Azimut Inclusive Finance is an international consulting company providing expertise and advice in the area of inclusive finance and entrepreneurship. Azimut advises and supports existing financial service providers and their partners to effectively offer a broad range of financial services sustainably. We are driven by the belief that increased levels of financial inclusion – through savings, credit, insurance, and payment services – contributes significantly to sustainable economic growth.
Our experience and expertise are concentrated in the following three cores services:
Azimut Inclusive Finance provides advisory services and technical assistance in the area of inclusive finance and entrepreneurship. Legally established in Belgium, Azimut is represented in Kigali, Rwanda, and operates mainly on the African continent.
Our mission is to contribute to a better financial inclusion by professionalizing microfinance institutions, helping them unlock their growth potential and compete, in time, with the market leaders.
Active in the African microfinance sector since 2003, the two founders have in-depth knowledge of the sector. Having worked in the field with more than 60 MFIs in 25 African countries, Azimut's directors have developed close contacts with MFIs and key stakeholders. The field and the technical expertise gained from their rating and benchmarking backgrounds, as well as numerous TA assignments, have helped refining their working methods.
Azimut's strong experience is solicited by donors and funders for assistance in their inclusive finance projects and programs.
Our professional approach is based on the following principles and values:
Charles Cordier has 12 years of experience in the financial and the microfinance sector in Africa. Charles worked as an independent consultant from 2011 - 2014 and provided in this period a variety of TA assignments and strategic advice. Previously, he was the lead analyst for the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) for Africa and the MENA region. Charles has lived in Canada, Angola, Senegal, Morocco and Rwanda. He holds a Business Degree in Accounting and Management from Ozenne School in Toulouse, and a Master Degree in Finance of Amiens Business School.
Gregory Thys offers over a decade of microfinance experience, mostly in Africa. Prior to co-found Azimut Inclusive Finance, Gregory was an independent consultant (2010-2014), during which time he conducted several TA assignments and provided advisory services to a variety of microfinance stakeholders. He was in charge of MicroRate's operations in Africa (2005-2010) and previously worked as a technical advisor in Senegal (2003-2005). Gregory has lived in Senegal, South Africa, Denmark, Morocco and is currently based in Kigali, Rwanda. He holds a B. Sc. in Business Administration from the Louvain School of Management and a Masters in Development Studies from the UCL.
Laurent Lhériau is specialized in business law and financial regulation. He has been working since 1998 on topics relating to the regulation of inclusive finance (microfinance, branchless banking, compliance of inclusive financial systems), both for supervisors in the context of legislative and regulatory reforms, as well as for MFIs, providing assistance in compliance efforts or in areas relating to the institutional developments (transformation).
He teaches at the Microfinance Training Program "Boulder", the Master at the University of Lorraine (Nancy France) and at the Protestant University of the Congo (UPC, Kinshasa). Laurent has a PhD in private law (University of Picardie - Jules Verne), worked in over twenty African countries and is based in Paris, France.
Après près de 30 ans d’expérience bancaire en France, (Directeur d’Agence, Directeur des Engagements), il décide de s’engager dans l’appui au développement par le biais de la finance au service des populations les plus fragiles. Il dirige d’abord le Crédit Mutuel du Sénégal, premier réseau de Microfinance du Sénégal, pendant près de 3 ans, et assure la transmission à une direction totalement sénégalaise. Il innove ensuite dans ce secteur et crée simultanément la C.C.M.A.O. (Confédération des Caisses Mutualistes d’Afriques de l’Ouest) première Confédération d’Institutions de Microfinance en Afrique, ainsi que la B.I.M.A.O. (Banque des Institutions Mutualistes d’Afrique de l’Ouest), première Banque Mutualiste d’Afrique. En 2007 il rejoint le Groupe Planet Finance pour développer le réseau mondial de MicroCred et créer la première société commerciale de Microfinance au Sénégal (MicroCred Sénégal). Depuis 2010, il est Consultant. Outre ses capacités de création et de management d’institutions financières, il a une connaissance approfondie de la réglementation du secteur des systèmes financiers décentralisés de l’UMOA. Ses compétences lui permettent en particulier de collaborer sur des Dossiers d’Agrément d’institutions, sur la conception de Plans Stratégiques, sur l’élaboration de Stratégies Commerciales et de Politiques de Crédit et sur les problématiques de gouvernance et de management d'IMF.
Ligia Castro-Monge has over 30 years experience in financial and economic fields, especially in the area of regulation of financial intermediaries, microfinance and risk management. Ligia has participated in the development and implementation of methodologies for diagnosing and managing exogenous risks (business continuity and contingency plans) and for the management of financial and operational risks in MFIs in the framework of Basel II and Basel III. She worked closely with MFIs in Latin America, Asia and more recently in West Africa and is an active member of the Technical Working Group of RIM (Risk Management for Microfinance Initiative). Ligia holds a Master in Economics from the University of Chicago, USA.
Agnès FALL offers over twenty years of financial information systems experience (bank and microfinance), mostly in Africa. She worked for Accion International as IT program manager for Africa and was an independent consultant (2003 to 2010 and since 2014), during which time she conducted several TA assignments and provided advisory services to a variety of microfinance stakeholders. Agnes has lived in France, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal where she is currently based. She holds an engineer diploma in electronic and computer sciences from Ecole Polytechnique Feminine (EPF) in Sceaux France.
International Finance Corporation / The Worldbank Group