As part of its Advisory Board, Neem, an embedded finance platform, founded by Nadeem Shaikh, Vladimira Briestenska and Naeem Zamindar, has appointed experienced global leaders as Senior Advisors.
It is a unique moment of bringing such recognised fintech experts into the wider Pakistani ecosystem, including the ex-Head of M-PESA, the biggest financial inclusion player in Africa, as well as the ex-founder of Fidor Bank, the pioneering neo-bank.
“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 democratizing access to a full spectrum of financial services for consumers and businesses in emerging markets,” said Philippe Weber, ex-Head of M-PESA and Neem Advisor.
Neem’s Advisory Board includes also strong names from the local Pakistani ecosystem, including fintech and impact leader, CEO of Sana Safinaz, Uzma Khan and Teizoon Kisat, a senior microfinance expert. All are committed to helping Neem realise the Financial Wellness vision for millions of underbanked communities.
”At Neem, we believe that it takes a village and community to nurture and develop ambitious visions. We are honoured that such globally respected leaders have given us their trust and decided to share their expertise in digital financial services, embedded finance, impact investing, and regulatory frameworks for achieving the Financial Wellness goals, starting in Pakistan,” commented Vladimira Briestenska, cofounder at Neem.
NEEM SENIOR ADVISORS
Uzma Khan – A financial and impact trailblazer with a diverse career in banking, social sector, and retail operating space with institutions such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Standard Chartered and many more. Currently leading the charge at Sana Safinaz in Pakistan.
Matthias Kröner – Pioneer in the neo-banking space, ex-founder of Fidor Bank and DAB Bank, Europe’s two highly disruptive financial service companies democratising consumers’ access to banking.
Philippe Weber – A visionary fintech leader in the mobile payments and digital financial services space who grew M-PESA into the largest Fintech in East Africa and beyond.
Teizoon Kisat – A senior business leader with a deep understanding of the leasing and microfinance landscape of Pakistan. Brought overseas investments and spearheaded Orix which is a leading leasing and microfinance company in Pakistan.
Marvin Yeo – Recognised frontier and emerging markets impact investor who has worked with Asian Development Bank, Frontier Investment & Development Partners, and Barclays. Currently leading Golden Rock Capital, where he focuses on investing and scaling businesses in frontier and emerging markets.
About Neem
Neem is an embedded finance platform enabling the Financial Wellness of underbanked communities – both individuals and businesses. We are seamlessly embedding financial products and services into communities across diverse sectors, including agriculture, MSMEs, e-commerce, fintech, logistics, healthcare, and others. We’re starting from Pakistan and building for emerging markets, globally. Founded by experienced fintech entrepreneurs, operators and ex-VCs.
