With a MA in geography and a PhD in International Development Studies both from the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands) and with over 35 years of international experience, Henk van Oosterhout is a renowned expert in inclusive finance, global poverty, wealth and inequality. As founder and CEO of Inclusive Finance Advisory Services (IFAS), he promotes financial inclusion in emerging and developing countries. He gives advice to governments and development organizations on the design and implementation of policies and programs that improves access to a broad spectrum of financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) and low-income people.
Van Oosterhout also supports international Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) initiatives that lift the poor out of poverty. In addition, he gives presentations and lectures on global poverty and inequality. He has written several books and articles on these topics as well as on microcredit.
With an MA in geography, a PhD inInternational Development Studies both from the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands) and over35 years of international experience, Henk van Oosterhout is a renowned expertin inclusive finance, global poverty, wealth and inequality. As founder and CEOof InclusiveFinance Advisory Services (IFAS), he promotes financial inclusion in emergingand developing countries. He gives advice to governments and developmentorganizations on the design and implementation of policies and programs thatimproves access to financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) and low-income people.
Van Oosterhout also supports projects ofNGOs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) departments that want to liftthe poor out of poverty. Lastly, he gives presentations and lectures on global poverty andinequality. He has written several books and articles on these topics as well as onmicrocredit.
Henk van Oosterhout is CEO of Inclusive Finance Advisory Services. Among others he carries out short-term assignments for bi- and multilateral development organizations and international NGOs either as a trouble shooter, or to appraise; monitor and evaluate development projects. He also does impact studies.
Henk was the Interim Executive Director of the Microinsurance Network in 2015 and 2016 Luxembourg. This network is a platform of bilateral and multilateral donors, insurance companies, and consultancies working together to improve access of insurance products in poor and emerging markets.
Between 2012 and 2014, Henk worked (parttime) with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and was amongst others, manager in Indonesia of a program funded by the World Bank that offered small loans to rural family businesses.
In 2009 Henk worked for the Rabobank in Malawi. He supported the First Merchant Bank (FMB) to expand their financial services into rural areas. In 2010 and 2011 he carried out several short-term missions for the Rabobank Foundation and Rabo International Advisory Services.
Between 2004 and 2008, he was manager in Uganda of a program funded by the European Commission -(EC). The program gave training and advice to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and credit cooperatives. Among the achievements was the establishment of a local rating agency. It also managed a partial guarantee fund for banks that provide funds to MFIs and rural cooperatives. From 2006 onwards, he was the director of a similar program funded by GIZ/DANIDA in Ghana.
From 1997 to 2001, he joined the World Bank. His duty stations included Azerbaijan and Georgia, where he set up rural credit programs, and Yemen where he supported the microcredit component of the Social Fund for Development (SFD).
Between 1992 and 1996 he was an intra muros consultant for the European Commission in Brussels. He supervised and advised the technical assistance programs of the EC in
Sri-Lanka and Thailand. He also assisted the Commission on the design of policies and strategies for microcredit programs in other Asian countries.
From 1988 to 1991 he managed a project of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in the Philippines that linked the informal financial sector and MFIs with commercial banks.
Henk began his overseas career in 1984 with the International Labor Organization International Labor Organization. In Cameroon, he gave management training and advice to coffee and cocoa marketing cooperatives. He continued his work for the ILO in the Philippines and Nepal.
