FINCA Afganistan serves clients with responsible and affordable financial services.
FINCA Afghanistan Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors brings a breadth of expertise and dedication to providing access to responsible financial services.
Zar Wardak
BOARD CHAIRPERSON
Zar Wardak
Zar Wardak is FINCA Impact Finance’s Vice President & Regional Director for the Middle East & South Asia (MESA) region, where she leads the network’s operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jordan. Based in Kabul, she oversees a loan portfolio of more than $170 million, providing more than 660,000 clients with loans, savings products, insurance and payments services.
Under Zar’s leadership, FINCA’s operations in the MESA region have expanded to cover two full-service microfinance institutions and one bank, each of which now has more than 25,000 clients. FINCA Impact Finance has also become a catalyst for women’s economic empowerment in the MESA region—61% of FINCA Afghanistan clients are women; in Jordan, that number is 92%. Most recently, Zar helped introduce SimSim, an e-wallet now being used by over 100,000 previously unbanked or underbanked users in Pakistan. SimSim launched in 2016 and has contributed to financial inclusion in Pakistan while keeping FINCA at the forefront of Fintech innovation.
Prior to becoming Regional Director in 2012, Zar served as CEO of FINCA Afghanistan. Under her leadership, the company was able to achieve sustainability within three years. She implemented profitable microfinance solutions designed for local conditions—notably, FINCA Afghanistan was the first microfinance institution in the country to offer Islamic banking services. FINCA Afghanistan now serves more than 25,000 clients from 21 branches across the country, largely due to Zar’s successful stint as CEO.
Prior to joining FINCA, Zar worked as a financial services industry consultant in Afghanistan and served as Regional Sales Integration Director for Citibank in Texas before that. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Southwestern College in Kansas and a Master of Science in Peace Operations from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Zar also serves as Chairperson of the Afghanistan Microfinance Association and Chairperson of the Board for FINCA Impact Finance’s MESA subsidiaries as well as for Kosovo.
Volker Renner
BOARD DIRECTOR
Volker Renner
Volker Renner has over 20 years of senior executive experience in responsible finance in the Eurasia, Africa, Latin America and Asia regions. From 2004 to 2016 he served FINCA International as Vice President for Credit and Savings, Global COO, and Regional Director for FINCA Eurasia. Prior to joining FINCA, Volker held positions as CEO of ProCredit Bank (Ukraine) and advisor to banks in Russia and Ukraine. Since 2016, Volker has focused his work on governance and consulting roles, serving as board director and member of Audit, Risk, ALCO, Digital Financial Services, and Credit committees in financial institutions on three continents.
P. Daniel Smith
BOARD DIRECTOR
P. Daniel Smith
Dan Smith oversees FINCA’s legal operations worldwide. He joined FINCA after 15 years with the international law firm White & Case, where he specialized in international finance, project development, joint ventures and general corporate law.
Mr. Smith has worked on behalf of numerous international finance institutions. He began his career working with NGOs in Ghana, Somalia, Croatia and Bosnia.
Mr. Smith received his law degree from Harvard Law School and holds a master’s degree in international economics from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and psychology from the University of Kansas.
Jeffrey Smith
BOARD DIRECTOR
Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith serves as Vice President, Global Chief Auditor And Chief Risk And Compliance Officer at FINCA Impact Finance. He has nearly 40 years of experience in auditing, finance, accounting, risk management, internal control and regulatory compliance. He has led many restructuring efforts of global audit, risk management and compliance departments, as well as, many global efforts implementing effective risk controls and compliance monitoring systems.
Mr. Smith has worked in both the public and private sectors, and has been an independent consultant and held global positions at Citibank and Ford Motor Company. Most recently, he was the Chief Auditor at Rotary International.
Mr. Smith is a Certified Risk Professional and earned a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan, USA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA).
Radoil Mitov
BOARD DIRECTOR
Radoil Mitov
Mr. Mitov is a senior member of CMG at FINCA Impact Finance, where his responsibilities include raising and negotiating loan funding, reviewing and evaluating financial plans, assisting CEOs and CFOs in developing funding strategy for the subsidiaries, assisting in developing new financial structures and instruments and preparing investment proposals.
Before joining FINCA Impact Finance he worked for MicroVest Capital Management for four years as as investment manager and senior investment associate. Prior to MicroVest Capital Management, Mr. Mitov carried out different duties in different organizations such as Express Finance SA, CHF International, Imake Consulting Inc., Pacific Western Mortgage and Investment.
Radoil Mitov graduated from American University majoring in Finance and International Economics. He also earned a MA in International Trade and Investment Policy and MBA in International Finance at George Washington University, USA.
Mridula Saini
BOARD DIRECTOR, HEAD OF IT COMMITTEE
Mridula Saini
FINCA Afghanistan Audit Committee Members
Volker Renner
BOARD DIRECTOR
Jeffrey Smith
BOARD DIRECTOR
Radoil Mitov
BOARD DIRECTOR
FINCA Afghanistan Management Team
Our management team brings vast experience, professional skills and expertise from various industry backgrounds.
Sayed Muhammad Ali Rawnaq
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO)
Sayed Muhammad Ali Rawnaq
Sayed Muhammad Ali Rawnaq began his microfinance career with reputable organizations ARMP and FMFB-A, starting as a branch manager and advancing to head of operation. Mr. Rawnaq joined FINCA Afghanistan in April 2014 in the capacity of Deputy Chief Operating Officer and, after six months, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In March 2018, Mr. Rawnaq was promoted to the position of Acting Chief Executive officer (A/CEO) of FINCA Afghanistan and was announced as CEO of FINCA Afghanistan in 2019.
Mr. Rawnaq holds a Bachelor in Science and Finance from UMEF University and an MBA in Leadership & Sustainability from Cambria University. Simultaneously he has participated in a number of national and international trainings delivered by the ITC-ILO, IFAD, CGAP, Central Bank and World Bank covering various subjects including Finance, Operation, Risk, Savings Mobilization, Product Development, Leadership and Management.
Abdul Kabir Khan
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (CFO)
Abdul Kabir Khan
Abdul Kabir Khan has been Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of FINCA Afghanistan since 2015. Kabir possess a great deal of experience in the fields of financial analysis, financial decision making, budgeting, financial management, accounting and regulatory requirements. He has more than ten (10) years of experience in different fields relating to accounting, financial management and auditing. He is part of the management board of the FINCA Afghanistan.
Apart from his regular roles and responsibilities as CFO, he is also Corporate Secretary of the organization, working on the legal and regulatory requirements of corporate law as well as the corporate governance requirements at FINCA Impact Finance.
Previously, Kabir worked at the Deloitte office in Kabul and was in charge of the Deloitte firm and the focal person for all Afghanistan portfolio with Deloitte. He led the team in Statutory Annual Audits of major financial institutions including FINCA Afghanistan for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. In addition, he has led and managed audit of various Banking, Telecom, Trading and other development institutions in Afghanistan. Prior to working with Deloitte Kabul, Kabir has worked for Care International Pakistan. He has completed his CA article ship of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan from Deloitte Islamabad.
Kabir’s exposure to a wide spectrum of industries with a variety of work experience has provided him with an insider view of the key business processes within an organization, risk management procedures, accounting and internal control systems, corporate governance and regulatory as well as accounting framework in a wide array of industries.
Kabir is a CA finalist, Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Consultant (CFC- Canada) and possess a graduate degree in Economics and Statistics from University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan.
Sandeep Sharma
CHIEF OPERATION OFFICER (COO)
Sandeep Sharma
He has played key roles in large institutions in India, such as HDFC Bank, HDFC Insurance and ICICI Bank, gained rich experience in Branch Banking, Rural product and services, Retail Banking on Liabilities and Asset Operations, Bancasssurance, Agent & Direct Sales Channel, Cross Selling and driving large Teams across India. For his exceptional contribution in customer service and risk management, his projects won National Quality Awards in ICICI Bank.
In East Africa, he has been part of the Board, the management Team, and led cross functional departments as Head – Retail Bank of FINA Bank, Rwanda which now stands acquired by one of the large bank in Africa, GTB, Nigeria. He has also served as Deputy Managing Director of Trust Merchant Bank, DRC for its subsidiary. In these Banks, he worked on new age technology, electronic & agent banking and digital wallets, which he scripted from the scratch.
Further, he has served with Airtel Payments Bank as Head – Business to Business, and Business Head with Weizmann Impex ( FinTech ), powering 22,000 retail points with digital services, working capital digital lending and inclusive financial solutions serving over 3 plus million customers. He also had an entrepreneurial stint as Founding CEO and mentor in B2B digital remittance space.
He has studied Bachelor’s of Science (BSc) from Hindu Collage, University of Delhi and Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Centre of Management.
He has completed leadership trainings with Harvard Mentor, Visa Business School, and participated in many International conferences as Speaker and Panel Member on Retail Banking and new age banking services.
Sayed Zakaria Hashimi
HEAD OF LEGAL & CORPORATE SECRETARY
Sayed Zakaria Hashimi
Qualifications LLB (HONS), International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). LLM (International Law) Kateb University of Afghanistan
Professional Associations; Afghanistan Independent Bar Association (AIBA) and Member to the ADR and Arbitration Commission of International Chambers of Commerce. Mr. Hashimi obtained the Management Certificate (leadership) from American University Afghanistan 2012- 2013.
Mr. Hashimi has been appointed as Finance and Trade Sector Senior lawyer with USAID Afghanistan as embedded lawyer in Central Bank of Afghanistan. Senior Advocate and Defense Lawyer in Afghanistan. Member Arbitrator to ICC – Afghanistan. Member of Afghan Women Network to the Legal Committee 2015-2017, member of Afghanistan Professionals Council. Since 2013 as Legal and Regulatory Advisor to Afghan Wireless Communication Company.
Mr. Hashimi is the Principal/ Founding Partner of RG Law Firm and is also a Senior Advocate of Afghanistan. And He enjoys independent recognition as one of the top 100 senior advocates in the country. He has over 10 years of legal expertise in Arbitration, litigation and commercial law.
Mr. Hashimi has actively taken part in William C. Vis Moot Court Commercial Arbitration part of a team, He wrote two Memo as Claimant and Response which enabled him to attend in the capacity of an advocate in National round of Kabul, Regional Round of Middle East and International Round of Hong Kong, who reserved fair position for his University, the Program led and sponsored by USA embassy and United States Department of Commerce.
And he based on his experience and commitment being appointed as Coach for the group of law Student from University of Mashal which successfully attended the Coaches capacity building Conference in Kingdom of Kuwait.
His early working life was spent at Resalat Law Firm and he was a major contributor to the success of the renowned Law Firm. His infallible experience informed his decision to form his Law Firm along with the following professional team.
Mr. Hashmi’s areas of expertise include Standard and Technical Regulation but not limited to Mobile Banking Regulation, Deposit Taking Micro-Finance Regulation, Corporate Governance Regulation, Afghanistan Telecommunication Regulatory Law, Open Access Policy to the ICT and Telecom Sector, Telecom Charges Law, Penal Code of Afghanistan, Mining Law, Corporation and LLC Laws, Foreign Trade Laws, PPL Law and policy, Labor Law, Private Sector Pension Regulation, Contact drafting, and other similar legal matters.
He is still in active legal practice and offers his exceptional experience, of over 10 years in the legal and investment sectors, to all matters addressed in RG Law Firm. From March onward has the pleasure of joining FINCA family in the capacity of chief Legal officers and Corporate Secretary.
Sultan Hameed Qarar
CORPORATE AUDIT MANAGER
Sultan Hameed Qarar
Mr. Sultan Hameed Qarar joined FINCA Afghanistan in November 2015 as Corporate Audit Manager. Previously he worked with Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) as the Senior Auditor for five years. Before joining the Audit Department, he worked with the Payment & Settlement Department of AIB where he handled all SWIFT and Domestic Transfers.
Mr. Qarar is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) – USA, holds Bachelor degree in business management economics from TABISH University & Banking Leadership Certificate from National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF) – Pakistan. He has many years of experience in Internal Audit, Fraud Investigation and Internal Controls in commercial banking and microfinance. He is serving as a Supervisory Board Member in commercial banks including roles as Vice President/board member of TheIIA (The Institute of Internal Auditors) chapter (information) in Afghanistan. He has also participated in a number of national and international trainings arranged by ACFE – USA, MIS Training Institute – Dubai & USA, NIBAF – Pakistan, AIBF & USAID covering various subjects including Internal Audit, Credit Audit, Banking Leadership, IT Audit & Fraud Investigation. In 2013, he was awarded the “Best Performance” certificate during the “Banking Leadership” training course by National Institute of Banking & Finance (NIBAF) of Pakistan.
Mustafa Haand
DEPUTY CHIEF OPERATION OFFICER (D/COO)
Mustafa Haand
Mustafa Haand is working as Deputy Chief Operation Officer (D/COO) of FINCA Afghanistan, where he has devoted his 16 years of experience in handling key roles in many departments such as Finance, Administration, Logistics, Procurement, Security and Operations.
Mustafa Haand joined FINCA Afghanistan on 28 Dec 2005, and continued his career in the capacity of Senior Accountant, Accounts Manager, Administration & logistic Manager and currently working as Deputy Chief Operation Officer since July 15, 2016.
Mustafa Haand holds a Bachelor Degree in Arts from Kardan University and has achieved a Diploma in Managerial Accounting from AIBF/Kmpala University of Tanzania. Before Joining FINCA Afghanistan, Mustafa Haand was working as Finance Officer with Afghanistan Government Ministry (Ministry of Power & Water irrigation in Kabul Afghanistan).
Mustafa Haand is one of the most dedicated, loyal, honest & responsible employee of FINCA Afghanistan and his 13 years of activity with FINCA has played a vital role in the expansion & success of the Institution.
ALI MAHDI HASSANI
MARKETING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
ALI MAHDI HASSANI
Ali Mahdi Hassani holds the position of Marketing & Product Development Manager with FINCA Afghanistan. He has a vast background in the field of marketing and product development from the telecommunication sector. Hassani Joined FINCA Afghanistan in 2017. He previously worked with MTN Afghanistan as a sales representative, with Etisalat Afghanistan as a Senior Product Specialist and with the Afghan-Wireless Communication Company (AWCC).
Ali Mahdi Hassani holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from Ibni Sina University, Kabul and has attended a variety of training sessions in his field of work such as Business Analysis, Product Analysis, Marketing Management, Project Management, Product Development & Product Management, Leadership and Time and Stress Management. In his previous jobs he has won many monthly and annual prizes such as being best employee of the month and star of the year. In addition, Mr. Hassani has completed a one-year Successors’ Program during his career and was his previous company’s “HR Champion”. Finally, Mr. Hassani brings to FINCA Afghanistan a great variety of experience to coach his team and contribute to the growth of the company.
Shahid Ahmed
HEAD OF IT
Shahid Ahmed
Mr. Shahid Ahmed brings 14 years of professional experience in Information Technology, specializing in the microfinance and telecom sectors. He has expertise in core banking software development and implementation, ERP Implementation, managing IT department and overall project management.
He holds a post-graduate degree in Information Technology along with a certificate in project management. Apart from his academic and professional experience, Shahid possesses leadership, management and teaching skills.
He has worked with many reputable organizations including COMSATS Pakistan and The First Microfinance Bank Pakistan in the field of IT systems and management. Mr. Ahmed has played a great role in FINCA Afghanistan’s IT infrastructure and Core Banking System set up and development. Besides that, he has played a role in IT team building, team coaching and development. Currently, Mr. Shahid Ahmed is functioning as Head of the IT Department at FINCA Afghanistan.
Abdul Majeed Nadeem
REGIONAL MANAGER-KABUL-1
Abdul Majeed Nadeem
Abdul Majeed Nadeem began his microfinance career with reputable organizations including Acted Afghanistan and FMFB-Afghanistan and has held a number of managerial and leadership positions ranging from Admin & Finance Officer to Regional Head. Mr. Nadeem joined FINCA Afghanistan in 2010 in the capacity of Branch Manager and after five years of successful branch management was promoted to the position of Regional Manager, accepting the responsibilities and challenges of more than five branches. Mr. Nadeem is a successful leader and manager and his role has been vital in success of his branches.
Abdul Majeed Nadeem has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Avicenna University Kabul and has simultaneously participated in a number of national and international esteemed training centers such as Franklin Covey, World Bank, AMA and MISFA covering various subjects including Finance, Operation, Risk, Leadership and Management.
Shujauddin Jalali
REGIONAL MANAGER-KABUL-2
Shujauddin Jalali
Shujauddin Jalali began his career in the position of administration assistant in Bank Al-Habib Pakistan and later joined the First Microfinance Bank of Afghanistan in 2011 in the capacity of SME loan officer, where he worked until 2014.
He joined FINCA Afghanistan in the position of Branch Manager in Kabul in 2014. During his tenure as a branch manager, he brought many positive changes and growth to the branch. He was promoted to Regional Manager of Mazar-e-Sharif in 2016.
Based on the capacity and his achievement in Mazar Region, FINCA Afghanistan made him Regional Manager of Kabul-2. He holds a bachelor of commerce (B.Com) from University of Karachi and completed his MBA from Newport’s Institute of Communication and Economics (NICE) in Pakistan. He has an MBA from ISBM and an M.Com from University of Mysore. He completed the Certified Microfinance Manager course from Alhuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics from Lahore, Pakistan in 2015. Recently, he completed a Certified Expert in SME Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany in 2018 and Certified Expert in Digital Finance in 2019.
Shakar Muhammad Joya
REGIONAL MANAGER-HERAT
Shakar Muhammad Joya
Mr. Shakar Muhammad Joya is a highly qualified and experienced team member of FINCA Afghanistan’s Operation Department working as Head of its Herat Region. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Balkh University and brings a variety of experiences in different fields from a number of local and international organizations.
Shakar Muhammad Joya is responsible for Herat region in the position of regional manager since 2018. He has many years of experience in the microfinance sector. Joya joined FINCA Afghanistan in 2013 and has worked in many positions such as credit officer, credit supervisor, branch manager and currently as regional manager. He has worked in the position of teachers’ trainer with the Ministry of Education in Math, Chemistry, English and Computer Science with Azgheer, Bahar, Azeraksh and Afghani IT institutes in Balkh and Badakhshan provinces.
Joya has a bachelor of science degree from Balkh University in Afghanistan and has participated in various trainings in the microfinance sector such as Portfolio Management, People Management, Delinquency Management, Business analysis, Prioritization and Time management, Leadership and Customer Experience. Shakar Joya has received many appreciation letters and awards including the award of being the best Branch Manager of a quarter and trainer of the year.
Najibullah Mansoory
REGIONAL MANAGER-MAZAR
Najibullah Mansoory
Najibullah Mansoory has worked with a number of local and international organizations such as John Hopkins University’s Results-Based Financing Project, TDC and the Silk Route Training & Research Organization. He has held a number of managerial and leadership positions ranging from credit officer to regional head. Mr. Mansoory joined FINCA Afghanistan in 2015 in the capacity of branch manager, handling the Sari Pol and Jawajan branches on a rotational basis. After three years of successful management of the branch, he was promoted to the position of regional manager, accepting new responsibilities and challenges of four branches. Mr. Mansoory is a successful leader and manager and his role has been vital to the success of his branches.
He has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Political Science from Alisher Nawayi University of Jawzjan Province and has simultaneously participated in a number of trainings that included Finance, Operation, Risk, Leadership and Management.
Zuhurullah Sharifi
REGIONAL MANAGER-KUNDOZ
Zuhurullah Sharifi
Mr. Zuhurullah Sharifi is a highly qualified and experienced team member of FINCA Afghanistan’s Operations Department working as Head of its Kunduz Region. He holds an MBA degree from Kabul University and brings a variety of experiences in different fields from a number local and international organizations.
Mr. Zuhurullah Sharifi is a member of FINCA Afghanistan’s Operations Department. He is currently managing FINCA Regional offices of Kunduz Region.
Previously, he worked for several reputable entities including Shelter-For-Life, an international non-Governmental Organization (INGO) working in the Northeast of the country, and ConTrack International Inc. (CII), a US-headquartered Operations and Maintenance (O&M) company and a subcontractor of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). During his tenure with the CII, Sharifi managed and completed several large and medium sized and complex projects of the Company in the northeast, east and southern provinces of Afghanistan.
Mr. Sharifi holds an MBA with a major in finance and banking from Kabul University. Additionally, he completed a number of diplomas and certification courses at various academic institutions including the Kardan University.
Mr. Sharifi in several instances was recognized and commended as a professional, hardworking, efficient and honest manager by his senior management and received the “CII Best Site Manager” award in 2012.
FINCA Impact Finance Leadership
The FINCA Impact Finance leadership team manages a global organization of more than 10,000 employees.