Who we are
We are a group of 15 investment analysts located in Cape Town, Geneva, Mexico City and Singapore covering over 500 microfinance and SME finance institutions in 40 emerging economies.
Global
Daniel Schriber, Director.
Prior to joining Symbiotics in 2006, Daniel worked at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in various management positions in Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, and finally as Deputy Head of Operations for Eastern Europe at their Geneva headquarters. Daniel holds a master's degree in International Relations from the Graduate Institute (IHEID) in Geneva and an executive MBA in Management and Corporate Finance from the University of Lausanne.
Bénédicte Brochu, Investment Advisory Manager.
Bénédicte joined Symbiotics in 2007, where she first held the position of investment analyst for three years. Prior to this, she worked for three years at BNP Paribas in France as a client relationship manager in the agricultural sector. She then held various positions in different microfinance institutions abroad: she was the CEO of a small MFI in Cameroon and the CEO advisor for a larger MFI in Mali, both under the umbrella of the French bank, Crédit Mutuel. She also headed a microfinance and rice irrigation project in a remote rural area of Madagascar. She holds a master's degree in Agronomy and a "master en administration des entreprises" (MBA equivalent) from the University of Amiens, France.
Elodie Schoenahl, Associate Analyst.
Elodie supports the investment analyst teams of Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Prior to joining Symbiotics in 2010, Elodie worked as an auditor for an MFI in Lao PDR and was involved in development projects in Niger, supporting market outlets of traditional crafts. Elodie holds a master’s degree in Economics & Management from the University of Lyon and a master’s degree in Microfinance from the University of Brussels.Africa
Geremy Birchard, Regional Manager.
Prior to joining Symbiotics, Geremy worked for nine years at FINCA International, holding various management positions including board positions at FINCA's affiliate programs in Africa and Eurasia. During his time at FINCA, he also served as the Managing Director of FINCA Zambia. Before this, he was a Portfolio Manager at a boutique investment fund in the USA specializing in asset backed securities. Geremy holds a bachelor of science in Finance from the University of California at Berkeley.
Vincent Lehner, Senior Analyst.
Vincent has been working at Symbiotics since 2007. He first served as an Investment Analyst covering Latin America and Eastern Europe for three years and is now a Senior Investment Analyst in Africa. Previously, he worked for Nestlé, as a supply chain and operational project manager in South America and Eastern Europe, as a logistician with the International Committee of the Red Cross supporting operations in Angola, Sudan and Russia and for three years as a business consultant with IBM. Vincent holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
Patrick d’Huart, Senior Analyst.
Prior to joining Symbiotics, Patrick was an Investment Manager for Incofin with missions in Western and Southern Africa, the Balkans, Southeast Asia and MENA. Formerly, he managed consultancy projects in Haiti and in DRC with IPC and coordinated EU projects with Cardno Emerging Markets. Patrick holds a master's of science in Economics from the University of Namur, Belgium and a post graduate diploma in International Politics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium.Eurasia
Jérôme Savelli, Regional Manager.
Before joining Symbiotics in 2006, Jérôme worked for Deloitte & Touche as a Financial Institutions Auditor and for Société Générale Investment Banking as a Regional Risk Project Manager in Hong Kong. He subsequently worked for three years as the Director of Initiative Development Ghana, a microfinance NGO delivering credit, savings and training services to urban poor in its capital, Accra. Jérôme holds an MBA from the ESSEC Business School in Paris.
Anya Berezhna, Investment Analyst.
Prior to joining Symbiotics in 2008, Anya worked in Syria, Burkina Faso and Mali for Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), an international network of microfinance institutions. During her assignment in Syria, she assisted the Finance and Operations departments in the establishment of the first MFI in Syria. In Burkina Faso and Mali, she worked as technical assistant for the Internal Audit and Finance departments. Anya holds a master’s degree in Microfinance from Nancy University in France.
Benoît Bouet, Investment Analyst.
Prior to joining Symbiotics in 2008, Benoît worked as a consultant for BNP PARIBAS in Moscow and in the private banking industry in Geneva. Before this, he co-founded a student driven association, Planet SciencesPo in partnership with Planet Finance. Benoît holds a master's degree in Russian Studies from Nanterre University in France and a master’s degree in International Business from SciencesPo, Paris.
Jocelyn Gigantone, Investment Analyst.
Prior to joining Symbiotics, Jocelyn worked as a Rating Analyst for MicroFinanza Rating in Kyrgyzstan. Subsequently, she carried out consultancy projects with Mercy Corps and worked as a Research Analyst at EDA in India. Jocelyn holds a master’s degree in International and Development Economics from the Fachhochschule fuer Technik und Wirtschaft in Berlin, Germany and a bachelor’s degree from the University of the Philippines.
Elitsa Georgieva, Investment Analyst .
Prior to joining Symbiotics in 2011, Elitsa worked as a microfinance and SME consultant on projects in Moldova, Nicaragua and Paraguay. She also carried out several long term assignments for IPC at ProCredit banks in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. During this time, she developed expertise in the management of banking services, with a special focus on SME products. Notably, she served as a training manager for SME lending staff and headed the SME credit department at ProCredit Mexico. Elitsa holds an MBA from the University of Frankfurt in Germany.Latin America
Todd Farrington, Regional Manager.
Prior to joining Symbiotics, Todd was a director with ACCION Global Investments as well as a founding partner of MicroRate and its general manager in Latin America, at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC and with the Inter-American Foundation in the Andean Region. Todd holds a master's degree in economics and financial systems in a combined program from The Fletcher School and Harvard Business School, a master's degree in literature from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of arts in literature and economics from Amherst College, USA.
Anne Debay Rosales, Investment Analyst.
Prior to joining Symbiotics, Anne worked for two years as a microfinance consultant at Planet Finance Mexico, in product development, internal control and strategic planning. Before this, she worked as a Senior External Auditor for three years at Ernst & Young Audit in Lyon, France and one year as a volunteer with the NGO, "Un Techo para los ninos de Cuernevaca", whose mission is to help children living in extreme poverty. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Lycée Saliège in Toulouse in France and a master’s degree in Business and Management from the EM Lyon Business School in Lyon in France.
Sebastian Sombra, Investment Analyst.
Before joining Symbiotics, Sebastián worked for five years at PlaNet Finance Mexico, first, as a microfinance consultant in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Belize and Argentina, and then as an Operations Officer, in charge of resources allocation and project management. Formerly, he worked at the National Institute of Statistics in Mexico as the Head of the department of regional studies of the manufacturing sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the National University of Mexico.