Microfinance Staff & Consultants
Each member of MEDA’s microfinance team has extensive experience and expertise in various areas of microfinance.
STAFF AT HEADQUARTERS
Julie Redfern
Director, Microfinance Department
Julie Redfern is a senior microfinance specialist with over 18 years of international experience in providing managerial and technical expertise to start up, mature and formalize MFIs around the world. Julie has been with MEDA since 1996 and has served as the Director of the Microfinance Department since 2003. She leads a team of 10 staff and associates in both North America and abroad, and has provided project management and consulting services to over 16 clients in 40 countries. She serves as a director on the Boards of two Microfinance Institutions: MiCredito (Nicaragua), and Sevis Finansye Fonkoze (Haiti) and previously served on the board of Microvest, a private investment fund for MFIs.
Prior to joining MEDA, Julie was a project manager for the SEEP Network, supporting the scale up of microenterprise programs. From 1991-1995 she managed CARE International’s Rural Enterprise Promotion Project in Lesotho, and served in the Peace Corps (Lesotho) as a small business advisor. Julie has also previously managed a branch of the Tucson Federal Credit Union in Tucson, Arizona for five years. She holds a Masters in Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Economics and two advanced certificates in Credit Union Management.
Bill Harrington
Senior Consultant/Project Manager
Bill Harrington is a senior investment advisor for MEDA since 2003 with specialties in capital-raising, investment and governance issues. He has 25 years of experience in business development including ten years of experience in developing economies. In this capacity, Bill provides technical assistance and advisory services to microfinance instutitions and small and medium sized enterprises in developing countries.
During most of the 1990s, Mr. Harrington was executive vice president of a large non-profit organization in the US. In that position he had responsibility for five specialized investment funds with a portfolio of more than 200 companies. Bill is also the founder and managing director of a consulting firm that provides assistance to emerging businesses in capital-raising, business planning, market analysis and general management. Bill has a degree in mechanical engineering from Lafayette College and a Master’s degree in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as a judge of the Wharton Business Plan Competition for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania for over ten years.
Ruth Dueck Mbeba
Senior Consultant/Project Manager
Ruth Dueck Mbeba has over 20 years’ experience in accounting - in public accounting, as a controller, and as a practitioner and consultant in the field of microfinance. She was based in East Africa for 8 years, serving as a Finance and Training Specialist and Senior Consultant with MEDA. Ms. Dueck-Mbeba has extensive experience in building capacity at all levels of a micro-credit organization and in the development and implementation of appropriate systems and tools for best practices in microfinance. She also has considerable experience in the design and delivery of microfinance training curriculum and workshops, particularly in the area of accounting, financial management, risk management, internal controls and internal audits. She has conducted training for the Boulder Institute (Turin and Chile), for the School of Applied Microfinance in Kenya and for MicroSave in India.
Ruth’s range of country experience includes Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tanzania and Thailand. She has also served as the Facilitator of SEEP’s Financial Services Working Group. Ruth is a Certified General Accountant (Canada), holds a certificate in Adult Education and is a candidate for the Certified Internal Auditor designation. Ruth is fluent in English, German and Swahili.
Jennifer Denomy
Senior Consultant/Project Manager
Jennifer Denomy has worked in education and international development for 16 years. She joined MEDA Waterloo in 2006 where she focuses on youth, education and microfinance. Jennifer is responsible for youth and workforce development projects in Egypt, Morocco and Afghanistan, supporting microfinance partners in developing non-formal education, workplace safety initiatives and entrepreneurial training for working youth. Jennifer brings experience in training and group facilitation, curriculum design and testing and qualitative research methodology.
Prior to joining MEDA, Jennifer worked as the pedagogical manager of a training centre in Germany. She also developed and field tested a set of textbooks for BRAC’s Non-formal Primary Education Program in Bangladesh. Jennifer holds a M.Ed. in Comparative, International and Development Education with a focus on curriculum design from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) and a M.A. from McGill University.
Nicole Pasricha
Senior Consultant/Project Manager
Nicole Pasricha is a Senior Consultant and Project Manager in MEDA Waterloo’s Microfinance Department. Since 2007, Nicole has contributed to rural financial solutions in a variety of agriculture and value chain projects in Tajikistan, Ukraine, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Nicole recently designed and launched a new value chain finance partnership in Mozambique.
Prior to joining MEDA, Nicole worked on microfinance industry issues such as global transparency standards and microfinance investment trends at the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) in the World Bank (2003-2005). Nicole also gained valuable experience in microfinance operations as a credit assistant at Banco ProCredit El Salvador S.A., where she managed credit decisions and branch credit staff in both rural and urban branches (2005-2006). Nicole holds Bachelors degrees in Political Science and Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Masters in International Affairs from George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.
Jared Penner
Consultant/Project Leader
Jared Penner has experience working with various forms of
microfinance operators in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. He
successfully managed MEDA's HIV/AIDS and Microfinance Project in
Mozambique and regularly facilitated training workshops and provided
technical assistance to Mozambican MFIs. Jared has also worked on
various consulting assignments and conducted training sessions in
Tanzania and Zambia. He has vast experience in research methods,
project management, integrated services in microfinance and
microenterprise development for youth. One of his most recent projects
is managing a youth workforce development project in Afghanistan.
Jared
has a BA in Global Political Economy and an MA in Political Science and
Development Studies. He speaks English and Portuguese.
Jennifer Gurbin
Junior Consultant/Project Coordinator
Jennifer started with MEDA in May 2009 and coordinates a number of program and marketing activities in MEDA's International Operations Department (Microfinance and Production & Marketing Linkages). As a Junior Consultant/Project Coordinator, Jennifer assists with market research, proposal development, drafting and editing technical documents, maintaining the website, and delivering short-term consulting services.
Jennifer has a B.A. (Hon) in English Literature, and an M.A. in International Development with a focus on Culture and Identity. She has worked on health promotion and education initiatives in both Thailand and Zambia.
Jennifer HelmuthManager, Human Resources
Jennifer Helmuth currently serves as the Manager of Human Resources for MEDA. She has worked with MEDA for 15 years, with a concentration on Human Resources for the past ten years. In addition to the daily management of MEDA’s HR policies, practices and initiatives, Ms. Helmuth has also provided technical assistance and training in various HR functions in Angola, Afghanistan, Haiti, Kenya, Poland and Tanzania.
Jennifer is a graduate of Psychology and Personnel Studies from the University of Waterloo. She also holds a certificate in Human Resource Management and is a member of the Human Resource Professional Association in Canada.
INTERNATIONAL STAFF
Octavio CortésCountry Manager, NicaraguaOctavio Cortés is the general manager and CEO of MiCrédito in Nicaragua and is responsible for providing program direction and leadership to MEDA Microenterprise Programs (CHISPA), Rural Production and Marketing Programs (PRODUMER) and Craft Export Marketing (PROARTE). He was instrumental in the establishment of MiCrédito in 2004. He has been MEDA’s country manager over the past 10 years, overseeing the development of the different programs in the country. He was directly involved in supervising CHISPA and in participating in its merger with other equity partners in order to establish the regulated financial institution called CONFIA. He also served as president of its board becoming acquainted with how a bank works in a regulated environment. Octavio is involved with the Nicaragua Federation of NGOs as the Vice-President since 1994 and is also President of the National Board of HABITAT for Humanity- Nicaragua.
Octavio holds a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from James Madison University in Virginia and also has a Bank Management Diploma. He speaks both Spanish and English.
Adil Sadoq
Field Project Manager, Egypt/Morocco
Mr. Adil Sadoq is the Field Project Manager for MEDA in Egypt and Morocco since November 2008 and has extensive experience in the Microfinance field. He has previously worked with Zakoura, a Microfinance Institution in Morocco, which tops the MIX Global 100 list. Since 2002, Adil has shared his expertise as a consultant with a range of microfinance institutions, donors and microfinance network organizations throughout Africa and the Middle East.
Adil has significant experience as team leader in design and launch of microfinance programs including developing a branch network, pilot-testing and rolling out new products, human resource strategy development and performance indicator monitoring. Adil is a solid trainer who has been provided training in numerous microfinance training modules. Adil holds a Masters degree in Communication and French Literature from the University of Fes.
Jonathan Muradzicua
Rural Finance Manager, Mozambique
Jonathan Muradzicua recently joined MEDA as the Rural Finance Manager in Mozambique and is currently in charge of expanding Microfinance capacity for productive agricultural investment in the Maputo province. Jonathan has extensive experience and knowledge of Mozambique and the surrounding region including a strong capacity to understand market synergies in the region to increase development of small local businesses. His most recent work experience includes Independent Consulting, Senior Accountant with Oxfam GB, and Managing Consultant for Auditores e Consultores Lda, all located in Mozambique. In addition, Jonathan has a strong financial and management skills, and highly competent analytical skills, which were also developed in his previous work experience as the Financial Consultant for the Mozambique Foundation, Grants Accountant for World Vision Africa, and Branch Manager for the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe.
Jonathan has a Bachelor’s in Technology Accounting from the University of Zimbabwe, a Diploma in Management Development from the UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership as well as an MBA in Finance, Investments Analysis and Marketing Management through Heriot-Watt University. He also has CIMA certification from the UK. Jonathan speaks English, Portuguese and Shona.
James A. Williams
Field Project Manager, Afghanistan
James A. Williams is one of the latest members to MEDA’s Microfinance team. He has extensive experience in international development and human resources management. James is currently in charge of the ‘Afghan Secure Futures’ project that aims to explore improved apprenticeship opportunities and provide greater support to SME employers as an approach to reducing youth vulnerability. James’ vast work experience includes a Consultancy with the Institute of Social Sciences in India, a role as Asia Regional Manager with Room to Read in India, Manager of Save the Children (India), Country Representative with Lutheran World Relief in Sri Lanka, and Executive Director of South Asia Partnership International in Sri Lanka for 4 years. James has managed program administration and HR functions in 6 Asian countries and coordinated emergency relief and development in conflict prone areas of Sri Lanka.
James has a BSc. from Madras Christian College, an M.A. in Social Work from Loyola College with a specialization in Urban and Rural Development, and a PhD. in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India. In addition, he is a member of the World Federalists Movement since 1994 both on the Editorial and Policy Board.
