About Us

We are dedicated towards enhancing access to finance for women and women's businesses. We understand that to help women entrepreneurs succeed, we need to think beyond financing and boost their access to business tools and knowledge.

We support FIs in the identification and selection of cutting-edge technologies to provide gender-responsive and sustainable financing.
We offer tailored capacity development trainings to FIs to enhance their capacity in delivering inclusive financial services.
We explore funding and co-financing opportunities to support FIs in increasing their lending to women and women's businesses.
We actively promote sustainable finance by assisting partner FIs in incorporating environmental and social considerations into their strategies, operations, and products and services, while also offering guidance, opportunity to pilot innovative green financing solutions, and capacity-building resources.

Jump to 'Our Team'

We work in all ADB Member Countries from Asia and the Pacific.

Currently, we are engaged in Fiji, Georgia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Viet Nam.

Interested to become a member? Sign up now.

Our Team

Meet Our Team

Mr. Cheema started his career at Deutsche Bank Securities, New York as an Equity Research Associate in 1996. Before joining ADB, he worked in various financial institutions including J.P. Morgan Securities, New York; HSBC Investment Bank, Dubai and London; Nomura International, Dubai as Executive Director, Corporate Finance and Investment Banking. He also has worked at Alpen Capital, Dubai, and the UAE.

Mr. Asif holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Yale University and course work in International Affairs from Colombia University and Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance from New York Institute of Technology, New York.

Asif Cheema

Director

Private Sector Operations Department

Financial Institutions Division

Akhil is a digital transformation and financial inclusion specialist. Before joining the WFX team, he was a Senior Director of Business Consulting at Ernst & Young in Manila, Philippines. Prior to that, he created investment pipelines for the UBX Philippines and the Union Bank of Philippines as a consultant. He has an MBA from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Akhil Hemrajani

WFX Manager

Before joining WFX, Fae held consulting roles in ADB's Southeast Asia Department, Budget, Personnel, and Management Systems Department and Controller's Department. Prior to ADB, she's held multiple roles in JP Morgan Chase & Co., particularly in risk management, and in the Philippine Savings Bank as a process management officer. She holds an MBA from Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business, Philippines.

Alfea Bonsol

WFX Coordinator

Mature banking and financial professional with extensive experience in serving corporate and financial institution clients’ working capital needs globally. Apurva has understanding of the nuances of local, regional, and global clients through extensive experience in selling working capital solutions across various countries. Having worked extensively in product, he understands the design, development, and conceptualization of domestic and cross border cash management and trade finance solutions in transaction banking across supply chain, ecommerce, instant/digital payments, and cross border payments.

Apurva Jain

Technology Feasibility Specialist

Before joining ADB, Mon worked at the Department of Finance and Department of Education in the Philippines. He has more than 10 years of public sector experience. He has a BS in Economics from the School of Economics, University of the Philippines.

Edmond Yee

Project Analyst

Before joining the WFX team, Joanna was an SME and gender finance specialist for 15 years at the International Finance Corporation based in Washington, DC. Prior to that, she worked with the Afghanistan Ministry of Commerce and Industries, UK Trade & Investment and Ernst and Young in Manila, Philippines. She has an MA in International Trade and Investment Policy from The George Washington University, USA.

Joanna Romero

Gender Finance Specialist

Before joining the WFX team, Kavita worked as a consultant for the various departments of ADB and the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila. Prior to that, she was a staff at the Hong Kong's Equal Opportunities Commission and ADB's Nepal Resident Mission. She has an MA in English Literature from the Tribhuvan University, Nepal and was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

Kavita Sherchan

Knowledge Management Specialist

Sabine manages the Women’s Finance Exchange (WFX) and is part of the microfinance program in ADB's Private Sector Financial Institutions Division. Before joining ADB, she worked as the Deputy Head in Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and was responsible for its Asia project portfolio. She has a commercial banking background and holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Sabine Spohn

Principal Investment Specialist

WFX Lead

In addition to her work in WFX, Carola Menzel-Hausherr works as Senior Sustainable Finance Specialist at the Frankfurt School International Advisory Services (IAS) as part of the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaboration Centre for Climate & Sustainable Finance.

She has a consolidated background in sustainable finance sector development and institutional and staff development, with more than 20 years’ experience. She has worked with public and private sector organizations - revising and developing strategies, policies, processes and financial products.

Carola Menzel

Sustainable Finance Specialist

Need more details?

We are here to assist. Contact us by email at womenfinx@adb.org or through the contact form.

We are open from 8:00AM - 5:00PM Philippine Standard Time (UTC +8).