Auteur: Bernadette Blom

ODF đŸ€ Gebana Togo

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We’re excited to share that ODF has made a trade finance investment in Gebana Togo, supporting their work in organic soy production.

🌟 Exciting News from ODF! 🌟

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We are thrilled to announce an investment in La Campiña, based in Peru, dedicated to improving farmer livelihoods through sustainable agriculture. đŸŒ± This investment will enable La Campiña to source high-quality organic ginger and cacao directly from local farmers, creating lasting value for rural communities. By supporting sustainable farming practices, La Campiña is not only […]

ODF Secures EUR 10 Million Loan from Invest International to Boost Organic Agriculture in Emerging Markets

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Amsterdam November 19, 2024 — Organic Development Finance (ODF) is pleased to announce its first EUR 10 million senior loan agreement with prominent Dutch investor Invest International. This vital funding will expand ODF’s capacity to provide fair-priced, much-needed working capital loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets that focus on aggregating and […]

Gerard-Versteegh

Gerard Versteegh

Board Member

Gerard, the former President of Tradin Organic Agriculture BV, brings extensive experience in the sourcing and trade of organic food ingredients. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture in low income and emerging markets. Gerard co-led the creation of ODF from concept through to soft launch, and continues to actively support the project  through the Supervisory Board

Eric-Mallant

Eric Mallant

Board Member

As a former Director of ING Trade & Commodity Finance, Eric brings a wealth of experience and networks to ODF. Under Eric’s guidance, ODF is establishing itself as a leader and innovator in socially responsible Trade Finance.

Susie-Hjorth

Susie Hjorth

Chair

Susie is a Senior business executive with a well-rounded international commercial background in food and agriculture. She is the Commercial Director at Tradin Organic and is the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board.

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Ingrid-Haars

Business Controller

I joined FOUNT in June 2024. After being self-employed for 8 years working on several assignments at the Rabobank, ABN AMRO and FMO. Prior to that I was employed for about 21 years at the Rabobank.

Over the years I worked in several positions and departments at banks. But the last decade I specialized mainly in first, second and third line controlling with regard to Customer Due Diligence.
Besides that I am a process controller and fraud expert. I followed an evening study during my first years of working and this way got a bachelor degree in business administration. And in my free time I enjoy cooking, reading and spending time with family and friends with a cold glass of white wine.

Gerard Vos

Gerard Vos

Senior Investment Advisor

Gerard has more than 20 years of work experience, including 6 years of direct impact investing experience in Africa. From 2006-2015 he worked for two different private equity firms: HAL Investments (2006-2009) and the Investment Fund for Health in Africa (“IFHA”, 2009-2015, investors including IFC, APG and FMO). Both funds are well-respected investment organisations with an international focus. Through his broad work experience, Gerard has developed a keen insight into the entire investment process, from the first contact with a potential investment candidate to portfolio management activities.

He joined FOUNT in early 2015 as a Senior Investment Advisor. Since then, Gerard has worked for Reall (affordable housing investor in Africa and Asia, based in the UK), PMIC (microfinance organisation in Pakistan), IFHA (healthcare PE fund focused entirely on Africa) and BIX Capital (clean energy, main focus on Africa and Asia), amongst other. Assignments included performing a market study, financial modelling, compiling an Investment Memorandum as well as deal execution.

Gerard obtained his Master’s degree in Macroeconomics at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the Netherlands.

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Connor Barette

Impact and
Investment Analyst

Connor joined FOUNT in May 2023. Prior to this, Connor worked as an impact analyst at Impact Institute, which looks to measure and monetize the positive and negative social and environmental impact of its clients. Here he focused on creating responsible value chains, mainly in the food and agriculture sectors.

Connor also has experience as a B Lab consultant, conducting a B Corp assessment for a leading clothes manufacturer. In addition, he has worked as a volunteer at EcoSwell, a sustainable development NGO in Peru.

In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, reading, and hanging out with friends.

Connor holds a Master of Science degree in Environment and Resource Management from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a Master in Sustainable Business and Innovation degree from EADA Business School Barcelona.

Kate Mathias

ESG and Impact Advisor

Kate has over twenty-five years’ experience in ESG, Social Sustainability and International Development working within the agriculture and forestry sectors primarily in sub-Saharan and West Africa. She has worked with private sector corporations, financing institutions, multi-lateral donors, international NGOs, industry platforms and civil society organisations promoting and facilitating responsible, inclusive investments.

Prior to joining FOUNT in September 2022, Kate spent much of her career living and working in Tanzania and Malawi, before relocating along with her family to the UK in 2015 where she undertook consultancy work and more recently a valuable role as an ESG expert at Mirova Natural Capital.

Within FOUNT Kate is responsible for all ESG aspects of the AGRI3 fund: ESG appraisal and due diligence; establishing ESG requirements for financing; developing impact indicators and working with Partnerbanks and clients on risk mitigation and positive impacts for transactions in low and middle income countries. She also takes the lead in developing ESG and impact policies and tools for the fund.

Robert Pothoven

Investment Lead

Robert joined FOUNT as the Investment Lead for ODF. He has extensive experience in Trade Finance of Agri commodities working at ABN AMRO, where he held a Director position. He was responsible for managing a portfolio of trade finance loans to top tier agri commodities traders. 

During this time Robert also worked as a financial advisor to a Bolivian reforestation project and helped an Indonesian farmer cooperation with an investment plan for a fermentation plant.

Robert then went on to co-found a software company in carbon accounting and successfully grew the business without outside capital. The business was acquired by South Pole, where he continued to work as Business Development Lead.

Robert holds a double master’s degree in law from the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He lives in Haarlem and loves spending time with his family & friends and do sports like running and fitness.

Gemma

Gemma Verhoeven

Impact Investment
Team Lead

Gemma joined FOUNT in January 2022. With 15 years of experience in development finance in emerging markets, she is a seasoned professional in impact investing.

Before joining FOUNT, Gemma fulfilled the role of Regional manager East Africa and Asia at EDFI MC – ElectriFI in Brussels. ElectriFI is a blended finance facility funded by the EU providing early stage catalytic capital to financially sustainable initiatives aimed at increasing or improving access to energy in emerging countries.

Gemma has worked 7 years as Investment Officer at FMO, the Dutch development bank, in multiple regions and sectors, covering the full investment process life cycle. Having left FMO and the Netherlands in 2014, she lived in Bulgaria for 6 years where she worked as independent investment advisor, among others for FMO and ElectriFI.

Gemma finished her masters degree in international financial business in Amsterdam.

Bernadette Blom

Partner FOUNT

Bernadette has around 25 years structured finance and strategic advisory experience of which more than 17 years of experience in impact investment advisory. Bernadette is partner of FOUNT since 2011 (previously named Goodwell Advisory Services). Within FOUNT, Bernadette has been leading several strategic assignments including assignments focusing on corporate strategies, feasibility studies, impact investment strategies and frameworks, etc. Bernadette is (part-time) Director of BIX Capital, an initiative of Shell Foundation, Cardano Development and FOUNT, and IC member of Good Fashion Fund. She worked with different type of clients in amongst others Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya and also for reputable impact investors such as Oikocredit, FMO, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bernadette is currently Board member at Aqua for all.

Before establishing FOUNT, Bernadette co-founded Corporate Connect, a financial advisory firm with a focus on impact investing in emerging markets, worked at Accenture as senior strategy consultant, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi investment banking (London) and ABN AMRO Bank’s investment banking division (Amsterdam).

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Bob Assenberg

Partner FOUNT

Bob has over 20 years of investment experience including several years as fund manager. Additionally, he has hands-on general management experience in microfinance and SME banking. Bob has been in a number of Investment Committees and Supervisory Boards and is currently member of the Supervisory Board and IC for BIX Capital as well as Advisory Committee-member for the Mergence Renewable Energy Debt Fund.

Bob is partner of FOUNT. Within FOUNT, Bob has been leading in the long-term assignment for portfolio management and refinancing of a social housing loan portfolio in 17 emerging countries and played a key role in ‘investment readiness’ assignments for several clients. For FOUNT, Bob is the lead for structuring and setting up of the Good Fashion Fund as well as the lead advisor for Agri3, a joint initiative of Rabobank and UN for sustainable agriculture in emerging markets. Bob has a vivid interest in the microfinance, housing and energy sector and has been on assignments in numerous countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central- and South Eastern Europe.