Our Supervisory Board
Dr. Christian Cornett
Member of the Supervisory Board
Dr. Christian Cornett is a lawyer and partner with King & Wood Mallesons. Dr. Christian Cornett specializes in the structuring of corporate finance transactions, often in the context of capital market transactions. Dr. Cornett frequently advises financial institutions, investors, boards, and board members in the context of transactions and special situations.
Dörte Höppner
Member of the Supervisory Board
Dörte is the Chief Operating Officer at The Riverside Europe Fund, which invests in the European small cap mid-market. She joined Riverside in 2017 with extensive experience in European private equity. At Riverside, Dörte serves a multifaceted role to lead initiatives in Europe and work closely with Riverside’s global Fund Administration, HR and Investor Relations teams. Dörte came to Riverside from P+P, a leading German law firm. Prior to that, she was Chief Executive and Secretary General at Invest Europe (formerly EVCA) and Managing Director at the German Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVK). She began her career as a TV journalist and in financial communications. Dörte earned her diploma in Economics from the Freie Universität Berlin.
Michael Phillips
Chairman of the Supervisory Board
Michael Phillips is founder and lead partner of Castik Capital Sarl, a Luxembourg based private equity firm specializing on mid-size buyouts. Until 2014, he spent 22 years at Apax Partners, where he was a member of the Executive Committee as well as the Investment and Approval Committees. Michael also was co-Head of the Financial and Business Services Sector. Prior to Apax, Michael spent three years at OTTO Holding Ltd. in Cologne, as the General Manager of an operations subsidiary and four years at Ciba-Geigy Canada, as an Engineer in their Plastics Additives Division. Michael holds a BS in Engineering Chemistry from Queen’s University and an MBA from INSEAD.
Our Management Team
Executive Management
Christoph Freytag
Managing Director
Christoph leads core business support areas such as Finance, Compliance, IT, Legal, and Transaction Management along with Finance in Motion’s Luxembourg branch. Christoph spent over 20 years championing inclusive banking and development finance in emerging markets. He has led institution building operations in Russia, Bulgaria, and Serbia; served as Managing Director of IPC; and became the first Managing Director of ProCredit Bank Germany in 2012. He joined the team of Managing Directors at Finance in Motion in 2018. Christoph is certified banker and graduated (M.A.) in economics from the Frankfurt University.
Elvira Lefting
Managing Director
Elvira manages debt investments, technical assistance operations and the company’s regional offices. She has devoted her career exclusively to development finance, combining financial sector development with the objectives of small business growth, housing improvement and the green and sustainable economy. Elvira started her professional career in 1998 in Russia at German development consultancy IPC before moving to the EBRD, the China Development Bank and then KfW Development Bank. In early 2010 she was appointed Managing Director at Finance in Motion. Elvira holds an M.A. in Slavic Studies from Heidelberg University.
Florian Meister
Managing Director
Florian manages equity investments, project finance, the legal area and strategy and planning. He started his career in M&A at Wasserstein Perella in New York in 1989 before working at several investment banks in Germany. In 2005, he advised on the inception of EFSE and later became CFO to the Fund Advisor before becoming the company’s first Managing Director in the foundation of Finance in Motion in September 2009. Florian holds an MBA from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Swarthmore College, Philadelphia. He also runs an ecological mountain farm in South Tyrol that makes cheese.
Sylvia Wisniwski
Managing Director
Sylvia oversees risk management and investor relations. She has more than 25 years’ experience in development finance in over 30 countries and started her career at the German International Cooperation (giz). She has worked as a consultant for international organizations and held various management positions at consulting companies and asset managers before her appointment as Managing Director at Finance in Motion in 2010. Sylvia holds both an M.A. in Political Science and Sociology and an MBA from Tübingen University as well as an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Miami, Florida.
External Relations
Milena Bertram
Director
Milena is responsible for External Relations at Finance in Motion. Previously, she co-headed the SANAD investment team, with a focus on Northern Africa. She also built up the technical assistance facilities for a number of funds advised by Finance in Motion. Before joining the company, Milena gained experience with capacity building for banks and microfinance institutions as a Project Manager for a development finance consulting firm. Milena holds a master's degree in Political Science, Economics and History from the University of Cologne.
Finance & Compliance
Klaus Niesik
Director
Klaus Niesik is responsible for the financials of Finance in Motion including budgets, planning, financial statements and taxes. He is also compliance and anti-money-laundering officer. After studying Economics at the University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden, Mr.Niesik started his professional career at Kraftanlagen AG. In 1992 he moved to the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (former Bankakademie) where he got promoted to Financial Director. Before joining Finance in Motion in 2009, Mr. Niesik worked at the European Business School (EBS).
Michael Seufert
Manager
Human Resources
Jutta Schaller
Manager
Thomas Zahay
Director
Tom is responsible for global Human Resources at Finance in Motion. Before joining the company in 2018, he spent 25 years developing and leading international HR teams in the internet, software and IT sectors. Tom holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Arizona State University and a certificate in Organizational Transformation from Duke University.
Impact & Sustainability
Milena Bertram
Director
Milena is heading Finance in Motion’s Impact and Sustainability unit. In the past, she has gained first-hand investment experience, having co-headed the SANAD investment team, with a focus on Northern Africa. She also built up the technical assistance facilities for a number of funds advised by Finance in Motion. Before joining the company, Milena gained experience with capacity building for banks and microfinance institutions as a Project Manager for a development finance consulting firm. Milena holds a master's degree in Political Science, Economics and History from the University of Cologne.
Investment Management Debt
Sandra Abella
Director
Sandra Abella directs the regional operations of Finance in Motion in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly for the eco.business Fund. A finance and banking expert with 20 years of experience in investment and advisory services, Sandra specializes in green finance, financial inclusion, distribution channel development, credit and risk analysis, and mobile finance. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Sydney and her B.A. from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Mario Torres
Manager
Mohamed Emad Eldin Aly Morsy
Manager
Oxana Binzaru
Regional Director
Oxana manages the investment activities of the European Fund for Southeast Europe and the Green for Growth Fund in the European Eastern Neighbourhood Region and Romania. Oxana has more than 15 years of experience in banking, portfolio management, debt structuring and financial institutions due diligence. Before joining Finance in Motion, Oxana worked for the National Bank of Moldova in the Banking Regulation and Supervision Department. She holds a degree in banking and finance.
Dorin Gaidau
Manager
Lachlan Cameron
Manager
Maja Gizdić
Director
Maja works as a director responsible for the entire GGF investment portfolio in all countries and for the EFSE investment activities in Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Maja has more than 14 years of experience in development finance in Southeast Europe, Caucasus and the MENA region. In 2008 she joined the advisory team of the EFSE, moving on to Finance in Motion in 2009.
Jaspreet Stamm
Manager
Lloyd Stevens
Director
With 20 years experience in banking and development finance, Lloyd now heads the GGF team. Lloyd began his career with Dresdner Bank and moved into development finance in 2001. Before joining Finance in Motion he was team leader for the pre-closing stage of the Regional MSME Investment Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa and a freelance consultant. Lloyd holds a Masters in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelors in Economics and German literature from the Vanderbilt University.
Carrie Walczak
Director
Carrie is the Director of Project Finance and has been part of the team since early 2013. Prior to joining Finance in Motion, Carrie was a member of the Energy Project Finance team in the Corporate & Investment Banking division of BNP Paribas (Fortis) in Brussels, where she focused on transactions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She formerly oversaw the U.S. Trade and Development Agency’s Eastern and Southern Africa portfolio in Washington, DC and also served as an independent consultant for renewable energy and energy efficiency development in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. She holds a master's degree in International Affairs in Economic & Political Development from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University, and has studied at the South Asia Institute at the University of Heidelberg.
Oguz Bardak
Manager
Burcu Karpuz
Regional Director
Burcu works as an Investment Manager for Turkey and also heads Finance in Motion’s office in Istanbul. Burcu has more than 15 years of experience in correspondent banking, trade finance and structured finance focusing on relations with financial institutions and developing trade finance facilities. Before joining Finance in Motion she was working for DenizBank as Department Head of Financial Institutions. She holds a degree in political science and public administration and has MsC in International Finance.
Andrii Stoliar
Manager
Vanja Cico
Manager
Mejra Juzbašić
Regional Director
Mejra manages the Southeast European investment and technical assistance portfolios of the European Fund for Southeast Europe and the Green for Growth Fund. Mejra has more than 17 years of experience in banking and microfinance in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, and the Middle East and North Africa, and she also oversees operations at the Finance in Motion office in Sarajevo. Before joining Finance in Motion, Mejra was a Senior Auditor for Deloitte, and she previously worked on the restructuring and sale of the Privredna Banka Sarajevo Group, a project led by International Finance Corporation and the Bank Privatization Unit in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She holds an MA in Economics from Bowling Green State University, and a BA in Business Administration from Bluffton College, both of which are based in the United States of America.
Dragan Spirovski
Manager
Investment Management Equity
Maxine Chehab
Manager
Hussam El Tayeb
Manager
Uwe Schober
Director
Uwe has overall responsibility for the SANAD Fund and equity investments at FiM. Previously, he spent more than twelve years in investment banking in various positions with Warburg, UBS and Morgan Stanley working in M&A and helping to raise capital (equity, debt and hybrids) for a variety of companies in various industries. He also assisted high technology firms in Moscow to access the Russian market. Uwe holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the VWA Stuttgart, an MBA from London Business School and an MA in Documentary Photography from LCC (London).
Iveta Tancheva-Nikolova
Director
Iveta is currently responsible for the SANAD Equity Sub-Fund II and previously oversaw the investment portfolios for the EFSE and GGF funds in the South Caucuses. She joint Finance in Motion in 2012 after spending 10 years in M&A and capital markets at HSBC and ING Barings in London. Iveta helped emerging market companies in raising capital, she also advised clients in the financial services sector. Iveta holds an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management (US) and the CEU in Budapest.
Investor Relations
Steffen Klawitter
Director
Steffen Klawitter is responsible for fostering relationships with private sector investors. Before joining Finance in Motion, he served as an expert for wealth management and impact investing at Deutsche Bank. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, Mannheim, and is a Certified Wealth Advisor through the European Business School.
IT
Reghina Ribalev
Manager
Matteo Snidero
Director
Matteo heads the IT team of Finance in Motion. In this capacity he oversees the design and development of the company’s software solutions as well as the management of networks and cloud presence. Before joining Finance in Motion, Matteo’s career focus has been on providing IT solutions for Micro and SME banks in emerging economies. Matteo has an MSc in Information Technology from the CEFRIEL Consortium at Milan Polytechnic University and a degree in Physics from the University of Trieste.
Legal
Dr. Daniel Beck
Manager
Laura Vilsmeier
Manager
Dr. Eike Wagner
Director
Before joining Finance in Motion as Head of the Legal Department, Eike worked at the Frankfurt office of a major international law firm and at a leading European independent private bank. Eike has over ten years of experience particularly in the fields of domestic and cross border financing including structured finance transactions, leveraged buy-outs and syndicated lending as well as banking and capital markets law.
Marketing & Communications
Merle Römer
Manager
Risk Management
Jasminka Begert
Director
Jasminka heads the risk management department. Prior to joining Finance in Motion Jasminka worked for the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina in foreign currency reserves management and for the Bosnia and Herzegovinan KfW office as a Banking Sector Analyst and Risk Manager for the EFBH fund. Since 2005 she has worked on coordinating the EFSE’s investment and risk management activities. She holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the Central European University (Essex, UK / Budapest, Hungary).
Njomëza Freudl
Manager
Damir Kurtovic
Manager
Tamara Roglic
Manager
Andrii Rozumnyi
Manager
Goran Vujović
Manager
Strategy & Planning
Mario Jertz
Manager
Simon Sonnekalb
Manager
Diego Stapff
Director
Diego is the director of Finance in Motion’s operations in Strategy and Planning, Treasury, and Monitoring and Reporting. Previously, he played a key role in the establishment of the eco.business Fund and ran asset-liability management, planning, and product development for the EFSE fund. He started his career as a member of the team managing development funds at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Diego studied economics at Universidad de la República in Uruguay and holds a masters’ degree in International and Development Economics from the University of Applied Sciences, Berlin.