Mr. Bayali currently oversees IFC’s Advisory Microfinance Program for the Middle East and North Africa region. The Program provides the Microfinance industry across the region with technical support to build or enhance capacity, help MFIs transform into shareholding/for-profit corporate entities, support banks in downscaling their activity to tackle the MSME market segment and create new Greenfield MFIs. Before looking after the MENA Microfinance Program, Mr. Bayali was in charge of IFC’s Business Enabling Environment Program for the Maghreb region. In this capacity, he led economic reform projects in the Maghreb relating to credit infrastructure, judiciary systems, local tax policies and business start up framework. Before joining IFC, Mr. Bayali was the Chief Financial Officer of Fondation Zakoura Micro Crédit. In his previous assignments, he worked as an auditor for KPMG France, as a Financial Controller for Vivendi Universal in Eastern Europe, as a Senior Relationship Manager and then Head of Risk Management in North Africa for the Corporate/Investment Banking Department of Citigroup. Mr. Bayali, CPA, holds a Master in Finance and Management Control from Paris-Dauphine University, a Master in Accounting and Finance from Bordeaux-Montesquieu University and a Master in Business Law from La Sorbonne University.

Mr. Nassif used to work for the development projects of the Egyptian-German Technical Cooperation, carried out by GTZ for six years. In 2004, he joined the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in Egypt where he managed the micro-credit program and in 2005 spearheaded the successful transfer of operations from AKTC to the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM) where he established and managed First Microfinance Foundation – Egypt. Mr. Nassif is currently the COO of First Microfinance Institution – Syria (the first regulated Social Financial Institution in the region.

Before joining the ILO, Dr. Yousra was a researcher and a university lecturer. Her research interests and publications are related to the informal economy, the financing and development of microenterprises, microfinance in the MENA region.Current interest and work relate to access to finance as a tool for decent work, initiatives with social partners to enable access to finance to their members and the community, microfinance in conflict affected communities and overall coordination and communication between HQ and social finance activities in the regions.

Mr. Waqar possesses more than 18 years of experience in the development sector in Pakistan. He is presently working as Programme Manager, Monitoring Evaluation and Research (MER) section with the National Rural Support Programme, the largest MFI in Pakistan. Mr. Waqar has a master’s degree in Statistics. He is currenlty supervising the ILO assited Microfinance for Decent Work Action Research titled “Social Services Targeting Microfinance Clients to Reduce Child Labour Incidence” in Pakistan. During last 7 years, Mr. Waqar was involved in different initiatives to support the poorest and the marginalized groups through micorifinance and related activities, these included projects for the bonded labour families, child laborers and street children. As Programme Manager, MER he has managed and conducted several baseline surveys and evaluation studies to assess the impact of various programme interventions.

Mr. Shnoudeh joined Tamweelcom in 2003, as a member of the Administration Support team. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial science located in Amman – Jordan. In 2007, Mr. Issam was promoted to work in the Operations Department as an Auditing and Data entry Supervisor. Mr. Shnoudeh was recently chosen to fulfill a new marketing position as a Research and Studies Officer / Customer Care Supervisor at Tamweelcom. Having successfully calibrated seven years of cross – departmental experience, Mr. Shnoudeh brings an informed professional and multi – faceted business perspective to Tamweelcom.

With a PhD in Political Sciences at the University of Paris I- Panthéon Sorbonne, Mr. Bidouj, joined the Banque Centrale Populaire in 1986 as Responsible of Economic Business. In 1990, Mr. Bidouj was appointed Project Officer and worked with the President of session of the National Council of Youth and Future (CNJA) where he participated in the elaboration and the establishment of the Information and Assistance Program for Business Set-up (PIACE). From 1995 to 1997, he worked as general Secretary at the Fondation Banque Populaire pour le Micro-Crédit (Popular Bank for Microcredit Foundation). Since 1998, he has been CEO of the Fondation Banque Populaire pour le Micro-Crédit of which he strongly supported the creation. Mr. Bidouj is also a member of the Advisory Council for Microcredit (Morocco), Vice President of the Arab Network for Microfinance (SANABEL), member of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed VI Centre for the support of microfinanace, member of the Board of Directors of Moroccan Association for Development and Research, member of the Plenary Assembly for the microcredit summit and member of the Supervising Committee for the program ‘Micro Start-PNUD’.