Medha Wilson

Overview: Leads a UK-based foundation supporting regulated MFIs in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, focused on delivering innovative financial services to women in poverty.

Achievements

• Client Growth: Tripled active client base between 2018 and 2025. Now serving close to 100K active clients across the Group.
• Financial Sustainability: Achieved full operational self-sufficiency across all subsidiaries.
• Capital Mobilisation: Raised $20m+ in debt capital and advanced equity investment discussions with mission-aligned partners.
• Digital Transformation: Implemented rural digital solutions—including last-mile credit scoring and mobile-enabled savings—to streamline lending and deepen client engagement.
• Product Innovation: Introduced microinsurance and digital savings tools to enhance client resilience beyond credit.
• Impact Recognition: MicroLoan Zambia named #1 in Zambia and #4 globally by 60 Decibels 2023 Impact Index.
• Geographic Expansion: Successfully launched MLF operations in South Africa, targeting rural women entrepreneurs.
• Governance Reform: Revamped board structures across all subsidiaries, enhancing regulatory compliance, independence, and diversity in skills.
• Merger Leadership: Directed successful merger with WildHearts Foundation, improving financial strength and operational synergy.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads a UK-based foundation supporting regulated MFIs in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, focused on delivering innovative financial services to women in poverty.
• Spearheading the Group's next five-year strategic plan focused on digital scale-up, impact acceleration, and product diversification.
• Leading fundraising strategy—both philanthropic and investment capital—to 10x MLF's outreach over the next decade.
• Representing the Group at board level across all subsidiaries and driving performance through enhanced governance.
• Building strong leadership pipelines and succession plans to ensure institutional sustainability.
• Strengthening the Group's social performance management systems and impact reporting frameworks.

Overview: Worked with a frontier market investor-operator, focused on building high-impact microfinance institutions across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Key Contributions

• Co-developed the Group's equity investment strategy and led pipeline building for new ventures in Asia and Africa.
• Established a new wholesale debt vertical targeting rural finance, insurance, and fintech.
• Conducted thorough due diligence for informed decision-making on investments.
• Headed investor relations—managing communications with DFIs, MIVs, HNWIs and family offices.
• Produced key investor collateral, including fundraising decks and the Group's Annual Report.

Overview: Senior leadership role in setting up and scaling operations of a new Non Banking Finance Company targeting the urban poor.

Key Contributions

• Built finance and internal audit systems from scratch; created cash-flow, treasury and accounting frameworks.
• Developed a five-year strategic business plan aligned with funding and growth targets.
• Secured the institution's first external debt and managed investor relationships.

Company Overview: Led national-level pricing transparency initiatives for microfinance products, impacting 139 institutions and 29 million borrowers.

Key Contributions

• Drove pricing disclosure across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Conducted global policy analysis on microfinance transparency.
• Strengthened stakeholder relationships with donors, central banks and microfinance institutions, through regular updates and clear communication.

Internships (2010–2011): Acumen (Pakistan), Foundation for Sustainable Development (Uganda), MicroCapital (USA)

Qualified as ACA; specialized in financial risk and strategy audits for global clients including Diageo and Nestlé.