My passion for innovative development finance brought me to Financial Access in 2010. Having been involved in numerous capital raising and financial advisory assignments across emerging markets over the last 30 years, I became increasingly fascinated by the challenge to improve financial inclusion in agricultural supply chains. At Financial Access we have developed this as our key focus area, with particular expertise in creating innovative, low-cost and practical solutions for financial institutions to provide sustainable financing to smallholder farmers at scale
Eelko is Managing Director of Financial Consulting Services and Chairman of the Board of the Advans Group, an international microfinance investment firm. Eelko has extensive experience in international, commercial and development finance and in building businesses in the financial sector. At Financial Access his focus areas include agrifinance, supply chain finance and MSME finance. Eelko has particular expertise in developing and implementing technology-led access to finance solutions in the agriculture sector.
More recently, his activities at Financial Access concentrate on the design and delivery of innovative, sustainable and scalable financing models for farmers tied to large commodity supply chains.
Before joining Financial Access, Eelko was the CEO of the Orangefield Group, following its management buy-out from ING Group in 2007. Until 2007 Eelko worked for ABN Amro Bank for 20 years in a variety of commercial and senior management roles in The United States, Asia and Europe.
Eelko holds a Masters of International Law Degree from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD, France.
Financial Access brings a different approach to agribusiness financing through employing technology to minimize the risk and costs challenges for financial institutions.
John Ssali is currently an Advisor to FACS and is based in Kampala, Uganda. His main focus is in value chain mapping, research and training. With over to 14 years of Agricultural finance sector experience, he worked for Centenary Bank in various roles as an Agricultural Credit Officer, Commercial Loans Officer and Senior Credit Analyst and at Pride Microfinance (MDI) as Manager Credit Agricultural Lending. He started the Agricultural lending unit, developed an Agricultural lending manual, brought on board several development partners and managed the quality growth of the Agricultural loan book.
He joined Financial Access under the F4A programme which was designed and developed to bridge the gap between financial institutions and the agricultural sector. The aim was to increase agricultural finance to MSME agri-businesses and to agricultural producer organizations. Heworked as a Manager, Agrifinance Solutions for Financial Access (East Africa) Ltd during which time he executed various capacity building projects for various financial institutions in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia and South Sudan. The activities included Agribusiness Strategy Development, Agriculture Value Chain Studies, Agriculture Loan Product Development, Training for financial institutions based on their training needs.
John holds a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture (Economics) from Makerere University, Kampala, a Certificate in Agricultural Finance from Kenya School of Monetary Studies and a Certificate from School of Applied Microfinance Kenya.
Rita has a strong background in financial planning, analysis, and strategic decision-making. With a proven track record of optimizing financial performance and driving growth, Rita brings comprehensive accounting and financial management expertise. Her proficiency in analyzing complex financial data and translating them into actionable insights makes her a great value add for informed business decisions.
Her experience spans over a decade of successfully working with and coordinating cross-functional teams in diverse sectors including banking, asset-finance, leasing, agro-tech, export processing, audit, research, M&E consulting, and insurance to achieve financial objectives, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and contributing to stakeholders’ socio-economic development.
She is a Certified Public Accountant CPA-Finalist. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, B.Com (Hons) in Finance, and has a Master of Business Administration, MBA in International Business Management. She is an Alumna of Strathmore University, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and the University of Nairobi. In her free time, she enjoys baking, traveling, mentoring children and youth, as well as learning new skills.
Rita is keen on contributing to the growth of emerging economies in Africa and the world, through sustainable Environmental, Social, and Governance, ESG practices of impact investing.
Prisca, an agronomy engineer, graduated from the National Polytechnic Institute of higher education, research, and production in Côte d’Ivoire (INP-HB). Her specialization lies in crop protection, complemented by a strong interest in agricultural finance. Her professional journey commenced at ANADER, where she served as a specialized technician focusing on perennial crops. There, she led a team of Agricultural Advisers, guiding peanut, palm, cocoa, and rubber growers. Transitioning to ADVANS, she assumed the role of agricultural account manager, tailoring loans for cocoa and cashew nut cooperatives. Promoted to Agricultural Segment Supervisor, she oversaw a team of agricultural account managers, crafting financing solutions for various sectors such as corn, rice, cocoa, cashew nuts, and rubber. Her dedication to agricultural finance stems from recognizing its pivotal role in ensuring food security. With extensive experience in agricultural finance and project management, she earned her expert certificate in agricultural finance in 2022.
Richard Wanyama is a seasoned Relationship Manager with over seven years of expertise in Commercial and SME banking within the financial sector. Driven and results-oriented, he excels as a team player with strong skills in customer relationship management. His core competencies include loan mobilization strategies, product development, risk assessment, financial analysis, and maintaining a high-quality loan portfolio. He brings substantial experience in SME, agricultural, and SACCO financing.
In his role at DFCU Bank, Richard managed the retail banking portfolio, evaluated loan applications, and boosted product engagement through proactive loan mobilization efforts. Previously, at UBA Bank, he served as a Relationship Manager in SME banking, where he advanced business growth and strategic planning. He also spearheaded the development of the agricultural lending unit, introducing new products tailored for smallholder farmers, establishing partnerships with development entities, and ensuring the bank’s loan portfolio achieved quality growth.
Richard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Banking, Insurance, and Finance from Nkumba University and a Certified Credit Management certification from The Uganda Institute of Banking & Financial Services. He recently completed his MBA in Finance from Makerere University, Kampala, with graduation scheduled for January 2025.
