FIDES aims to contribute with reliable sustainable solutions to the key issue of facilitating economic development by creating access to financial services for micro entrepreneurs who are excluded from the formal banking system.
FINANCIAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
AG has an international team of 22 highly qualified staff
members. The team covers all fields of competence necessary for
greenfield creation of microfinance institutions. Backstopping is
done out of Fribourg (Switzerland). Each field staff member has
the possibility to mobilize high level support in all relevant
fields if required. Greenfield creations are generally
implemented through permanent staff located in each country,
supplemented by short-term support in specific fields like IT,
HRM and Research. All staff members without any exception,
including support staff, have a university degree.
SHORT PROFILES OF FIDES STAFF MEMBERS
MANAGMENT TEAM IN FRIBOURG AND MONTPELLIER
Konrad ELLSÄSSER is the founder and President of FIDES. He is a former researcher and has worked in the creation of microfinance institutions for the last twenty years. The concepts of some of the most successful microfinance institutions in Eastern Europe and in Africa have been developed by him. He has been working long-time as an expatriate in developing countries when building microfinance institutions. He has also been intensively involved in the development of legal and regulatory frameworks for microfinance in Eastern Europe when after the fall of communism regulations for banking in market conditions had to be developed. Beside this, he has worked as a university teacher in microfinance (Development of a Master of Science in Montpellier) and as an expert for organizations like the World Bank, IFAD, CGAP, and the main European bilateral donor organizations.
Markus SCHÄR is Managing Director of FIDES. He is a business- economist and has been working for 10 years in the field of organizational development with leading financial institutions in Switzerland and Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore). Between 2004 and 2006, he was living and working in New York, where he was engaged as a management consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Markus Schär was born in 1968 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and grew up in Cameroon and Switzerland. He is highly tuned into cross-cultural communication and management concerns.
Thi Hanh CAO is the Operations Manager of FIDES. She has been working for more than 10 years in the field of microfinance. She has successfully managed several microfinance institutions in Africa and in Eastern Europe. Before joining FIDES, she worked in Afghanistan supporting 5 new MFI in their development and expansion. Her key tasks involve the technical backstopping of four FIDES programs, insuring the sharing of technologies, experiences and information, revising work plans and providing technical support on a day to day basis.
Evriviadis CABIOTIS is an Economist and has already built up sustainable microfinance institutions in five countries. He is based at the headquarter in Fribourg and is in charge of the "backstopping" of several projects. Until recently, Evri was responsible for the transformation of the successful pilot program of FIDES into the fifth commercial bank of the country. He is a specialist for product development and also intensively involved in staff training.
Ródica LEVITCHI is an Economist who has been working as an expert in a number of countries in Europe and in Africa. Ródica is based in Fribourg and responsible for the further development of the MIS of FIDES Banks and the implementation of innovative concepts for payment systems and service points based on GSM-technology.
Kathryn IMBODEN began work in the field of economic development with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Chad, followed by the OECD Development Centre, the Club du Sahel and the US Treasury Department. Over a long period of time, she was responsible for SDC's economic work (macroeconomics and financial sector), during which she chaired the Executive Committee of CGAP. She served as Policy Change Manager with Women's World Banking (WWB),, overseeing a program of policy analysis, legal, regulatory and supervisory work and advocacy work. Kathryn was with UNCDF to lead the policy work program for the 2005 International Year of Microcredit. Kathryn joined FIDES in 2009, working on policy issues, funding issues and on the preparation oand launching of microinsurance initiatives.
Francois ROSSIER started his microfinance career in 1993 with an in depth impact study of a Grameen type microfinance institution in Burkina Faso. In 1997, he joined Fides to set up Saving and Credit Unions in Moldova. He later worked for Sidi, a French social investor and worked mainly in West and Central Africa. Five years later, he joined Symbiotics, a Swiss microfinance broker, and monitored a USD 100 million portfolio invested in 25 microfinance institutions in the Caucasus, Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia. Getting back to Fides in October 2009, he supports the back office in market research and double bottom line reporting, as well as backstopping for selected projects within the FIDES project portfolio.
Claire SEITZ is the administrative and accounting assistant of FIDES and is providing organizational and logistical support to all team members. She has a BA in Applied Foreign Languages and a MA in Peace and Conflict Studies. Claire is based in Montpellier and is managing our bureau de liaison in France.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Sabrina BEELER STUECKLIN is heading the research and development team at FIDES. She has a PhD in Social Anthropology and is currently finalizing her Postgraduate Degree in Development and Cooperation studies. Prior to her PhD she focused her studies on Economic Anthropology and gained in-depth experience in field research and development. Sabrina spent two years in Mali on extensive field research focused on rural areas. In this context, she gained extensive insight into the views of local rural actors, their coping strategies and organization of economic activities. During and after her studies, Sabrina worked as a lecturer at the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Zurich. Later work experience includes project coordination for African countries at MIVA Switzerland and independent consultancy for various projects in development work.
Aissata BARRY has a master of science in development studies with a specialization in microfinance. She also holds a degree in sociology. Aissata Barry has worked in microfinance on the ground in West Africa for about ten years. After extensive field research activities, she built up and headed FIDES Mali, a microfinance institution based in Mopti that is now covering a large region and targeting rural women for savings and credit services. FIDES Mali has been designed as an investment since its start and has never benefited from substantial donor support. Aissata Barry is now working out of the FIDES head office in research and development activities. She is one of the founders of FIDES.
Nanci Lee has a Masters Degree in International Rural Development Planning and works as an Associate in support of the research and development programme of FIDES. Nanci has solid experience in microfinance as a researcher and technical advisor. She has worked in Africa, Asia and Latin America for various organizations including Calmeadow, the MIX, ACCION, CARE, UNDP and the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. Her main areas of focus have been market research, rural finance, financial literacy and client monitoring including gender issues and social performance. Nanci supported a three-year capacity building partnership with the Rural Training Unit of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association) Cooperative Bank and their self-help groups and District Associations. Recently she was the coordinator of a Ford Foundation financed global study on member-owned institutions offering financial services in remote, rural areas.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
Michel ARNOULT is an Agro-economist and leading the creation of a microfinance institution in Senegal. He is specialized in creating step by step tailor made institutions adapted to the local conditions and thus with a strong growth potential. Beside conceptual tasks his main challenge is capacity building. Before Senegal, Michel Arnoult has been working in other African countries and in Eastern Europe. He has been leading the greenfield creation of an institution for FIDES in Moldova that has now become the biggest microfinance institution in Eastern Europe with more than 100 000 clients.
Thomas LENDZIAN has spent several years in the Microfinance and Commercial Banking sectors with focus on institution building, as well as in the Development sector with focus on vocational training. During these years he has been setting up and managing a new microfinance Institution, giving training on SME lending etc. He is now in charge of the transformation of our successful Namibian project into a commercial Bank.
Robin GILLE is an economist with 20 years experience in financial systems development in Africa with some of the most important French Development Centers. During these years he has been heading four important development projects focusing on microfinance and support to small entrepreneurs.
Philippe COUTEAU is leading the creation of a microfinance institution in Algeria. Philippe has nearly twenty years of experience in financial services, of which nine in microfinance and two in microinsurance. His first six years of professional experience in world-class financial institutions brought him solid expertise in various fields of the bank management: risk management, bank transactions organization, procedures writing, team management and audit. During his long and varied experience in Microfinance, in field positions as well as research and development positions, he has built a sound understanding of numerous areas: creation and development of new MFIs, MIS, audit and regulations, product design as well as training and development. He has a solid understanding in various methodologies such as village banking, group lending, individual credit, SME lending and improved "merry-go-rounds".
Jean-Christophe DUCHIER, Junior Microfinance Expert. Postgraduate in Development, he is specialized in Strategy development and implementation for the rebuilding of local production systems. Prior to his assignment to FIDES Namibia, he was working in Mali for the creation of the fifth SFR in Tonka. Since 2008 he is based in Northern Namibia, focussing on product development and operations in the Pilot Project "Koshi Yomuti" ("Banking under the Tree").
Marret SCHADWINKEL is an economist and banker by profession. She is currently implementing a microcredit initiative in Brandenburg, Germany. Her role includes designing and pilot testing a business model for a market-oriented microfinance approach aiming at improving the access to financial services for MSEs in Brandenburg. Prior to joining FIDES, she worked for the German consulting company GFA Consulting Group, focussing on different areas of MSME finance, incl. financial sector research, institutional assessments of MFIs, MSME lending processes and credit technologies, as well as training and coaching for bank/MFI staff. Her regional focus is Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Guillaume MICHEL is an agronomist specialized in rural development. Guillaume Michel has spent several years in Africa as a technician but also facilitator and trainer, as well as project manager. He was also responsible for research in Rwanda for the Swiss Cooperation on rural banking system and also support to local business associations. He is in charge of the support for the creation and development of microfinance institutions in the frame of FIDES project in North Mali (Programme Mali Nord).
Holger BERGMANN, Business Economist. Holger started his career in Germany, where he worked in all domains of accounting and controlling. Until 2003, he was responsible for accounting and controlling for the German and Austrian branch of a French insurance company. Determined to live and work in Africa, he joined the German development service DED to work for a microfinance institution in Lome, Togo. Since 2007 he has been working in northern Mali for the FIDES microfinance network and will soon shift to the new FIDES project in Senegal.
Hamidine BAKO, Junior Microfinance Expert. Hamidine has practical experience in design, establishment and management of microfinance institutions. He has been working with FIDES in the field of economic development at household and village level and has solid experience in training local staff and client target groups. Hamidine is currently in charge of managing FIDES Mali, a microfinance institution based in Mopti.
Cécile DUCHET, Junior Microfinance Expert. Postgraduate in Development, she is specialized in Microfinance and gender issues, supporting women economic initiatives. Previous to her assignment in Namibia, Cécile has been working with FIDES in Mali and Algeria and at the headquarter in Fribourg.
Amza TAHIROU, Junior Microfinance Expert. Amza is a ppostgraduate in development from CNEARC Montpellier, specialized in Microfinance and rural development. He is currently a member of our Mali team, based in Mopti.
MANAGMENT TEAM IN FRIBOURG AND MONTPELLIER
Konrad ELLSÄSSER is the founder and President of FIDES. He is a former researcher and has worked in the creation of microfinance institutions for the last twenty years. The concepts of some of the most successful microfinance institutions in Eastern Europe and in Africa have been developed by him. He has been working long-time as an expatriate in developing countries when building microfinance institutions. He has also been intensively involved in the development of legal and regulatory frameworks for microfinance in Eastern Europe when after the fall of communism regulations for banking in market conditions had to be developed. Beside this, he has worked as a university teacher in microfinance (Development of a Master of Science in Montpellier) and as an expert for organizations like the World Bank, IFAD, CGAP, and the main European bilateral donor organizations.
Markus SCHÄR is Managing Director of FIDES. He is a business- economist and has been working for 10 years in the field of organizational development with leading financial institutions in Switzerland and Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore). Between 2004 and 2006, he was living and working in New York, where he was engaged as a management consultant for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Markus Schär was born in 1968 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and grew up in Cameroon and Switzerland. He is highly tuned into cross-cultural communication and management concerns.
Thi Hanh CAO is the Operations Manager of FIDES. She has been working for more than 10 years in the field of microfinance. She has successfully managed several microfinance institutions in Africa and in Eastern Europe. Before joining FIDES, she worked in Afghanistan supporting 5 new MFI in their development and expansion. Her key tasks involve the technical backstopping of four FIDES programs, insuring the sharing of technologies, experiences and information, revising work plans and providing technical support on a day to day basis.
Evriviadis CABIOTIS is an Economist and has already built up sustainable microfinance institutions in five countries. He is based at the headquarter in Fribourg and is in charge of the "backstopping" of several projects. Until recently, Evri was responsible for the transformation of the successful pilot program of FIDES into the fifth commercial bank of the country. He is a specialist for product development and also intensively involved in staff training.
Ródica LEVITCHI is an Economist who has been working as an expert in a number of countries in Europe and in Africa. Ródica is based in Fribourg and responsible for the further development of the MIS of FIDES Banks and the implementation of innovative concepts for payment systems and service points based on GSM-technology.
Kathryn IMBODEN began work in the field of economic development with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Chad, followed by the OECD Development Centre, the Club du Sahel and the US Treasury Department. Over a long period of time, she was responsible for SDC's economic work (macroeconomics and financial sector), during which she chaired the Executive Committee of CGAP. She served as Policy Change Manager with Women's World Banking (WWB),, overseeing a program of policy analysis, legal, regulatory and supervisory work and advocacy work. Kathryn was with UNCDF to lead the policy work program for the 2005 International Year of Microcredit. Kathryn joined FIDES in 2009, working on policy issues, funding issues and on the preparation oand launching of microinsurance initiatives.
Francois ROSSIER started his microfinance career in 1993 with an in depth impact study of a Grameen type microfinance institution in Burkina Faso. In 1997, he joined Fides to set up Saving and Credit Unions in Moldova. He later worked for Sidi, a French social investor and worked mainly in West and Central Africa. Five years later, he joined Symbiotics, a Swiss microfinance broker, and monitored a USD 100 million portfolio invested in 25 microfinance institutions in the Caucasus, Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia. Getting back to Fides in October 2009, he supports the back office in market research and double bottom line reporting, as well as backstopping for selected projects within the FIDES project portfolio.
Claire SEITZ is the administrative and accounting assistant of FIDES and is providing organizational and logistical support to all team members. She has a BA in Applied Foreign Languages and a MA in Peace and Conflict Studies. Claire is based in Montpellier and is managing our bureau de liaison in France.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Sabrina BEELER STUECKLIN is heading the research and development team at FIDES. She has a PhD in Social Anthropology and is currently finalizing her Postgraduate Degree in Development and Cooperation studies. Prior to her PhD she focused her studies on Economic Anthropology and gained in-depth experience in field research and development. Sabrina spent two years in Mali on extensive field research focused on rural areas. In this context, she gained extensive insight into the views of local rural actors, their coping strategies and organization of economic activities. During and after her studies, Sabrina worked as a lecturer at the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Zurich. Later work experience includes project coordination for African countries at MIVA Switzerland and independent consultancy for various projects in development work.
Aissata BARRY has a master of science in development studies with a specialization in microfinance. She also holds a degree in sociology. Aissata Barry has worked in microfinance on the ground in West Africa for about ten years. After extensive field research activities, she built up and headed FIDES Mali, a microfinance institution based in Mopti that is now covering a large region and targeting rural women for savings and credit services. FIDES Mali has been designed as an investment since its start and has never benefited from substantial donor support. Aissata Barry is now working out of the FIDES head office in research and development activities. She is one of the founders of FIDES.
Nanci Lee has a Masters Degree in International Rural Development Planning and works as an Associate in support of the research and development programme of FIDES. Nanci has solid experience in microfinance as a researcher and technical advisor. She has worked in Africa, Asia and Latin America for various organizations including Calmeadow, the MIX, ACCION, CARE, UNDP and the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. Her main areas of focus have been market research, rural finance, financial literacy and client monitoring including gender issues and social performance. Nanci supported a three-year capacity building partnership with the Rural Training Unit of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association) Cooperative Bank and their self-help groups and District Associations. Recently she was the coordinator of a Ford Foundation financed global study on member-owned institutions offering financial services in remote, rural areas.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
Michel ARNOULT is an Agro-economist and leading the creation of a microfinance institution in Senegal. He is specialized in creating step by step tailor made institutions adapted to the local conditions and thus with a strong growth potential. Beside conceptual tasks his main challenge is capacity building. Before Senegal, Michel Arnoult has been working in other African countries and in Eastern Europe. He has been leading the greenfield creation of an institution for FIDES in Moldova that has now become the biggest microfinance institution in Eastern Europe with more than 100 000 clients.
Thomas LENDZIAN has spent several years in the Microfinance and Commercial Banking sectors with focus on institution building, as well as in the Development sector with focus on vocational training. During these years he has been setting up and managing a new microfinance Institution, giving training on SME lending etc. He is now in charge of the transformation of our successful Namibian project into a commercial Bank.
Robin GILLE is an economist with 20 years experience in financial systems development in Africa with some of the most important French Development Centers. During these years he has been heading four important development projects focusing on microfinance and support to small entrepreneurs.
Philippe COUTEAU is leading the creation of a microfinance institution in Algeria. Philippe has nearly twenty years of experience in financial services, of which nine in microfinance and two in microinsurance. His first six years of professional experience in world-class financial institutions brought him solid expertise in various fields of the bank management: risk management, bank transactions organization, procedures writing, team management and audit. During his long and varied experience in Microfinance, in field positions as well as research and development positions, he has built a sound understanding of numerous areas: creation and development of new MFIs, MIS, audit and regulations, product design as well as training and development. He has a solid understanding in various methodologies such as village banking, group lending, individual credit, SME lending and improved "merry-go-rounds".
Jean-Christophe DUCHIER, Junior Microfinance Expert. Postgraduate in Development, he is specialized in Strategy development and implementation for the rebuilding of local production systems. Prior to his assignment to FIDES Namibia, he was working in Mali for the creation of the fifth SFR in Tonka. Since 2008 he is based in Northern Namibia, focussing on product development and operations in the Pilot Project "Koshi Yomuti" ("Banking under the Tree").
Marret SCHADWINKEL is an economist and banker by profession. She is currently implementing a microcredit initiative in Brandenburg, Germany. Her role includes designing and pilot testing a business model for a market-oriented microfinance approach aiming at improving the access to financial services for MSEs in Brandenburg. Prior to joining FIDES, she worked for the German consulting company GFA Consulting Group, focussing on different areas of MSME finance, incl. financial sector research, institutional assessments of MFIs, MSME lending processes and credit technologies, as well as training and coaching for bank/MFI staff. Her regional focus is Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Guillaume MICHEL is an agronomist specialized in rural development. Guillaume Michel has spent several years in Africa as a technician but also facilitator and trainer, as well as project manager. He was also responsible for research in Rwanda for the Swiss Cooperation on rural banking system and also support to local business associations. He is in charge of the support for the creation and development of microfinance institutions in the frame of FIDES project in North Mali (Programme Mali Nord).
Holger BERGMANN, Business Economist. Holger started his career in Germany, where he worked in all domains of accounting and controlling. Until 2003, he was responsible for accounting and controlling for the German and Austrian branch of a French insurance company. Determined to live and work in Africa, he joined the German development service DED to work for a microfinance institution in Lome, Togo. Since 2007 he has been working in northern Mali for the FIDES microfinance network and will soon shift to the new FIDES project in Senegal.
Hamidine BAKO, Junior Microfinance Expert. Hamidine has practical experience in design, establishment and management of microfinance institutions. He has been working with FIDES in the field of economic development at household and village level and has solid experience in training local staff and client target groups. Hamidine is currently in charge of managing FIDES Mali, a microfinance institution based in Mopti.
Cécile DUCHET, Junior Microfinance Expert. Postgraduate in Development, she is specialized in Microfinance and gender issues, supporting women economic initiatives. Previous to her assignment in Namibia, Cécile has been working with FIDES in Mali and Algeria and at the headquarter in Fribourg.
Amza TAHIROU, Junior Microfinance Expert. Amza is a ppostgraduate in development from CNEARC Montpellier, specialized in Microfinance and rural development. He is currently a member of our Mali team, based in Mopti.
© 2007 FIDES | FINANCIAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AG
