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Our Staff

FDC maintains a small core staff drawn from policy, academic and business backgrounds, and a number of expert consultants.

Mr Craig Wilson (Executive Director)

Craig Wilson joined FDC as its Executive Director in January 2007.  He is an economist with extensive international development experience.  Craig joined FDC from the International Finance Corporation, where he worked for the previous two years in Bangladesh managing an investment climate program in South Asia.  Craig has worked with numerous international development organisations in various countries since 2000. During the 1990s he served as a diplomat in Australia's foreign service.  He recently co-authored two books which focus on opportunities for private sector involvement in developing country poverty reduction. One (with Professor George Lodge of Harvard) is entitled "A Corporate Solution to Global Poverty"; the other is "Make Poverty Business" (with Peter Wilson from the UK).  Craig grew up in Brisbane and has degrees from Griffith University (Brisbane) and Columbia University (New York).

Jamie Bedson (Asia Regional Representative)

Jamie is current working on the Citi Foundation and Banking with the Poor Network programme to advance the partnership approach in microfinance, as well as undertaking research into the emerging issue of energy and microfinance.  His past research and professional work has focused on community development issues including microfinance, refugee resettlement and water and sanitation. He holds a Master's degree in Social Science (International Development) and a BA in International Relations.

Luse Kinivuwai (Pacific Regional Representative)

Luse was the Director of Microfinance Unit of the National Centre for Small and Micro Enterprise Development [NCSMED] from 2002 to 2008. She has worked in developing microfinance services in Fiji for nearly 8 years which involved policy formulation, methodology development and managing the partnership arrangements with 9 microfinance institutions. Luse has worked in concert with several international organizations in policy formulation for the Fiji Microfinance Policy Framework and SME related work. Prior to that she worked in various positions in the Fiji Development Bank for 12 years from 1998 to 2000. Luse is the current chair of the Microfinance Pasifika Network but will relinquish this in the near future as she takes the Lead Coordinator role for the Network of which FDC is the Secretariat. She holds a Bachelor of Agriculture and Masters in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific.

Katrina Crawford (Operations Officer)

Katrina holds a Bachelor of International Relations from Griffith University (Brisbane) and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in International and Community development at Deakin University. She is currently working on the Banking with the Poor and Microfinance Pasifika network as well as being actively involved in maintaining FDC's website. Before joining FDC, Katrina had previously worked in the retail sector for over seven years.

Jack Whelan (Head - Private Sector Engagement)

Jack has a strong background in environmental policy, corporate responsibility, sustainability, public affairs and communications. He has extensive international experience at the interface of business, government and civil society.  In his recent position as IBLF Director, Jack managed a team responsible for relations with member companies, stakeholder organisations, the United Nations, NGOs and the media. Previously Jack worked as senior environmental policy manager at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) headquarters in Paris. Jack coordinated business representation at UN negotiations on environment, energy, climate change, water, biodiversity and sustainable development, including the business delegation at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, with Chairman Sir Mark Moody-Stuart.  From March 2007, Jack acted in an advisory capacity for a variety of organisations, including the International Hydropower Association, UNESCO and the Star Alliance airline network.  

At FDC Jack is currently working on developing partnerships with the private sector, to demonstrate new and innovative approaches to international development which may be replicated by others elsewhere.  He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a Master of Science.

Dr Vladimir Pacheco (Senior Training Coordinator & Research Fellow)

Dr Vladimir Pacheco is FDC's Senior Training Coordinator and Research Fellow. Before joining FDC Vladimir worked as a lecturer at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and at Monash University in Melbourne.
Vladimir's doctoral dissertation, completed in 2003, analysed the process of financial deregulation in Costa Rica from 1980 to 2000. Since then Vladimir has conducted research on microfinance entities in Vanuatu.

Mélanie has extensive experience on business development projects focussing mainly on capacity building, business development and structured finance. She combines formal training in international finance and strategic consulting in enterprise, with practical experience to help solve problems of business management, development and growth; to implement market research; and to assess financial potential/opportunities. She applies a participatory leadership style when leading large project teams. She has worked successfully in different settings and combines rigorous scientific training with cultural acuity and fluency in 4 languages i.e. Bahasa Indonesia, Spanish, French and English. Melanie has a degree in International Finance from University of Montreal - HEC (Canada) and hold a post-graduate Master’s degree in Strategic consulting from Complutense University (Spain).

Shawn Hunter  (Project Officer) 

Shawn has joined FDC in 2008 and is supporting the work of the BWTP Network as well as operations relating to the Singapore office. He is also supporting the development and implementation of the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative – Access to Energy for the Poor. Before joining FDC Shawn worked as an instructor for the University of Queensland. His past research and professional work has focused on development issues throughout Asia and the Pacific and includes, disaster mitigation, water and sanitation and Asian cities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours - Geography and English) from the University of Queensland.   

Carly Stephan  (Project Officer)

Carly is currently working on an FDC-led community development project in Indonesia and the Pacific governance program BGLP. Carly has previously had experience as a project coordinator for programs ranging from environmental sustainability to governance and law & justice. Carly combines her project management background with extensive researching and teaching experience in the areas of: teaching methods, refugees and security, and international development success and efficacy. Carly speaks Bahasa Indonesia at an intermediate level and holds a double degree in Political Science and International Business, a first class honours degree in International Relations (University of Queensland) and a Masters of Development Studies (University of Sydney). 

Mearon O'Brien (Administrative Assistant) 

Mearon has worked for the past three years in the community sector – in both Brisbane and Melbourne – mainly in advocacy roles in the area of industrial relations for young people in a domestic and international context.  She has undertaken and deferred study in both Social Science and Human Services and is taking the opportunity to gain insight and varied experience in an international development environment.

Chris McCosker (Accounts Officer)

Chris currently holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Southern Queensland and has worked with various not for profit associated organisations in the region. Dealing with all matters financial, Chris is responsible for the accurate and timely recording of all financial and accounting transactions. He is currently undertaking further studies at the Queensland University of Technology.

Dr. Nimal A. Fernando (FDC Special Consultant)

Dr. Nimal A. Fernando is a development economist with over 30 years of experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of development policies, programs, and projects and economic research and training in Asia and the Pacific region.  He retired from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2008 after 16 years of service.  His most recent role was Practice Leader for Microfinance.  His other experience includes 12 years of successively more senior roles at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and a three and a half year assignment at the National Research Institute of Papua New Guinea. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a donor consortium promoting sustainable microfinance, for four years.  Dr. Fernando’s key areas of expertise include: central banking; banking and financial institutions development; financial services for the poor and low-income households; small and medium enterprise financing; financial literacy; agricultural and rural finance; and research, policy analysis and advice in inclusive financial systems development. His experience combines significant accomplishments while designing, implementing and evaluating complex development projects focused largely on rural finance and financial services for the poor, and training, research and policy advisory services in inclusive finance provided in a diverse group of countries in Asia and the Pacific. He has demonstrated leadership skills and key competencies in strategic thinking, knowledge generation and sharing, teaching and international networking.  His country experience includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste, Fiji and the Gambia.

Dr. John Conroy (FDC Special Consultant)
 
John Conroy has been a development practitioner since 1968, with extensive periods of residence in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, and field experience in much of South and East Asia. While Executive Director of FDC, from 1991 to 2000, he co-authored two books on linkages between banks and MFIs. These were Banking with the Poor (FDC, 1992) and Best Practice of Banking with the Poor (FDC, 1995). He also co-authored two comparative studies, Getting the Framework Right: policy and regulation for microfinance in Asia (FDC, 1998) and The Role of Central Banks in Microfinance (ADB, 2000). John is now Special Consultant to FDC, as well as consulting independently. He has conducted studies and evaluations for the World Bank in Fiji and East Timor, for FAO in Indonesia and for the Pacific Forum Secretariat in Pacific island countries.

Dr Conroy has had a long association with aspects of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) process. As Executive Director of FDC, he managed an APEC ‘second track’ initiative between 1995 and 2000. This explored the nature and potential of the APEC economic & technical cooperation process. Dr Conroy was consultant to the government of Mexico on microbanking and microenterprise development issues during that country’s chairing of the APEC process in 2002, and was keynote speaker at the Acapulco ‘High Level Meeting on Microenterprise’. Most recently, during 2008, he was associated with the ABAC ‘financial inclusion’ initiative, conducted as part of the APEC Finance Ministers’ process. 

Mr Masud Isa (FDC Special Consultant)

Mr. M Masud Isa joined FDC in 2008 as Senior Private Sector Development Specialist and commenced as FDC Special Consultant in 2009.  Masud started his career in 1981, served in Bangladesh Krishi Bank as Chief Manager before joining Grameen Bank in 1985. His last assignment in Grameen Bank was the Chief of Monitoring, Evaluation and Planning Department. Masud was the Managing Director of Grameen Kalyan (a venture capital financing company) for 2 years and Managing Director of Grameen Telecom for 3 years, the pioneer of village phone operation in Bangladesh. He also served as the Managing Director of Grameen Knitwear Limited (an export oriented composite knitwear manufacturing company) for 5 years. Masud was in the Board of Directors in several companies of Grameen Group in the areas of telecommunication, textile, agriculture, fisheries, education, health care, asset management and ISP. He also worked as micro-credit consultant for AusAID, UNHCR and Grameen Trust and participated as Resource Speaker in training programs, workshops and seminars at home and abroad. He has some international publications on micro credit, its impact and relevance and prepared a number of project documents, resource and seminar papers using microfinance and ICT as tools for addressing the issues of poverty and hunger. Masud graduated with Honours in English language and literature before completing his MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Masud is currently pursuing his PhD at Monash University on a part-time basis.