About

Strategic advisor for investors to scale their purpose

Now, more than ever before, impact investing has a role to play in connecting people that have capital with people that lack capital to achieve a positive outcome. In impact investing, investment decisions are guided by some key considerations that include an emphasis on both financial and societal returns. Is this investment meaningful? Will this investment result in a positive impact for society in terms of social and/or environmental concerns? In a word, does this investment matter?

Within the impact investing industry, the needle has shifted from merely avoiding certain companies and types of business activities, to positively screening for investments. Selectively investing in companies that follow solid environmental, social and governance practices, and those that have products and solutions that respond to key sustainability themes such as climate change mitigation, water and food scarcity, gender inclusion, reducing the digital divide, and disease mitigation.

Impact+ Advisory was created in December 2020 in recognition of this changing reality with a strong desire of contributing to it. It is jointly owned by an institutional investor (comprised of partners that have a strong track record in fund raising and funds management), and a group of individual investors with significant experience in enabling and advising investors and investee companies in Asia.

IPA currently serves as strategic advisor for European investors who have invested in two companies in Indonesia and the Philippines that are primarily focused on financial inclusion. Going forward, our plan is to expand our services to support more companies to achieve their goals in a variety of sectors aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mission and Values

Standing at the intersection of money and meaning, at IPA we do not take our mission lightly

Our mission is to enable investors and entrepreneurs to achieve their vision and catalyse positive impacts at scale in Asia.

What drives us to do this is our vision: To align capital with purpose, one investment at a time.

Our values are the cultural cornerstones within IPA that remind us how to achieve this vision and mission.

Integrity

We employ the highest ethical standards demonstrating honesty and fairness in every action we perform.
Collaboration and Partnership

With the services we provide, we seek an approach that is beneficial for both investors and investees.
Positive Team Spirit

We work together as a team that shares ideas, best practices, and constructive criticism. We help our colleagues grow personally and professionally. We have fun with what we do!
Diversity and Inclusion

We are a cross cultural and open-minded team, and see differences of opinion, background, and analytical approaches as a strength that can only help us in building a shared and inclusive future.

Meet Our People

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Christian Banno

Executive Director

Christian has more than 20 years of work experience in financial services and microfinance. He is responsible for business support and supervision, scouting and executing new investments in the region. Christian joined CreditAccess's network in 2008, working for the first 4 years as CEO of the CreditAccess Indian office and as Director in Credit Access Grameen (India). In 2011, he set up Bina Artha Ventura, a greenfield microfinance company in Indonesia, and served as CEO until 2019. Prior to CAA, he worked for Oracle and MF Rating, a specialized international rating agency, as Regional Head for Asia and NIS countries.

Massimo Vita

Executive Director

Massimo has more than 20 years of working experience in financial services and microfinance. He is a Director in all the investees of CreditAccess's network and acts as Group CRO for CA-India. Prior to CreditAccess he worked as partner consultant in corporate governance, risk management, and business planning worldwide for Microfinanza Srl and as TA Field Expert for Symbiotics SA, an investment advisor and portfolio manager in impact finance. He is co-founder and director of MF Rating Srl, an international specialized rating agency, chairman of the Steering Committee for the Risk management Initiative in Microfinance (RIM) and Faculty at the Microfinance Training Program for Boulder Institute.

Hilda

Chief Financial Officer

Hilda has more than 19 years of experience in finance that spans across real estate, investment/funds management, renewable energy and advertising sectors in Sydney and London. Hilda serves as CFO of CreditAccess SEA. Prior to joining CreditAccess SEA, she served as a Finance Director for Vena Energy Indonesia (part of Global Infrastructure Partners), and Group Financial Planning and Analysis Manager for MullenLowe Profero (IPG Group) in London. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).

Ira Tharakan

Senior Manager, Financial Inclusion

Ira has extensive experience in development finance, with a particular focus on managing and implementing financial inclusion projects. She serves as IPA 's point person for ESG, and also facilitates technical assistance projects for innovation initiatives. Her prior employment record includes fieldwork in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Nigeria and India on USAID projects, as well as managing a large microfinance portal for the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor at the World Bank. Ira holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and Int’l Relations from Syracuse University, and a Certificate in SME Finance and Digital Finance from the Frankfurt School of Management.

BOARD MEMBERS

Federico Carini

Federico Carini is co-promoter of Asia Impact (Luxembourg) and is a Managing Director at Mediobanca S.p.A. He has more than 20 years of private banking experience with UBS Wealth Management and Banca Regionale Europea S.p.A (Ubi Banca Group).

Matteo Pusineri

Matteo Pusineri is Director of Asia Impact (Luxembourg). He is a member of CQ Group, and Chairman of CQ Asset Management in London. Earlier, he served as Executive Director in the private wealth management division of Morgan Stanley (London). Prior to this, he worked with Societe Generale in London.