Andrea is the founder and President of the Board of PerMicro (and former CEO), the first MFI in Italy specialized in offering loans to micro and small entrepreneurs to start-up or grow their businesses, and to household to meet their primary needs. He is also member and Secretary General of the Board of the European Microfinance Network (EMN), Member of the Board of the Italian Microfinance Network (RITMI), and founder of MicroLab, a non-profit organization supporting young entrepreneurs. Before launching PerMicro in 2007, he worked for Banca Etica, Mag2 Finance and Fondazione Giordano Dell'Amore. During his career, he has published two volumes on microcredit and the banking system. Andrea holds a master’s degree in development economics and microfinance from University of Turin.

Giampietro is President and Founding Partner of Microfinanza, a consulting firm servicing microfinance institutions globally, President of the Italian Microfinance Network (RITMI) and former Vice President of the European Microfinance Network (EMN). He is an economist with over 30 years of international experience in sustainable development and financial inclusion. His expertise span from management consulting to microfinance, rural finance and SME finance. Giampietro holds a master’s degree in economics from Ca’ Foscari University.

Svetlana is the Regional Credit Risk Director at VisionFund International and former CEO of Monte Credit Pogdorica, a leading MFI in Montenegro. She is also a member of the board of MFI KosInvets in Kosovo and the European Microfinance Network (EMN). With over 15 years of professional experience in diverse international settings, Svetlana developed solid competencies in digital transformation, poverty alleviation, financial and risk management, strategic management, operations and institution building. She remains dedicated to her community as part of Parent Council of High and Elementary schools in Podgorica where she serves to develop and improve the local education system. Svetlana holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Montenegro.

Elwin is the founder and CEO of Qredits Microfinance, the only MFI operating in the Netherlands, which he created in 2009. He has also been member of the Board of the European Microfinance Network (EMN) from 2014 to 2021, serving four years as President. Before 2009, he has worked for 14 years in commercial banking (Credit Lyionnais Bank, Generale Bank and Fortis Bank), having initiated the first microfinance project at Fortis Bank. As a result of this success, Elwin was asked to work with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Hague to help set up a national microfinance program. Elwin studied business administration for the financial sector in Amsterdam and graduated in 1994.

Maria is a Senior Consultant at Eurom Consultancy, an advisory firm specialized in providing technical assistance to the microfinance sector in Romania and Eastern European countries. She is also former member of the Executive Board of FAER IFN SA, a Romanian MFI, and former Vice President of the Board of the European Microfinance Network (EMN). She has over 25 years of experience in management consulting, inclusive finance and SME finance in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Her areas of expertise include financial inclusion, microfinance and social entrepreneurship. Maria holds an MBA from Durham University.

Klaas has more than 45 years of experience as entrepreneur, consultant, program director, researcher and policymaker. He has worked globally for bilateral, multilateral and private organizations such as the Netherlands Government, RVO, IFC, EU, IBD, UN (ILO, UNIDO and UNDP), BIO, EMN, and Dutch co-financing agencies such as Cordaid, ICCO, Oxfam Novib, Hivos or Woord en Daad. Klaas has hands-on business experience as founder/owner of a number of private consultancy companies, such as Timpoc Consultants and FACET, both specialized in Entrepreneurship and MSME financing. He is Emeritus Professor in Financial Inclusion and New Entrepreneurship at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and a former member of the National Advisory Council for Micro Finance in The Netherlands.

Fabio is an entrepreneur, CEO and board member, with more than 25 years of international experience in microfinance, SME development and sustainability. He co-founded Microfinanza, an advisory firm, and MicroFinanza Rating (MFR), a rating agency, both servicing microfinance institutions globally. He is also Founder and Partner of Impact Finance Management, an asset manager specialized in impact investing. He is currently co-CEO of Impactage, an investment and advisory firm driving the sustainable transformation of SMEs, and CEO of Impact Fin Italia, an incubator of projects in the sustainable finance space. He is also a director at Ecomill, a crowdfunding platform with focus on renewable energies and sustainability. Fabio holds a master’s degree in economic and social sciences from Bocconi University.

Katia is currently partner and member of the Board of Microfinanza. She has more than 20 years of international experience in financial inclusion, having designed, implemented and monitored several multidisciplinary development cooperation initiatives in different countries. Katia is a specialist in institutional diagnostics and capacity building (mostly governance related) of financial service providers, and in developing and running financial education and business start-up programs for enterprising refugees and migrants. She holds a master’s degree in philosophy and history from Alma Mater Studiorum University in Bologna.