Financial and Monetary Systems
2 billion people worldwide are unbanked – here's how to change this
To expand worldwide financial inclusion, maybe we should look to sub-Saharan Africa for inspiration.
Irina Astrakhan is the Practice Manager, Finance and Markets Global Practice, covering Sub-Saharan Africa at the World Bank. In her capacity as Practice Manager, Irina leads the Finance team working in the 47 countries of Africa Region. Irina joined the World Bank Group in 1998 and since then has undertaken a broad range of assignments in the Financial and Private Sector Development Network, the IFC, Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and Africa regions of the World Bank.
While in the World Bank, she has worked extensively on privatization and enterprise restructuring in transition economies, enterprise development and SME finance projects around the world, establishment of IFC managed facilities in Balkans and North Africa, competitiveness and innovation, microfinance, financial infrastructure and financial inclusion. During financial crisis of 2008-2009 she led the delivery of three financial crisis response operations in Western Balkans - two policy loans and a line of credit.
In her current position as Practice Manager, she promoted introduction of new products and services for the clients of Africa region, including financial sector development policy loans, housing finance and infrastructure finance and PPP projects, financial sector development strategies and financial inclusion support frameworks, reimbursable advisory services.
Irina holds a Ph.D. in industrial economics from the Moscow Lomonosov State University.
Prior to joining the Bank, she worked for Deloitte & Touche, a number of private companies and think tanks.
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