Mia has extensive experience in how to regulate for innovation and innovative business models that encourage financial and economic inclusion for markets that serve people. Mia has been part of the Cenfri team since 2012 and leads our insights teams. She works with Cenfri’s thematic and programme leads to determine and implement impact agenda. Most of her work focuses on private sector innovation, insurance market development and green finance, but she has also lead work to address challenges in payment systems, inclusive integrity and digital transformation. Mia spearheads a number of our multi-year programmes and a range of diagnostic approaches to build roadmaps for partners interested in unlocking development outcomes.
In her spare time, Mia enjoys all things related to food, particularly cooking for close friends and discovering exciting new ingredients from small, local businesses. Mia also enjoys exploring the wild, beautiful surroundings of Cape Town.
Recent highlights
- Leading the five-year Risk, Remittances and Integrity (RRI) programme on behalf of FSD Africa and designing and implementing projects under these themes.
Leading and designing the multi-year Making Access Possible (MAP) financial inclusion diagnostics programme partnering with UNCDF and FinMark Trust. Implementing the DRC, Madagascar, Malawi and Eswatini diagnostics.
- Designing insurance market for development diagnostics with DFID and the World Bank, covering Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda, and implementing the Ghana and synthesis components.
- Working with private sector partners to develop approaches to unlock remittance–linked insurance business models, covering partnership, consumer insights and regulatory considerations.
- Leading a feasibility and scoping study to inform FSD Africa’s approach to flood risk management and transfer in Nigeria, including identification of potential opportunities and constraints related to use cases, data and models to better manage and transfer flood risk.
- Member of UNEP Principles for Sustainable Insurance initiative.
- Member of the Insurance Development Forum including their insurance working group.
- Member of the Microinsurance Network.
Qualifications
- Registered Chartered Accountant with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
- All levels of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute examinations passed.
- Master of Development Finance (cum laude), University of Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
- Honours degree in Economics, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Honours degree in Accounting, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
- BCom in Accounting, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
