The Retail Finance Distribution Research Initiate (ReFinD) has appointed to its Policy Advisory Committee Ms. Rashmi Pillai, Group Head of Public Policy at Wave, a leading mobile money operator in Africa. She joins a representative committee that includes people from academia, public policy, and finance, positioned to provide policy leadership and guidance in advancing the aims of ReFinD.
Prof. Peter Quartey, Executive Director of ReFinD said, "It is with much excitement that I welcome Ms. Pillai to the ReFinD Policy Advisory Committee. She brings on board, extensive supply-side experience in driving digital financial inclusion across Africa and South Asia. This will enrich ReFinD's supply-side focus on the development of agent networks.”
MS. Pillai is a global leader with over 17 years of experience in impact investing, digital financial services, and inclusive and competitive financial markets policy and regulation garnered across Africa and South Asia.
She brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge in digital finance. She previously held the position of CEO of Financial Sector Deepening Uganda. Prior to that, she worked with CGAP at the World Bank and UNCDF as a digital financial services specialist. Rashmi is also the co-founder of the Sankalp Forum one of the largest impact investing deal flow platforms which has expanded from South Asia to East Africa.
As a member of the ReFinD Policy Advisory Board, Ms. Pillai will be working alongside other respected leaders including Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana; and Kwame Oppong, Head of Fintech and Innovation at Bank of Ghana. The others are Mr. Ebenezer Twum Asante, MTN Group’s Senior Vice President (SVP) for Markets, with overall executive responsibilities for the three regions of MTN Group (West and Central Africa, Southern and East Africa, and Middle East and North Africa) and board chair of Standard Chartered, Ghana; and Mr. Carl Ashie, Head of Mobile Financial Services at Ghana Commercial Bank.
ReFinD is happy to have Ms. Pillai on board and looks forward to an impactful experience working and engaging with her.
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