The EMN Board of Directors has appointed Caroline Tsilikounas as General Manager of EMN, starting in September 2021. Caroline is a senior financial inclusion expert who has worked in the microfinance and financial inclusion sectors since 1995.
"Together with the EMN board members and staff, we are thrilled to announce the nomination of our new General Manager, Caroline Tsilikounas", says EMN President Elwin Groenevelt. "Caroline has a vast background in microfinance, both as a practitioner in Serbia and through her experience working in developing countries for several years. Her proven skills in policy and strategic matters while at the same time successfully coaching colleagues make her the ideal candidate to take on the responsibilities of General Manager and to further grow and position the network in the coming years with the support of the EMN staff, Board, and its valuable members across the continent".
A seasoned expert to lead EMN
Caroline is a senior financial inclusion expert who has worked in the microfinance and financial inclusion sectors since 1995 as a practitioner, a social investor, and a consultant for a variety of institutions. Her countries of residence and work have included Afghanistan, Guatemala, Mexico, Croatia, Liberia, Serbia, and Rwanda. Caroline sat on the board of the Microfinance Centre (MFC) for 6 years from 2000 to 2006, and on one of EMN's Steering Committees from 2015 to 2017.
She worked as CEO of VisionFund’s AgroInvest Holding from 2009 to 2017. For the past 4 years, she has served as Regional Operations Director for VisionFund International based in Rwanda, supervising four institutions in East Africa and representing the shareholder on their Boards. Caroline is also well versed in organisational coaching. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York, USA and a Business degree from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Reims, France. Caroline is a dual national of the US and France, is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and will move to Brussels with her family over the summer.
Meet Caroline at the Annual Conference
Caroline will start at EMN in September 2021, and so the 18th EMN Annual Conference organised in Brussels, Belgium on 14-15 October will be the perfect opportunity to meet and greet her! Caroline will also be closely involved in the ongoing Strategic Consultation.