Argidius Foundation is a family foundation that promotes enterprise solutions for poverty reduction in low and middle-income countries. Its focus is on building world-class business development services that are effective, accessible, and sustainable: http://www.argidius.com/en/default.aspDeveloped and implemented a strategy to advance enterprise development as an effective poverty reduction intervention by:Building capacity in market-leading business development organizations… Show more Argidius Foundation is a family foundation that promotes enterprise solutions for poverty reduction in low and middle-income countries. Its focus is on building world-class business development services that are effective, accessible, and sustainable: http://www.argidius.com/en/default.aspDeveloped and implemented a strategy to advance enterprise development as an effective poverty reduction intervention by:Building capacity in market-leading business development organizations globallyGrowing effective business development ecosystems in focus countries in Africa and Latin AmericaLearning about what works (and what does not) as effective interventions to drive market improvements in the provision and sustainability of services.We support business development services not directly enterprises themselves.It sits within the umbrella of Porticus : http://www.porticus.com/en/home. Show less

Expanded Oxfam networks with traditional aid actors, governments, academia, new philanthropists and the private sectors, to develop our external intelligence and focus our attention on high potential new ideas and practices emerging, or where critical thinking on future issues is taking place.Brought innovative practice into Oxfam to emerging areas identified as finance, leverage and urban programming. Provided leadership support to the manager of the Programme Funding Division,… Show more Expanded Oxfam networks with traditional aid actors, governments, academia, new philanthropists and the private sectors, to develop our external intelligence and focus our attention on high potential new ideas and practices emerging, or where critical thinking on future issues is taking place.Brought innovative practice into Oxfam to emerging areas identified as finance, leverage and urban programming. Provided leadership support to the manager of the Programme Funding Division, responsible for Oxfam's fundraising from institutions and major foundations (£115m in 2009/10) to enable the effective delivery of its strategy and targets; and, effectively manage PFD's relationships both internally and externally. Show less

Developed an integrated urban livelihood programme in five towns in Central Russia incorporating low cost, sustainable business consulting services, microfinance & new local government small business support infrastructure.Secured the successful merger of four regional microfinance funds into one regulated financial institution achieving significant cost efficiencies and improved outreach.Launched innovative 'branchless banking' approaches to financial inclusion in small… Show more Developed an integrated urban livelihood programme in five towns in Central Russia incorporating low cost, sustainable business consulting services, microfinance & new local government small business support infrastructure.Secured the successful merger of four regional microfinance funds into one regulated financial institution achieving significant cost efficiencies and improved outreach.Launched innovative 'branchless banking' approaches to financial inclusion in small towns/rural areas.Piloted, with World Wild Life Fund Russia, new approaches to local sustainable community development in remote rural regions with marginalized indigenous groups.Built the first national coalition of NGOs to campaign against poverty whose advocacy on access to health secured change in key regulations for disabled people's access to benefits and homeless people's access to health care.Undertook regular lobbying of the Russian government on Oxfam's international advocacy & campaigning themes, securing regular access to Russia's Sherpa (responsible for Russia's G8 agenda) and a meeting for Oxfam's director with President Putin. Show less

Principal clients were:Opportunity International Network where I supported the introduction of new approaches to staff appreciation, competency mapping and training & development; assisted a restructuring of the senior management team; and, led a team in designing and implementing the successful transition of a micro-finance organisation into a formal financial institution.Basic Needs: Mental Health & Development where I helped develop a sustainable livelihoods policy for Basic… Show more Principal clients were:Opportunity International Network where I supported the introduction of new approaches to staff appreciation, competency mapping and training & development; assisted a restructuring of the senior management team; and, led a team in designing and implementing the successful transition of a micro-finance organisation into a formal financial institution.Basic Needs: Mental Health & Development where I helped develop a sustainable livelihoods policy for Basic Needs and wider dissemination; and, successfully advised on multi and bi-lateral funding bids for this new charity.The Bleddfa Centre for the Creative Spirit where I acted as part-time director re-establishing the Centre after a 'difficult' prior incumbency. I re-positioned the Centre with existing and new donors, restored and expanded the Centre's supporter base and audience, launched new initiatives in young people's art-based activities and recruited a new long-term director.Christian Initiative Trust where I acted as part-time director identifying new social and charitable initiatives focused on small organisations or individual social entrepreneurs and advised trustees on which to support and why; and, provided targeted organisational interventions to help them successfully grow and develop.Jessica Kingsley Publishers where I acted as regular mentor to the founder of this highly successful and fast-growing publishing company that was Independent Publisher of the Year in 2007.School Home Support where I developed a strategy for taking this highly successful regional charity national. Show less

Responsible for the oversight, strategic direction, accreditation and funding support for a region of eight microfinance institutions with growing individual portfolios from $1 to $10 million.Management oversight of major bilateral grants and investments (up to US$15 million each) in multiple countries with USAID, EU, DFID, TUSRIF, IFC and Albanian-American Enterprise Fund.Supported the organisational design and restructuring of Opportunity's Russia programme, merging four… Show more Responsible for the oversight, strategic direction, accreditation and funding support for a region of eight microfinance institutions with growing individual portfolios from $1 to $10 million.Management oversight of major bilateral grants and investments (up to US$15 million each) in multiple countries with USAID, EU, DFID, TUSRIF, IFC and Albanian-American Enterprise Fund.Supported the organisational design and restructuring of Opportunity's Russia programme, merging four regional funds into one consolidated entity to create Fund Opportunity Russia. This enabled substantially improved outreach from 2,000 to 12,000 clients within 12 months whilst achieving financial sustainability.Negotiated, secured and managed a major bilateral grant ($11.2 million) from DFID for the expansion of Fund Opportunity Russia throughout Western Russia. Oversaw as chair of FORA, the appointment of a new director who successfully led this major expansion programme, exceeding all given targets.Introduced new approaches to organisational planning and development which facilitated partner's ongoing transition from NGO based structures to become formal, regulated financial institutions.Implemented region-wide management and loan officer training courses and a human resource management course, supported by the creation of a generic human resource manual that became standard throughout Opportunity. Show less

Initiated and managed a programme to establish a green-field micro/small business development agency: Moznosti 'Opportunities'. The initial USAID grant of $2.8 million was extended to $6.8 million by 2001 owing to the programme's success. Moznosti was commercially viable in 1997 and converted into a fully registered savings bank in 2001.By December 1997, Moznosti had lent $1.4 million to 380 micro/small entrepreneurs, enjoying a repayment rate at 1 day of 98.5%. It had diversified its… Show more Initiated and managed a programme to establish a green-field micro/small business development agency: Moznosti 'Opportunities'. The initial USAID grant of $2.8 million was extended to $6.8 million by 2001 owing to the programme's success. Moznosti was commercially viable in 1997 and converted into a fully registered savings bank in 2001.By December 1997, Moznosti had lent $1.4 million to 380 micro/small entrepreneurs, enjoying a repayment rate at 1 day of 98.5%. It had diversified its funding base to include private Opportunity donors, the Dutch and UK governments, as well as USAID.By the end of 2000, Moznosti had 1,763 active clients and an outstanding portfolio of $4.4 million, of which only 1.81% was at risk over one day. Show less

Launched a small/micro enterprise programme, funded by USAID and the Dutch and UK governments. Achieved countrywide coverage and profitability after three years, and created the basis on which Moznosti "Opportunities' could transfer from a NGO based programme to a regulated financial institution in 2000.

ACT is a venture philanthropy fund and the principal shareholder in Andrews & Partners.I helped research, conceive and develop the mental health & development charity, Basic Needs, with its founding director, Chris Underhill. Together we shaped its innovative model of community-based mental health care that has now been replicated in 10 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, providing treatment to over 600,000 people since its inception in 2000. I helped recruit the core staff… Show more ACT is a venture philanthropy fund and the principal shareholder in Andrews & Partners.I helped research, conceive and develop the mental health & development charity, Basic Needs, with its founding director, Chris Underhill. Together we shaped its innovative model of community-based mental health care that has now been replicated in 10 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, providing treatment to over 600,000 people since its inception in 2000. I helped recruit the core staff, identified and negotiated key core and programme funding opportunities with major governmental/non-governmental investors; and, helped develop the organisation's structure, policies and practices.I successfully helped float Catch-Up, a UK-based ground breaking literacy programme, to independence from ACT support, helping to recruit key trustees, diversify its funding base and effectively manage Catch Up's relationship with its academic home, Oxford Brookes University. Catch-up had been implemented in 2,500 schools in the UK at the time of independence.For Christian Initiative Trust see above Show less

Managed the negotiation and transfer of a network of 60 charity shops from our subsidiary, Helping Hand Charity Shops to Macmillan Cancer Relief.Completed the funding cycle and transfer to independence of three major new initiatives in HIV/AIDS care and education in the UK and Africa.Researched, conceived and founded Opportunity International UK as a specialist microfinance development agency in 1991 and acted as its first director until 1993, and advisor thereafter. By 1994, it… Show more Managed the negotiation and transfer of a network of 60 charity shops from our subsidiary, Helping Hand Charity Shops to Macmillan Cancer Relief.Completed the funding cycle and transfer to independence of three major new initiatives in HIV/AIDS care and education in the UK and Africa.Researched, conceived and founded Opportunity International UK as a specialist microfinance development agency in 1991 and acted as its first director until 1993, and advisor thereafter. By 1994, it had an annual income of £1 million from private, corporate and institutional donors.Facilitated the design and implementation of the Opportunity International Network to co-ordinate the provision of finance and technical assistance to a growing international network of micro-finance agencies, now one of the world's leading networks.For Christian Initiative Trust see above Show less

Launched this successful charity providing support for people in prison (and prison staff) through the teaching of yoga and meditation, and personal befriending and mentoring. The Trust reached two thirds of the prisons in the UK three years after inception.