Face to Face with our Members: Alessandra Nibbio, Junior Consultant, Innpact Sàrl

Face to Face with our Members: Alessandra Nibbio, Junior Consultant, Innpact Sàrl

An interview with Alessandra Nibbio

Alessandra Nibbio joined Innpact Sàrl in May 2016. She is a Junior Consultant in the Innpact Fund Management Support team.

Could you please tell us more about your background?

Before working with Innpact, I worked for 2.5 years as financial advisor in a consulting company supporting the risk department of one of the major Italian banks. I did internships in the non-profit sector for an NGO in India and at the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

I also collaborated for almost a year while I was studying with a Social Incubator in Milan, supporting start up developing their business.

Except for these experiences at the beginning of my career, I was involved mainly in the financial services industry before joining Innpact.

I have been always interested in international development and cooperation but I wanted first to start working in the private sector in order to strengthen my financial knowledge.

What are your current responsibilities at Innpact?

I work in the Fund Management Support team providing support to the Microfinance Enhancement Facility (MEF) which is a major player in microfinance sector. It is a debt fund initiated in 2009 by IFC and KFW. Other major shareholders join the fund later, such as EIB and FMO. The fund supports microfinance in developing countries by lending money to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and small banks providing loans to micro entrepreneurs, SMEs.

Innpact has two teams supporting the Fund. One mainly supporting the Board of Directors of the Fund and the other, my team, which is supporting the Investment Committee of the Fund.

In particular, with my colleagues we are in charge of coordinating the relationship between the Investment Committee and the 3 investment managers, liaising with them in order to prepare the monthly Investment Committee meetings.

We collect information to prepare and organise the Investment Committee meeting discussions, providing the Investment Committee with a comprehensive view on the Fund’s portfolio and pipeline. We prepare and publish reports. We interact with the Custodian Bank and the Hedge Advisor. We also provide ad hoc analysis, for instance on the cash level of the Fund, as we are also responsible of the financial model and the cash management of the fund.

Let’s say that we never get bored here at Innpact.

How is Innpact involved in inclusive finance?

Innpact is involved 360° in inclusive finance: from providing the support to start a fund to coordinating the daily management activity of the fund. Innpact has strong expertise in supporting sectors like microfinance, climate finance, cross fair trade (SME Finance, Social Entrepreneurship, Agriculture) and education for instance.

What is your key interest in inclusive finance?

Before starting university, I had an interest in development cooperation. I decided to study economics and I got more interested in inclusive finance. Inclusive Finance allows me to find a balance between the financial knowledge I have and my will to contribute to shared prosperity.

For you Inclusive finance is a passion, job or learning experience?

Inclusive finance is a mix of these 3 components.

It is firstly a passion. Working for social impact causes is a dream come true. It is also my job. I have experience in both private banks and impact finance. Impact finance requires a lot of professionalism because you want to generate profit but you want to help people also. There is a need to be consistent with both sides.

Finally, I am new to the sector and I am still learning a lot. Now I have most exposure in microfinance but I would also like to explore in the future other aspects of the impact industry, such as equity and green funds.