Overview
History
Mission and Values
 Executive Profiles
Offices
Current Project Locations


 


 

 

Andy Dijkerman
President
As President, Andy Dijkerman plays an important role in guiding EMG towards its goals of thought innovation and knowledge integration. By mobilizing EMG’s resources and experience, as well as the application of best practices, EMG works with donor agencies to enrich their paradigms and to make foreign assistance a more effective and efficient tool in sustainable development. Growing up in Geneva, Switzerland, Andy was exposed to the dynamic world of international affairs at an early age. During much of her 25-year career, which began as a project officer in Rwanda where she worked with women and rural enterprises, she assumed long-term field assignments, including Chief of Party to South Africa's Department of Public Enterprises and Advisor to the Privatization Units of Rwanda and Lesotho. Andy has also worked extensively in Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the republics of the former Soviet Union to mobilize domestic and foreign investment into the enterprise sector. She specializes in large-scale economic transformation, whether through enterprise restructuring, privatization, or private investment in public infrastructure. Andy serves as a role model to EMG staff in her personal commitment to the field, and advocacy of socially responsible corporate investment; she believes in the potential of private business and its contribution to economic growth and poverty alleviation in emerging markets. Above all, Andy is a dedicated development practitioner who is committed to improving people’s lives. Andy holds a BA in English and Political Science from Tufts University and an MBA from Cornell University. She is fluent in French.

 

Patti Espey-English
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
As CFO, Patti guides EMG’s financial operations for the Washington, Brussels, and Oxford offices, supporting the organization's strategic goals and working with the entire EMG team to ensure EMG’s financial success. In addition to directing Financial Operations, Patti supports Human Resources, Administration, IT, and Contract Management. Her background includes being the AVP of Sales and Business Operations for Government Solutions at Lucent Technologies and as the Director of Business Operations for Lucent North America. She served as Chair of the School Board for the American International School, in Zagreb, Croatia. From 1995-1998, she was the Director of New Business Development for AT&T International where she developed opportunities in new geographic and commercial markets in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. While living in Budapest, Hungary from 1993-1995, Patti was the Director of Central and Eastern Europe for AT&T. Patti obtained her BA from the University of Maryland in College Park and her MBA from George Washington University.

 

Teresa Mastrangelo
Director, Business Development and Chair, Board of Directors
Teresa Mastrangelo directs the business development and marketing operations which provide support to EMG's client service teams in positioning for opportunities, preparing proposals, conducting market research, recruiting and strengthening stakeholder relationships. Teresa leads EMG's brand and knowledge management efforts, and serves as EMG's risk management partner. Highlights of Teresa’s 18 year career include SME development and lending in Kenya; the design of Russia’s mass privatization program, capital-market development, post-privatization assistance; bank review and restructuring during the Asian financial crisis; assisting USAID with its financial-sector and enterprise development strategies in 2002 and 2003; a study of innovations in private sector SME finance in Africa, Europe, and Latin America; and competitiveness and SME-level assistance in the Balkans. Teresa’s interest in international development began while working for the Federal Government in promoting the pragmatic potential of the private sector as a tool for economic growth and human development. She speaks Spanish, Italian, and Russian and holds a BA degree cum laude in History and Politics from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from George Washington University.

 

Luc Verscoore
Managing Director, Brussels 
Luc Verscoore heads EMG's offices in London and Brussels. Luc leads EMG's staff in Europe to provide development consulting services to the United Kingdom's Department for International Development, European Commission, multilateral donors and private clients. Luc's experience over the past 15 years is directly related to the development co-operation programs of the European Commission. This includes the management of projects in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean, South and South East Asia and China. For several years, Luc managed the Asia-Invest programme with a budget of 45 million euros. Currently, Luc directs and supervises EMG's trade projects and other public and private sector projects in the African Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) countries, China and Bangladesh; and an Information Society project in China. Luc's technical expertise is in private sector development - especially SME and trade and investment promotion. He has an additional 15 years of experience in banking, information technology and general management. He set up and managed an oil company distribution center in Burundi and was responsible for the implementation of a partnership agreement in South Africa between a Fortune 500 company and a local company. Luc speaks fluent English and French. He holds a Masters in Financial and Commercial Sciences and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Brussels University (CEPAC).

 

Ken Smarzik
Managing Director, Economic Growth
As Managing Director of the Economic Growth Practice Unit, Ken Smarzik oversees a portfolio of projects that span a range of technical areas, including financial services, micro and small enterprise development, trade, competitiveness, legal and institutional reform, food security, tourism and agribusiness. Ken joined EMG in 2001, was promoted to Managing Director in 2005, and brings technical expertise in enterprise development, agribusiness and commercial finance. Prior to EMG, Ken worked on economic development projects in Morocco and Haiti, and previous to embarking upon a career in international development, worked as an agricultural extension agent and commercial banker in Canada. Ken holds a Bachelor's degree in agriculture from McGill University, a Master's degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph, and an associate diploma from the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Ken is fluent in French, and has a working knowledge of Creole, Spanish, Slovak, and German.

 

Leslie Flinn
Managing Director, Healthcare
Leslie Flinn leads EMG’s Healthcare Practice and oversees the implementation of a diverse portfolio of projects, including public sector and NGO institutional development efforts, private sector solutions to healthcare sector issues, healthcare finance, and workforce development. Leslie has 15 years of international development experience and began her career in finance, financial-sector reform, and privatization. After working in underserved communities in the US, Leslie took her domestic, private sector skills and used them in an international setting to help build stronger communities worldwide. She has since worked on a range of development issues including financial sector reform, workforce development initiatives and healthcare systems strengthening. Leslie has led activities and served as an advisor in more than 15 transitional countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Leslie holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a BA in Fine Arts from Colgate University. Leslie speaks some French and Russian.

 

Katrena Henderson
Managing Director, Public Sector Services
As Managing Director of the Public Sector Services Practice, Katrena Henderson, oversees a portfolio of projects that span a range of technical areas, including Public Expenditure Management, Institutional Strengthening, Municipal Service Provision and Municipal Finance, Utilities & Infrastructure Services, Anti-Corruption and Land Titling and Registration. Katrena joined EMG in 2001 and was promoted to Managing Director in 2007. Katrena has worked on public sector reform projects in over 15 countries including Bosnia, Afghanistan, Russia, India, Ukraine, Egypt, Jordan and South Africa. Throughout her career, she has worked exclusively in the field of international development working for NGOs, grassroots organizations, and development consulting firms dedicated to alleviating poverty and improving peoples' lives. Prior to working at EMG, Katrena worked at the local and national levels to develop public sector finance tools and public- private partnerships to better stabilize and enhance public sector’s ability to provide reliable and efficient services to its citizens. Katrena believes public sector strengthening enables stability and supports economic growth in transitional economies. Katrena speaks Russian.

 

Anthony Sinclair
Technical Director, Financial Sector Development
As the leader of EMG’s Financial Sector Services practice, Tony oversees the implementation of a global pipeline of projects aimed at increasing the impact of financial services on economic growth and development. Tony began his career in international development as a resident advisor to the Polish Ministry of Finance while working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Over the course of 18 years in development consulting, he has worked with public and private clients in more than 20 transitional countries across six continents. This record — combined with founding experience as a capital-markets analyst and a financial regulator for the U.S. Treasury — gives Tony a unique blend of experience that is well suited to the emerging market context and allows him to provide insights and results to clients seeking to foster the development and stability of domestic financial systems. Tony specializes in financial regulation, bank-sector restructuring, safety-net reform, and non-bank financial services. Tony holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BS in Economics from the University of Southern California.

 

Joseph Lowther
Technical Director, Business Environment Reform
As Technical Director for Business Environment Reform, Joseph (Joe) Lowther oversees EMG's business environment and competitiveness projects globally. Joe has a proven track record of results-based economic development. He developed and applied innovative approaches to engage key stakeholders such as national and local governments, NGOs, the private sector and trade unions to implement economic policy reforms. His technical expertise includes institutionalizing public-private dialogue in Bulgaria and Croatia, assessing DFID's "Cutting Red Tape Project" in Africa, improving enforcement of judgments in Central and South Eastern Europe, developing arbitration in the Former Soviet Union, and advancing labor force competitiveness in Croatia. Joe believes in local capacity building and has provided training to governments and businesses in collateral law, bankruptcy, alternative dispute resolution and policies to increase investment and SME development. Joe is an attorney with eleven years experience in commercial law documentation and litigation, and more than seven years managing commercial law, business environment, and economic policy initiatives. His education includes JD and MBA degrees from Whittier College, Los Angeles, CA and a BS in Business Administration from University of Southern California. Joe speaks English, German and some Croatian.

 

John Sitton
Technical Director, Public Sector Services
As Technical Director, Public Sector Services, John Sitton provides technical expertise and direction for PSS projects globally. John is a Certified Public Accountant with 26 years financial management experience. He has over 16 years experience working in developing countries, principally helping to develop and to implement financial improvement plans for water, wastewater and electric utilities. John has over 15 years of experience building institutional capacity as a resident financial advisor in developing countries, including Tanzania, Egypt, Macedonia and Turkey. He has 6 years experience in procurement and financial management of large water and sewerage infrastructure related contracts; including the management of a private sector lease contract for the operations and maintenance of a water supply and sewerage system.

 

Richard Dangay
Technical Director, Fund Management, Healthcare
Richard Dangay currently oversees EMG's fund management activities, including Local Fund Agent services to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Richard has more than 18 years of experience in business planning, corporate finance, and strategy. He has dedicated 15 years of his career to international development with an emphasis on strengthening private and public enterprises to promote economic growth. Richard has worked in more than 19 countries around the world. He is skilled at collaborating with key stakeholders at all levels-including governments, NGOs, local businesses, and international organizations-to carry out initiatives funded by USAID, the World Bank, and the European Union. Richard's technical expertise includes financial analysis and planning, program management, enterprise restructuring, strategy, and privatization transactions. In addition to his development experience, he held a business planning position for a cellular phone company with operations in eight Sub-Saharan African countries, and developed business partnerships and international strategies for a major international hotel franchising company. He holds undergraduate degrees in business and computer science from schools in Paris, France, and an MBA from the American University in Washington, D.C. Richard is bilingual, English and French.

 

Victoria Francis
Director, Social Investment
As EMG's Director of Social Investment, Victoria Francis provides strategic consulting services to private corporations and foundations to achieve their social development and corporate objectives. Victoria has extensive experience in engaging the private sector through her oversight of an EMG project where over 60 companies were assisted in developing or strengthening the health programs for their employees, families and communities. She is engaged with the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) in their efforts to build capacity for local content, and to manage and monitor their social investment programs more effectively. Victoria works with the Nike Foundation on an economic empowerment project in Kenya for adolescent girls and young women. As Director at a New York based consulting firm, she provided research-based consulting services to corporations and policy makers on the expansion of their services and products to overseas markets. Her clients included companies such as Bear Stearns, Disney, General Mills, the International Finance Corporation, Liz Claiborne, Sesame Street, Unilever, The Weather Channel and the World Bank. Ms. Francis has a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in Development Economics and Trade Law from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She has worked in 24 countries and speaks four languages.

 

Larry Michel
Director and Team Lead
Larry Michel is a Director at EMG and Team Lead for the UN-HABITAT Slum Upgrading Facility (SUF). SUF is designed to assist low income groups to improve their living environment. EMG’s role is to assist in the mobilization of domestic private capital for slum upgrading initiatives in four pilot countries – Ghana, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Previously, Larry led EMG's office in London where we provide development consulting services to donor agencies such as the UK Department for International Development. Larry has more than 21 years experience in the areas of economic development, privatization, investment fund management, institutional development, corporate governance, and banking. He has researched and designed programs related to investment promotion and privatization; working closely with national and local governments, NGOs and the private sector to develop and implement related policies and legislation. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Larry interrupted his career in banking to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Poland, and has been working in international development ever since. Larry's international field experience includes Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Nigeria, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Yugoslavia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Jordan. Mr. Michel holds an MBA in International Business, Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University and a BA in Computer Studies and Economics, from Northwestern University. Larry is a dual national, American and German, and speaks some Polish and Spanish.

 

Rick Andrews
Senior Advisor
Rick Andrews leads EMG's efforts in strengthening agribusiness value chains, market linkages, trade development and implementing private sector solutions to enhance the livelihoods of rural families around the world. He is an expert in agricultural economics and has worked on agribusiness and agricultural supply-chain projects over 30 years. Rick’s career in international development began when a position with a 4-H organization transitioned into an assignment with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Iraq, where he implemented a national rural youth training program. He specializes in small-business development, institutional strengthening, strategic planning, market research, and export market development. Rick has experience in over 20 countries and has spent significant time in Iraq, South Korea, Barbados, Bangladesh, Jordan, and Afghanistan. He managed EMG’s Canadian operations for 11 years and was EMG’s Managing Director for seven years, where he served clients such as USAID, The World Bank, The Asian Development Bank, and CIDA, and supervised the implementation of over 40 projects each year. Rick holds an MSc in Agricultural Economics and a BSc in Agriculture, both from the University of Alberta.

 

Robin McPhail
Senior Advisor
Robin McPhail has over thirty years of development consulting experience and has directed many of EMG’s largest and most complex projects. Following five years based in Kenya, Robin moved to Washington DC and was one of the founders of Emerging Markets Group in 1983.This was at a time when development thinking was focusing on the private sector as one of the drivers of change. His private sector background, starting from his time in Deloitte, has formed the basis for much of his project work. He has worked extensively in the fields of privatization, small enterprise development and in strengthening the environment for successful private sector investment in many fields, including agribusiness, health and energy. He is currently based in London and provides firm-wide support to multiple clients and development of new business with donor clients, including DFID, EU, USAID, MCC and the World Bank. Robin is a chartered accountant and holds MA and LLB degrees from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is proficient in German and French.

 

Oliver Bennett
Senior Advisor, Tourism Development
Oliver is a tourism industry expert with over 35 years experience in the public and private sectors. He has worked in more than 75 countries worldwide and project managed multi-million dollar contracts. His expertise covers tourism development strategies, tourism marketing, economic and environmental impact analyses, institutional capacity building and tourism research and statistics. He has worked on projects funded by the African and Asian Development Banks, DFID, EBRD, European Union, UNDP, UNWTO, USAID and the World Bank. His tourism development planning work encompasses Botswana, Curacao, Fiji, Mauritius, Nepal, St Lucia and The Gambia. His assignments for tourism organizations cover Britain, Jamaica, Kenya, Malta and Southern Africa. Oliver’s work on SME development and community-based tourism includes leadership of the DFID Sustainable Tourism and Poverty Elimination study in 1999. He was chosen by DFID to manage the Tourism Challenge Fund and to monitor the Rural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation Program in Nepal which is at the leading edge of using tourism as a tool to enhance rural livelihoods. Oliver has an MA in Geography from the University of Cambridge, a Masters degree in Urban, Regional and Transport Planning, from the University of Liverpool and an MA in Economics from the University of Leeds, UK.

 
 
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