Grameen Foundation India, an innovator in the use of digital technology to advance financial inclusion named Prabhat Labh as its new CEO. He succeeds Chandni Ohri, who helped to launch the company and has served as CEO since 2011.
An international development expert with more than two decades of experience in leading programs and initiatives across Asia, Africa and North America, Prabhat brings with him an in-depth knowledge of financial inclusion.
"This is a time of extraordinary transformation and opportunity in India. Prabhat's expertise makes him the ideal person to expand Grameen Foundation India's work to bring viable financial services to the country's poorest regions," said Steve Hollingworth, President and CEO of Grameen Foundation.
"Our achievements in India would not have been possible without the leadership of Chandni Ohri and we are pleased that she will continue to play key role in Grameen Foundation's global work," he added.
Grameen Foundation India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grameen Foundation, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to ending poverty and hunger.
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"I feel honoured to be appointed as the CEO of Grameen Foundation India. The team's work using technology to expand financial and health innovations is especially exciting and I look forward to accelerating our growth and impact for the betterment of poor and underserved communities in India," said Prabhat Labh.
"Driven by the core values of equity, empathy and integrity, throughout his career Prabhat has focused on understanding the complex lives of poor people and the challenges they face. We are excited to have him on board as he brings strong leadership skills, international exposure and a shared vision," said Chandni Ohri on the appointment.
Prabhat previously designed and led programs at The MasterCard Foundation that focused on access to savings services for low-income populations. Combining insights from the fields of sociology, behavioural economics and technology, he developed a coherent strategy that succeeded in extending access to savings services for millions of people across seventeen countries in Africa.
Earlier, Prabhat served as the Senior Technical Advisor for CARE USA's Pan-Africa microfinance initiative 'Access Africa,' where he provided technical assistance to more than a dozen country programs in Asia and Africa.
He has also served on the faculty of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, where he focused on the development of youth-led micro enterprises and rural industries.
Grameen Foundation India aims to measurably improve the lives of India's poor by increasing their incomes and enhancing their resilience. Its current projects include helping members of women's groups repay microfinance loans safely using mobile phones, developing mobile-based products specifically for the poor, and enabling poor families to use their bank accounts more actively.
It has worked with the Government of India to provide mobile technology-enabled health services to women and infants and to train frontline healthcare workers across the country.
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