are recognized leaders in law, business, and finance. This Board is responsible for overseeing the activities of SWWB in its capacity as an international organization supporting Women’s World Banking, Inc.’s programs and activities.
Directors
Elizabeth Munson
President and Chairman of Rockefeller Trust Company, National Association
Sylvia Fung Chin
Partner at White & Case LLP.
For inquiries about the board, please email board@womensworldbanking.org.
Southeast Asia Advisory Council
Formed in 2018 under the auspices of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Southeast Asia Advisory Council informs Women’s World Banking’s regional strategy and advocates for women’s financial inclusion across Southeast Asia.
Council Members
Festus William Amoyaw
Principal Investment Officer & Regional Head, Africa, Women's World Banking Asset Management
Festus William Amoyaw is a Principal Investment Officer and Head of Africa. He started his career with Amex Int. Inc. Then worked with HFC Bank (Republic Bank), GroFin Ghana and Investisseur & Partenaires (I&P). Other organisations worked with include Acumen Fund and ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE). Festus graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, and University of Ghana Business School in Agriculture Economics and Masters in Business Administration Finance respectively. He speaks conversational French.
Christina Anand
Events Producer, Knowledge & Communications
Christina is the Events Producer at Women’s World Banking. She has worked on fundraising events for both national and international non-profits, and most recently she served as the Development & Events Manager at NYLCV. Prior to that, she was the Operations manager at Open Primaries and a Development Associate at Wingo, Inc. Born in New York City, Christina grew up mostly in Frankfurt and London until returning to the US for college. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Boston University and a Master’s of Arts in Political Science from New York University.
Elisabeth Ballreich
Investment Officer, Women’s World Banking Asset Management
Elisabeth Ballreich is an Investment Specialist at WWB Asset Management, which directs equity investment into inclusive finance institutions. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Elisabeth was an Investment Officer with the IDB. Before joining the IDB, Elisabeth worked as a Project Leader for Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the IFC and the Boston Consulting Group. Elisabeth holds a Master’s in International Economics and International Relations and has completed all three levels of the CFA Institute exam. She is fluent in German, English and Spanish.
Alexandra Beizan-Diaz
Project Manager, Project Management Office
Alexandra Beizan-Diaz is a Project Manager in the Project Management office. Prior to Women's World Banking, Alexandra worked at the International Rescue Committee establishing project management best practices and routines. Alexandra has over 8 years of experience managing projects and international program objectives. She holds a B.A. from the George Washington University in International Affairs. She is a native English and Spanish speaker.
Chelsea Bennington
Digital Marketing Senior Associate, Knowledge & Communications
Chelsea Bennington is the Senior Digital Marketing Associate on the Knowledge & Communications team. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, she was a Senior Social Media Experience Manager at Sprinklr, where she helped lead social media and content marketing strategy. She began her digital marketing career as the Content Marketing Manager for the tech startup, Julius. Chelsea graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Performing Arts.
Jaclyn Berfond
Manager, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
Jaclyn Berfond is a Manager for the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation team of Women’s World Banking. She leads the monitoring and evaluation initiatives for the organization. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, she worked at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and Economics from Boston University, and a Master’s of Business Administration in International Organizations from the University of Geneva.
Diana Boncheva Gooley
Manager, Digital Financial Services
Diana Boncheva Gooley leads digital financial services initiatives for Women’s World Banking. Previously, Diana headed Strategic Partnerships and Projects at Mondato as well as launched and managed projects such as mobile parking, ticketing, and debt collection for Paythru, a Fintech startup in the UK. She began her career in digital finance as an analyst in mobile money. She holds an international affairs and economics undergraduate degree from Sweet Briar College and a graduate degree from SAIS Johns Hopkins.
Sarah Buitoni
Manager and Executive Trainer, Leadership and Diversity
Sarah is responsible for designing and delivering learning solutions that help global financial inclusion leaders better serve women customers and build diverse talent. Prior to joining Women's World Banking, Sarah consulted on post-conflict and alternative education initiatives for UNICEF. Sarah holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a BA in Latin American studies and Spanish from Barnard College. She is trained in the Co-Active® coaching methodology and certified in the Center for Creative Leadership Benchmarks® 360 Assessment Suite, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) and the Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI™).
Molly Burns
Specialist, Development and Strategic Partnerships
Molly Burns joined Women’s World Banking as a Development Associate. Prior to joining the Global Team, Molly worked at Mercado Global, a nonprofit that empowers women artisans through market access, providing connection to major retailers, community-based education, and microloans. At Mercado Global, Molly worked in development and community outreach. Before that, Molly worked for Abriendo Mentes in Costa Rica and Della LA in Los Angeles. Molly has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in History from Loyola Marymount University.
Maggie Callahan
Investor Relations and Marketing Officer, Women’s World Banking Asset Management
Maggie Callahan is the Investor Relations and Marketing Officer at WWB Asset Management, which directs equity investment into inclusive finance institutions. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Maggie was a Vice President in Investor Relations at Lindsay Goldberg, a middle-market private equity firm. Before joining Lindsay Goldberg, Maggie worked as an investment banking analyst in the Consumer & Retail Group at J.P. Morgan. Maggie holds a B.A. in Economics from Princeton University.
Marina Dimova
Managing Director of Design and Innovation
Marina Dimova is a designer with 12 years of experience developing, implementing and scaling innovative solutions to social problems. She focuses on transforming the strategic ideation and solution design processes of the organization, and identifying and designing innovative financial solutions for its clients. Prior to that, she worked at ideas42 and the World Bank. Marina holds an MPA in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in Economics and Government from Franklin & Marshall College.
Yashmin Fernandes
Director, Development and Strategic Partnerships
Yashmin Fernandes is a Director for the Development Team where she develops and maintains strategic relationships with corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Her previous experience includes roles at the US Justice Department, CEB, Accenture, Wachovia and TD Ameritrade. She holds a Bachelor of Science in International Politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She speaks fluent Spanish and conversational French.
Enrica Ferrarotti
Associate, Board Relations
Enrica is a Board Relations Associate at Women’s World Banking. In this role, she works with the Office of the President to support all Board-related activities. Prior to Women’s World Banking, Enrica worked for a foreign policy non-profit and volunteered for several months with Save the Children in Rome to aid with the refugee crisis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from McGill University and a data analytics certificate from Cornell. Enrica is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
Leila Freedman
Manager, Development and Partner Engagement
Leila is a Manager on the Development and Partner Engagement Team at Women’s World Banking. Since 2018, she has been responsible for developing and maintaining strategic relationships with corporations and foundations to support Women’s World Banking in achieving its mission and expanding its funding base. She has prior experience in economic development and partnerships in Latin America and South East Asia. Leila holds an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University and a BA in International Studies from the University of Monterrey. Leila is a native Spanish speaker, English speaker and fluent in French.
Sam Gagakuma
Manager, Administration
Sam Gagakuma serves as Office Manager on the Administration’s team of Women’s World Banking. He has been part of the organization since 1992, managing the general workspace of the organization and providing logistical and administrative support onsite and for external events. He graduated from New York University as a Certified Translator, and as a Legal Secretary from Lehman College at the City University of New York. Before joining Women’s World Banking, Sam worked with the University of Ghana, Air Afrique and Gaseteria Oil Corporation.
Carlita Gay
Administrative Assistant, Executive Team
Carlita Gay is an Administrative Assistant to the Executive Team at Women’s World Banking. In her role, Carlita provides administrative support to the Executive Leadership Team members as well as perform general front desk duties at the NYC office. Prior to joining the organization, Carlita worked at City Parks Foundation, SummerStage Operations. She earned her BA in Sociology and Communication Studies at DePaul University.
Angie Goenaga
Investment Associate, Women’s World Banking Asset Management
Angie Goenaga joined Women’s World Banking as Private Equity Investment Analyst with Women’s World Banking Asset Management. In this role, she conducts financial analysis on portfolio companies and prospective investments, as well as sector and market research. She previously worked as an investment banker for Dinamo and Titularizadora Colombiana. Angie has an MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a B.E. in Industrial Engineering at Universidad de los Andes.
Casey Gregory
Director, Accounting
Casey Gregory is the Accounting Director at Women’s World Banking, responsible for maintaining Women’s World Banking’s financial records as well as developing and implementing systems for collecting, analyzing, verifying, and reporting financial information. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Casey worked as a public accountant for ten years, serving both for-profit and nonprofit entities throughout New York City. She holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Management from Wagner College.
Carolyn Hagerty
Associate, Finance
Carolyn Hagerty serves as a Finance Associate on the Women’s World Banking Finance and Operations team. In this role, Carolyn is responsible for monitoring, updating, and analyzing all project budgets and expenses. Previously, she served as a Senior Budget Analyst for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. She holds a BA in Economics and Public Policy & Administration from Wagner College and an MS in Finance from the University of Rochester Simon Business School.
Rokaya Helfer
Manager, Office of the President
Rokaya Helfer serves as the Manager of Executive Communications and Board Relations in the Office of the President. In this role, she works closely with Women’s World Banking’s Boards of Directors and Leadership Team to ensure the successful delivery of all governance obligations and board initiatives. Rokaya previously worked at Richards, Kibbe & Orbe LLP and Thomson Reuters. She holds a B.A. in History and International Affairs from Boston University.
SONJA KELLY
Director of Research and Advocacy
Sonja Kelly is the global lead for Women’s World Banking research. Through research on the financial sector, policy trends, financial services providers, and end users, Sonja and her team advocate for women’s financial inclusion. Before joining Women’s World Banking, she advised the U.S. Department of State on strategy for U.S. Embassy engagement in digital finance around the world. She has served as the director of research at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, has held consulting roles at the World Bank and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and has worked in microfinance at Opportunity International. Sonja holds a PhD in International Relations from American University where she researched financial inclusion policy and regulation.
Gil Lacson
Director, Business Development and Network Management
Gil Lacson is the Director of Business Development and Network Management at Women’s World Banking. He started working for the organization in 1999 and is work focuses on finding and creating opportunities to strengthen and grow the network. He earned a B.S. in Business Economics from the University of the Philippines School of Economics and a Master’s in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management. Before joining Women’s World Banking, Gil worked for TSPI Development Corporation in the Philippines.
Yrenilsa Lopez
Portfolio Manager; Principle Investment Officer, Women’s World Banking Asset Management
Yrenilsa Lopez is a Principal Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager with Women’s World Banking Asset Management (WAM), directing private equity investments into gender-focused inclusive finance institutions. She is a board member for two investment companies in Latin American and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Financial Inclusion Equity Council (FIEC). Yrenilsa was previously with BlueOrchard Finance in Lima, Peru where she executed private debt investments and managed a portfolio of private debt investments to financial institutions serving the bottom of the pyramid. Prior to this, she was the Relationship Manager for Latin America for Developing World Markets based in Stamford, Connecticut. Yrenilsa began her career with the SME Finance department of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). She is has received the CFA designation and speaks fluent Spanish and conversational Portuguese.
Hong Mah
Senior Associate, Information Technology
Hong joined the organization in 2017 as IT Associate, assisting his manager in keeping the organization’s hardware infrastructure in working order. He resolves staff’s requests in emailing, Jabber phone, BOX, and Salesforce issues. Hong also provides on-boarding IT & Salesforce training to new staff. Hong was promoted to Senior Associate position in 2018. He previously worked at Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, where he has completed Microsoft Windows Server training courses.
Whitney Mapes
Design Specialist & Innovations
As a Design Specialist, Whitney combines immersive research and a range of design methodologies to develop new financial products, services, and solutions to promote financial inclusion for women around the world. Prior to joining Women's World Banking, she worked at a strategy consultancy leading qualitative consumer research, corporate strategy, and innovation projects for some of the biggest brands in the world. Whitney holds a BS from Stanford University and an MFA from Parsons School of Design Strategies.
CHRISTINA MAYNES
Senior Advisor, Market Development, Southeast Asia
As Senior Advisor, Market Development, Southeast Asia, Christina is leading Women's World Banking's efforts to expand its Southeast Asia business footprint. A Singapore Permanent Resident with 20+ years of experience in Asian financial markets, she has worked for Moody’s Singapore, DBS Bank’s corporate strategy group, and BNP Paribas Asian Project Finance team. She has also advised Asian financial institutions providing wholesale funding for microfinance institutions and Asian Fintechs involved in financial inclusion. Having started her career as an Asian project finance banker, financing oil and gas, roads, and water, Christina is fully credit-trained and previously worked and lived in Jakarta. Christina graduated from Cornell University and obtained a Master’s in Public Policy from the Ford School at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Angelika Mendes-Lowney
Manager, Development and Strategic Partnerships
Angelika Mendes-Lowney is a Manager on the Development team. Before joining Women’s World Banking, Angelika worked for Jesuit Refugee Service in eastern Africa and their head office in Rome and for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. She holds a Masters in Philosophy and Theology from University of Munich, a Certificate in Fundraising from New York University and a Certificate in Development Studies from Munich School of Philosophy. Angelika volunteers for the Refugee Immigration Fund, serves on the advisory board of Voices of Faith, and sings in the Choral Society of Grace Church.
Mehrdad “Mehi” Mirpourian
Senior Data Analyst, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
Mehrdad (Mehi) Mirpourian is a Senior Data Analyst with the Research team. In this role, Mehi deploys advanced analytics to support different projects. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, he was a Statistician (Fraud Data Scientist) with the New York City Department of Finance. Mehi holds an MS in Statistics (Baruch College), an MS in Management (Polytechnic University of Milan), and a BS in Industrial Engineering (K.N.Toosi University of Technology). He is a member of the Social Innovation Group of Polytechnic University of Milan and the Iranian Society of Industrial Engineers.
Thiviya Navaratnam
Senior Associate, Finance & Compliance
Thiviya Navaratnam is a Senior Associate for Finance and Compliance at Women’s World Banking. In her role, Thiviya enforces procurement guidelines and negotiates and executes agreements. She also facilitates financial transactions with vendors and consultants. Prior to joining the organization, Thiviya worked at the Ralph Lauren Corporation. She earned her BA in Political Science and Economics at Skidmore College and her MA in Development Economics at Fordham University. Thivya volunteers with PEARL, an organization that promotes the advocacy of rights of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.
Jorge Ordonez
Manager, Information Technology
Jorge Ordonez is the Information Technology Manager for Women’s World Banking. He joined the organization in 2012, assisting with the installation, maintenance, and operation of local area networks and associated computer hardware and software. His work allows staff to reliably use this web of networking technology to communicate, share, store, and process information. He holds a BS in Computer Information Systems. Before becoming part of Women’s World Banking, he was Staff Sergeant at the USARMY. He is fluent in Spanish.
Gilles Renouil
Director, Product Development
As a Director on the Product Development Team, Gilles Renouil manages all insurance-related engagements, replicates existing products, develops new services and provides strategic direction in the insurance area. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Gilles served as a Director at Swiss Re Company Ltd. where he held different roles in risk management and group underwriting strategy. Prior to Swiss Re, Gilles worked for Allianz. He holds a MSc. from École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées. He speaks fluent French, German, English, Spanish and conversational Modern Greek.
Maria Sanchez-Smith
Manager, Leadership and Diversity
Maria Sanchez-Smith is a Specialist for Leadership and Diversity Programs and a Relationship Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. With over 16 years in the financial inclusion sector, she supports senior executives of financial institutions as they face the demands of an increasingly complex environment. She is currently responsible for designing and delivering, customized leadership and diversity programs as well as global leadership programs for regulators. Previously, Maria conducted market research for Arc Finance and the Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE). Maria has a double degree from Columbia University in Economics and Latin American Studies. She is trained in the Co-Active® coaching methodology and certified in the Center for Creative Leadership Benchmarks® 360 Assessment Suite, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI), and the Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI™).
POONAM SHAMI
Relationship Manager, Network, Development and Strategic Partnerships
Poonam Shami is Relationship Manager at Women’s World Banking. She has more than 15 years of experience in Corporate Relationship Management across industry. She has spent substantial part of her career with Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) building liability portfolio, driving cross sales, and generating revenue for the Bank. She acquired and managed several NBFC relationships as part of DBS. She received her MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow and her Bachelor of Technology from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. She is passionate for establishing productive relationships with clients, partners and team.
Nithyasri Sharma
Manager, Strategy
Nithyasri Sharma joined Women’s World Banking in 2016 as a Specialist on the Strategy team. In this role, Nithya supports the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Nithya worked as a Senior Consultant at BluePrint Research Group and as a consultant at IMS Consulting Group. She received her BA in English and Economics from Dartmouth College, her MBA from the Yale School of Management and her MA in International Development Economics from Yale University.
Shilpi Shastri
Specialist, Product Development
Shilpi Shastri is a Microinsurance Specialist for the Product Development team. In this role, she supports partner institutions on research, diagnostics, product design, insurance partner selection and negotiation, product piloting and rollout. Prior to joining the organization, she worked as an Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). Shilpi received her BA in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Malviya National Institute of Technology and her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management. Shilpi is fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi.
Kerry Stephens
Manager, Development and Partner Engagement
Kerry Stephens is a Marketing and Proposal Writing Specialist for the Development and Strategic Partnerships team at Women’s World Banking. In this position, Kerry leads grant, marketing and proposal writing initiatives and manages the related processes for the organization. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Kerry worked at Verint Systems, Inc. as a Proposal Manager and at Xerox Corporation as a Strategy & Communications Manager. She received her BA from Alfred State College.
Sophie Theis
Qualitative Research Specialist, Research
Sophie Theis is a Qualitative Research Specialist at Women’s World Banking. She leads user experience research to design new products for low-income women in emerging markets and manages large mixed methods research projects that focus on how different financial services like digital payments, government-to-person (G2P) transfers, and e-commerce work can support women's agency and economic power. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, she held positions at the International Food Policy Research Institute and the World Bank, where she led research and advised organizations on the design and evaluation of rural development programs for women’s economic empowerment. Sophie holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University concentrating in environmental anthropology and speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Ker Thao
Design Specialist, Design and Innovation
Ker Thao joined Women’s World Banking as a Design Specialist with the Design and Innovation team. In this role, Ker uses a spectrum of design techniques and methodologies to develop highly effective innovative financial inclusion solutions for women, in order to establish Women’s World Banking as a thought leader and industry expert. He has a BFA, Graphic Design from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons School of Design.
Anna Tyor
Senior Associate, Development and Strategic Partnerships
Anna Tyor began her role as Senior Associate on the Development and Strategic Partnerships team in November, 2018. In this position, she focuses on grant reporting and also helps to develop and maintain relationships with individual donors. Prior to joining Women's World Banking, she worked for Restless Development, an int’l development agency in New York, and worked in Colombia and in Argentina as a teacher, translator and journalist. She holds a MSc in International Relations from University College London and a BA from Appalachian State University.
The Women’s World Banking Speaker Bureau offers senior experts on topics ranging from financial services for women to behavioral science and leadership development. For inquiries, please email speakerrequest@womensworldbanking.org with the name, date, location and topic of the event.
Senior Leaders
Our Senior Leaders are seasoned presenters at large scale events as well as intimate settings who can offer insights on a variety of topics from across Women’s World Banking’s areas of work.
Technical Experts
Our Technical Experts are leaders in their field and experienced presenters who can share Women’s World Banking’s hands-on expertise in women’s financial inclusion as well as the following subtopics. Please click to read their full bios.
Get Involved
Make a difference.
Come work with us.
We are always searching for talented individuals with diverse backgrounds to join our team.
Please have a look at our current openings if you are interested in making financial inclusion a reality for more women around the world.
