The well-known proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” conveys what we believe at Neem. That it takes a community to provide a nurturing environment, where, not only a child but also our visions and businesses are given the support they need to develop and flourish and to realize into full hopes and dreams.
We are building our Neem village🌿 with some of the most caring, visionary global leaders, fintech experts and thought leaders, all committed to the vision of enabling Financial Wellness for millions of underbanked communities. And for their mentorship and contributions, we are immensely grateful.
Uzma is a financial and impact trailblazer with a diverse career spanning over 30 years in the banking, social sector, and retail operating space. Her track record has been to successfully steer businesses towards a high growth trajectory. Uzma's career has taken her all around the world, from Singapore, and South Africa to Pakistan, working with top financial institutions such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Standard Chartered and many more. Uzma sits on the board of the Telenor Bank in Pakistan. Currently, Uzma is leading the charge at Sana Safinaz, a pioneering fashion and design retail house in Pakistan. Uzma is not only a dedicated advocate for gender equality and financial wellness but a recognised role model for many.
I believe Neem is a pioneer in bringing embedded finance model to Pakistan which has the potential to make a truly transformative impact on people’s lives. All that by creating a more accessible, efficient and secure financial services at the point of experience. The embedded finance model has the potential to revolutionise the way we think about and interact with financial services, and could be a strong driving force in improving the financial wellness of underbanked communities.
Matthias is a pioneer in the neo-banking space and a globally recognised fintech thought leader. Matthias was the driving force behind two highly disruptive financial service companies, Fidor Bank and DAB Bank, that have set a new bar in democratising consumers' access to banking. His most recent venture is in the ‘play-to-learn-to-earn’ space with the goal to become a game-changer for financial literacy, built in the metaverse. Matthias acts as an advisor to regulators and central banks. He is a member of the international technology advisory panel (ITAP) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Matthias is driven by using digital financial services to create meaningful, sustainable change.
What I love about Neem is that it is a purpose-driven company that is dedicated to making a positive impact on people's lives by empowering them to achieve financial wellness. The appeal of embedded finance lies in its ability to make financial services easily accessible to all by integrating financial services into everyday products and experiences. I believe that Neem’s embedded finance platform can certainly create a more inclusive and equitable financial system for people in emerging market like Pakistan.
Philippe is a visionary fintech leader and has played a critical role in the explosive growth of M-PESA, a mobile payment platform that revolutionised financial access in East Africa and beyond. Philippe has extensive practical experience from driving the financial inclusion movement across emerging markets with growing M-PESA into the largest Fintech in Africa with 50m MAU, transforming millions of lives and businesses. He is a recognised thought leader and strategic advisor in the mobile payments and digital financial services space.
Neem’s vision to shift from financial inclusion to more holistic financial wellness is the right approach to truly transform lives. While financial inclusion is a good first step, having access to just a bank account doesn't necessarily cater to the full financial health and needs of people and businesses. This is where Neem’s embedded finance model and innovative approach of working with established communities can play a pivotal role in democratising access to full spectrum of financial services for consumers and businesses in emerging markets.
Teizoon is a senior leader and business strategist bringing with him a wealth of over 25 years of experience in the business and financial sector. Teizoon has a deep understanding of the business and financial landscape of Pakistan and has played a pivotal role in bringing overseas investment to a Microfinance bank in Pakistan. Teizoon spearheaded multiple mergers and acquisitions at Orix which is a leading leasing and microfinance company in Pakistan. He has held a variety of senior management positions in the leasing industry, including roles in finance, operations, and credit risk management. Currently, Teizoon is driving Orient Energy Systems - Pakistan’s leading power and industrial engineering provider.
In Pakistan, millions of consumers and businesses are systematically excluded from the financial system. This is where Neem’s ambitious financial wellness vision can truly enable consumers and businesses to access full suite of financial services such as payments, lending insurance, savings etc. to be able achieve financial freedom. I believe embedded finance can help accelerate Pakistan’s economic growth by making financial services accessible and affordable to all at the point of experience, tailored to their needs and available on-demand.
Marvin is a globally respected ecosystem builder and thought leader with a strong understanding of frontier and Pan-Asian markets. With his cumulative experience across geographies and sectors of almost 30 years, Marvin has also been deeply involved in the impact investing space, working with renowned institutions such as the Asian and Frontier Investment & Development Partners. He has also worked in investment banking with Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank. He is currently the Founding Partner of Golden Rock Capital, where he focuses on advising, investing and scaling businesses in the Asian frontier markets and South East Asia.
Neem's vision for financial wellness has the potential to greatly benefit underbanked communities in emerging markets. Similar to how microfinance catalysed financial inclusion at the turn of the century, I believe that Neem’s embedded finance tech driven platform will make it possible to achieve a quantum leap in the financial sector of developing countries like Pakistan.
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