Leadership

Medha Wilson

Group Chief Executive Officer

Medha Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer at MicroLoan Foundation. In her current role she oversees the activities of MicroLoan’s operations in Africa and is responsible for developing the overall strategy of the Group. She serves on the board of the three MicroLoan subsidiaries in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Medha has extensive experience in financial inclusion in both senior operational and investment management roles in emerging and frontier markets, across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her expertise also includes establishing and scaling-up of greenfield operations, turnaround of struggling entities and governance. She also has considerable experience in engaging with a broad range of social and impact investors.

Medha is a Qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from The London School of Economics.

Brian Keen

Founder and Chair, MicroLoan Foundation Australia

I lived in Malawi, Central Africa for many years and it was here I established my first businesses.

When we left I wanted to do something to help the people I got to know and love. So in 2008, when I came across MicroLoan Foundation, an organisation providing business services to the poor in sub-Saharan Africa, I was hooked and decided to found the Australian sector.

We opened MicroLoan Foundation Australia’s first branch office in Mulanje, southern Malawi in May 2009 and have been privileged to steadily grow our loyal supporter base ever since.

Malin Rosenkvist

MicroLoan Foundation Australia Board Member and Group Director of Fundraising & Communications

Malin is Director of Fundraising & Communications at MicroLoan, responsible for managing relationships with high-value individual donors, ensuring that they have full insight into the impact of their philanthropic giving.

She brings ten years of experience in business development and fundraising in the international development sector to this role. Prior to joining MicroLoan, Malin worked with numerous charities focusing on education and poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Her expertise is major gifts, and she has a track record of setting up successful major donor programmes and developing impactful corporate partnerships.

In this role Malin also develops tailor-made partnerships, events and employee engagement opportunities for corporate funders to maximise the mutual benefits.

Malin has a degree in International Politics and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and has lived, worked and travelled extensively in sub-Saharan Africa.

Clive Hughes

CEO & Development Director

Clive is a Chartered Accountant who has been the Finance Director of a number of private and publicly listed companies over the last two decades, and, until recently, was the CFO of a property investment company based in Sydney. He is married with two young children and lives in Freshwater Sydney.

Before emigrating from Wales in 1984, Clive travelled extensively, and he particularly enjoyed his time in south east Africa where he felt that the people had a positive and balanced attitude to life. He has been drawn to the concept of micro finance as a way to give people the tools they need to create the life they want, rather than create the life we believe they should have.

Clive travelled to Malawi in June 2009, and was hugely impressed by what Microloan Foundation was achieving in the country, both with respect to benefits to our clients and the efficient manner in which the local operation was being run. Further details of his visit can be found on our Home page in the article “Our first office is open!”

Clive is our CEO and Development Director, and has been responsible for much of our initial set up, and a good deal of our fundraising in New South Wales.

Chris McArdle

Director

Chris McArdle is the Principal of McArdle Legal, a Sydney law firm specialising in Employment, Contracting, and Anti Discrimination Law and is on the board of MicroLoan Australia. He has been in practice for 20 years, and is accredited as a Specialist in Employment and Industrial Law by the Law Society of NSW.

Prior to entering practice, Chris served as a judicial officer as a Commissioner of the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW.

Chris – like many in his profession, despite the reputation – has served on a number of volunteer and charitable bodies during his time in legal practice. He tells us that he has developed a passion for the work of MicroLoan Foundation due to its aim of helping without patronising, and its emphasis on self sufficiency and dignity.

Chris lives in Sydney with his wife Mary Anne, and they are both keen minders of grandchildren. Chris provides the secretariat to MicroLoan Australia and his firm provides the Sydney premises. This is in accordance with our philosophy of keeping overheads to a minimum, and ensuring that all Gift funds get to their intended recipients.

Madeleine Van

Director

After years of commercial experience in various industries, Madeleine is excited to lend her expertise as a board director at MicroLoan Australia. Armed with degrees in law, science, and economics, she advocates for a comprehensive approach to poverty alleviation and women's rights.

Madeleine strongly believes in the transformative power of empowering women and views microfinance as a crucial catalyst for achieving this goal. Her dedication to supporting MicroLoan Australia's fundraising initiatives reflects her genuine commitment to making a positive impact for women in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Andrew Hopkins

Director

Andrew is passionate about improving society, having helped direct positive change in diversity and inclusion in the Australian scientific community since 2011. Following the positive impact of such activities in a specialist community, he is now expanding these efforts to support some of the world's most disadvantaged and deserving people through MicroLoan Australia.

David Barwise

Director

David Barwise has over 20 years legal, regulatory and compliance experience in the emerging markets including Africa. He was a partner in a leading global law firm for 15 years and held a variety of product, client and regional management positions. He has a strong interest in reducing the effect of poverty in Africa through education and sustainable employment opportunities.

Ketki Cooper

Director

Ketki is a global risk, compliance, and legal professional with experience and training in financial services and media across Australasia and Europe. Having grown up with strong female role models, she sees the importance and benefit of supporting female-centred causes such as MLFA. She lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains with her husband and their two German Shepherd dogs.

Dr. Isaac Balbin

Director

Dr. Isaac Balbin has had started his career by completing a PhD in electrical engineering where he had a huge amount of success writing articles, winning awards and publishing patents. This included 2 Patents, 7 Peer Reviewed Journal Papers, 9 Peer Reviewed Conference Papers and 1 Book Chapter. His PhD thesis was assessed as being in the top 5% of thesis’ submitted in that year.

However, to his great frustration the technology he developed was not brought to market, and so he started down an entrepreneurial path. He founded a company called nTouch, and with only a $150,000 investment, sold the company 18 months later for $4.5 million to a company listed on the ASX.

On his journey he has become a thought leader and an expert in a number of technologies including but not limited to Blockchain, Public Policy, Supply Chain, RFID, NFC, RF/Microwave Circuits/Systems, Printed Electronics, Cryptocurrency, Microwave Antenna Design, Fractals, Project Management, Business Intelligence and Strategy, Governance (including Corporate Governance), Regulatory Structures, Standardisation, Supply Chain, Decentralisation, and many more technologies and scientific principles.

"I believe that every person has incredible potential which can be unleashed if only they are given the proper opportunities. MicroLoan Australia does this for women in Africa who would otherwise not have the opportunities to shine, and when we help them do so, we create a brighter world for all of us!" he says.

Steve Matthews

Director

I am a qualified Chartered Accountant with a career extending more than 35 years with experience in organisations across professional services, financial services, state and federal governments, and the not for profit sector. I have held a range of executive level Finance and Corporate Services roles across these industries.

Steve is excited to lend his expertise as a board director at Microloan Australia. With degrees in commerce and business, and experience across a range of industries and other volunteer work he has engaged in - he is passionate about making a contribution to those in need in order that they can have fulfilling lives for their families. Steve has been attracted to and impressed with Microloan Australia’s work to date and believes his support to the ongoing fundraising initiatives will make a significant and long-lasting impact to the women in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Peter Ryan

Founder Microloan Foundation

Peter Ryan is the founder of MicroLoan Foundation. He spent much of his early career in marketing and setting up production for consumer goods, including ‘Old Spice’ ‘Imperial Leather Soap’ and ‘Duracell’, in Africa and parts of Europe.

His time spent travelling and working in Africa led Peter to look into ways business could support those living in poverty. In 1997 Peter visited the Philippines with a former college friend who was running a charity supporting some of the poorest people in the country. This visit sparked an interest to do more and by 1998 the idea for MicroLoan Foundation was born. Over the next four years Peter began fundraising and developing a strategy for operations. The first loans and training were made to women in Malawi in 2002.

Peter is a frequent speaker on microfinance, with a special interest in Africa and blending the need for financial professionalism and social change. He has a degree in International Marketing for Greenwich University.