Board of Directors

An EMpower Board Director since 2024, Soji is a transformational leader with more than 20 years of experience, focused on unlocking potential and optimising performance across nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Currently serving as Chief Operating Officer at Turnaround for Children—an education equity organisation—she oversees finance, human resources, and technology, guiding strategic and operational infrastructure to deliver impact at scale. Her expertise spans strategy development, programme management, organisational design, risk management, outcomes evaluation, and technology. Soji began her career as a management consultant at Deloitte, advising financial services organisations on leveraging technology and human capital for growth. She holds a Bachelor’s in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

An EMpower Board Director since 2016, Patricia has worked in Asian Equity Sales for Goldman Sachs since 2018.

An EMpower Board Director since 2013, Marc spent 17 years at Deutsche Bank where he was a Fixed Income Research Analyst and CTO.

An EMpower Board Director since 2014, Kristin is a Managing Principal at Payden & Rygel where she has been working since 1998.

An EMpower Board Director since 2010 and is current US Board Chair, James is a Portfolio Manager/Analyst at Lazard Asset Management where he has been working since 1996.

An EMpower Board Director since 2025, Flavio Figueiredo is a Managing Director and Global Head of Foreign Exchange at Citi, responsible for leading the firm's global FX sales and trading operations. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, his career with Citi began in 1989 and has spanned various roles across finance, private equity, sales and trading, and leadership positions in Latin America and the Americas.

An EMpower Board Director since 2005, Beth is a Senior Associate in the Department of Family & Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024, Liza is the former Head of Corporate Citizenship and Foundations at Credit Suisse and is now the Head of Programmes and Optimus, Social Impact & Philanthropy US at UBS. She is an accomplished international social impact leader with 15+ years of experience in strategic philanthropy, foundation development, and employee engagement. She is an experienced communicator on transforming private sector philanthropy models to help solve escalating, systemic social challenges through collaborative action and investment.

An EMpower Board Director since 2005, Michael is the CEO and Founder of the company mebl | Transforming Furniture, and the former Executive Director of International Human Rights Funders Group in addition to having held numerous other nonprofit leadership roles across his career.

An EMpower Board Director since 2019, Tim spent 20 years at Oaktree Capital Management where he was a co-manager of its emerging markets fund.

An EMpower Board Director since 2019 with previous Board service from 2014-2016, Kathleen is an emerging markets finance professional and former Managing Director at CIBC.

An EMpower Board Director since 2005, Robert is the Director of Portfolios at Porticus where he has worked since 2016. He has 25 years of human rights and development experience, including as Director of International Operations at the Open Society Foundations.

An EMpower Board Director since 2022, Kevin is a Portfolio Manager at Wellington Management where he has worked since 2016.

An EMpower Board Director since 2022, Rekha is a Managing Director at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking.

An EMpower Board Director since 2023, Osmin is a Partner and Head of Americas FICC Emerging Markets Trading at Goldman Sachs where he has worked since 2010.

Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, also serves on the Board of EMpower. Cynthia has been with EMpower since 2005.

An EMpower Board Director since 2023, Başak is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where she has been working since 2011.

An EMpower Board Director since 2022, Marcleo Assalin is the Head of Emerging Markets Debt at William Blair where he has been working since 2020.

An EMpower Board Director since 2013, Marc spent 17 years at Deutsche Bank where he was a Fixed Income Research Analyst and CTO.

An EMpower Board Director since in 2023, Mary-Therese has played an integral role in the ESG partnership between EMpower and Pictet. Mary-Therese has served as the Head of Emerging Market Fixed Income and Equity Partner of Pictet where she has been since 2004.

An EMpower Board Director since 2020 and EMpower’s UK treasurer since 2023, Jonathan Bell has served as an has been with his firm, Cape Ann Asset Management, for 7 years. Cape Ann is an EMpower underwriter and generally hosts the UK team in their offices.

An EMpower Board Director since 2025, Finbar Cooke is Co-Head of European Credit Trading and a Managing Director at Barclays, based in London. Since joining Barclays in 2012, he has held leadership roles across financial, sovereign, and Latin American credit trading, assuming his current position in 2021. Prior to Barclays, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, specialising in corporate and TMT trading. Finbar holds a BSc in Mathematics from Dublin City University.

An EMpower Board Director since 2025, Liliana Castillo Dearth is the Head of Emerging Markets and Asian Equities at Newton Investment Management, based in London. With over 27 years of experience in global equity portfolio management, she has held leadership roles at Wellington Management and AllianceBernstein, where she specialised in emerging markets strategies. A native of Venezuela, Liliana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de Carabobo and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. Her career has spanned four countries across three continents, shaping her global perspective on markets.

EMpower Board Director since 2020, and currently EMpower’s Co-Chair, Swatee brings years of experience in the social justice and philanthropic field.

An EMpower Board Director since 2019, Reggie is Chief Compliance Officer at Atomic Invest.

An EMpower Board Director since 2011, Jeremy Llewelyn previously resided as Co-Chair in the UK, and is currently the Chair of EMpower’s Global Executive Committee. Jeremy worked at Black River Investment from 2004-2016, and now enjoys retirement.

An EMpower Board Director since 2014, Pontso Mafethe is the Director of Programmes at the African Women’s Development Fund, where she has been since 2020.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024, Nicolette Naylor is a Pan African feminist lawyer and philanthropy executive with over two decades at the intersection of justice, feminism, and philanthropy. As CEO of Ubuntu Global Philanthropy & Gender Justice Consulting, she advances principle-driven strategies that strengthen feminist movements and human rights organizations. Previously, she led the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa office and its International Programme on Gender, Racial & Ethnic Justice. A trained international human rights lawyer, Nicolette also serves on several global boards and recently she was elected Chairperson of the Atlantic Institute Governing Board.

An EMpower Board Director since 2012, Parvoleta Shtereva is Partner at Gemcorp Capital LLP where she has worked since 2014.

Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, also serves on the Board of EMpower. Cynthia has been with EMpower since 2005.

An EMpower Board Director since 2009, Ozan Tarman works at Deutsche Bank as Vice Chair of Global Macro and is part of the Deutsche Bank Underwriting Syndicate for EMpower.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024. Linda is a leader at the nexus of strategic advocacy, communications, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Her expertise spans advising philanthropy, multinational organisations, business, and civil society on impactful advocacy strategies and investment approaches. She is currently Global Director, Equity, Gender & Youth at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

An EMpower Board Director since 2020, Toby West has been with MarketAxess since 2018 and is currently the Global Head of Marketing. MarketAxess has been an EMpower’s Underwriter since 2020.

An EMpower Board Director since 2021. Rachel is a trusted advisor to both corporate and non-profit stakeholders, with a proven track record in designing, implementing and evaluating philanthropic investment strategies and addressing complex regional development needs.

An EMpower Board Director since 2012. Stephen is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at PIMCO, where he has been working since 2018.

An EMpower Board Director since 2011. Maddy Foo is the founding member of the EMpower entity in Hong Kong and Singapore. Maddy started her involvement with EMpower due to their vision for youth—to equip them with tools, skills, and the ability to be independent, such that they can take care of themselves and give back to their communities.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024. Susee has been involved with EMpower since 2021. She is an experienced capital market professional with a 20-year track record in markets and investment banking. She has deep experience across major markets globally, having worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, global capital and London.

An EMpower Board Director since 2016  and is now the Co-Chair. Aleem is Chief Operating Officer, Global Markets at Nomura, and the Co-founder of Future Health, an angels' group focused on health-tech startups in Asia.

An EMpower Board Director since 2016. Richard established the Albourne Partners branch in Hong Kong in 2004, expanding Asia coverage for the leading UK-based independent hedge fund and private equity advisory firm.

An EMpower Board Director since 2019. Nicholas Koh is active angel investor in innovative companies in a range of sectors and geographies - biotech, medtech, telehealth, HR SaaS, fintech, supply chain logistics, and restaurant-tech. 

An EMpower Board Director since 2024. Jessica Koh is the Head of Asian Listed Real Estate and Senior Portfolio Manager at Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), a role she first assumed with AMP Capital in 2018. Jessica is responsible for the capital and risk allocation across the Asian region of MAM’s Global Listed Real Estate strategy.

An EMpower Board Director since 2017. E.G. has served as the Co-President of Goldman Sachs’ China unit and Head of Global Market Division in the country. E.G. was at Goldman Sachs from 2008 until his retirement in 2024.

An EMpower Board Director since 2022. Avon is a Managing Director at Nomura. Avon is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and is motivated by the impact young people can make in their communities, society, and the world at large when provided with a safe environment where they can thrive.

An EMpower Board Director since 2012. Aasha Pai is currently our Co-Chair. Aasha is a freelance consultant in global health and strategy/organisational development. Aasha has over 20 years of experience working for non-profit organisations and social enterprises focusing on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender equity.

Cynthia Steele, EMpower’s President and CEO, also serves on the Board of EMpower. Cynthia has been with EMpower since 2005.

An EMpower Board Director since 2021. Vivien is Partner and Head of Asset Management & ESG at Dentons Hong Kong. Vivien is a strong believer in responsible capital and sustainable finance.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024. Maryann is a veteran of the financial markets with experience spanning across global capital markets and investment banking. She has been Managing Director, managing teams at bulge bracket firms and multinational investment banks as a senior leader.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024, Aparna is a seasoned global executive with cross-sector expertise in philanthropy, research, and policy—encompassing gender and climate justice, public health, nutrition, education, livelihoods, governance, arts and culture, and academia. Named Philanthropy Professional of the Year by the Hurun Report, India (2024), she advises the Grow for Climate Fund and serves on global advisory bodies for Equal Measures 2030 and the Sustainable Futures Collaborative.

Formerly Chief Operating Officer at the Tata Trusts, Aparna oversaw strategic planning and high-impact philanthropic portfolios. She was also Senior Global Program Officer for Gender Justice at the Ford Foundation, acting as Program Director for India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Trained as an epidemiologist, Aparna has managed grantmaking budgets from USD 20 to 150 million, led large cross-functional teams, and navigated complex global regulatory frameworks.

Alongside her leadership roles, Aparna is an artist, poetry translator, and editor of Hence (un)Proven. This blend of creative and scientific perspectives informs her imaginative, rigorous approach to advancing social change.

Nisha Dhawan, our Vice President, Impact & Influence, also serves on the India Board of EMpower. Nisha has been with EMpower since 2012.

An EMpower Board Director since 2023. Dr Ravinder is the founder-member of IIT Delhi’s gender unit IGES (Initiative for Gender Equity and Sensitisation), where she collaboratively initiated many steps to improve the gender climate on campus.

She is currently the co-lead on a major Women in STEM project, “Fixing the Leak: Advancing STEM Innovation and Inclusion in India, One Woman Scientist at a Time”, funded by the Co-Impact Gender Equality Fund. 

An EMpower Board Director since 2025, Sneha Kohli is an emerging markets fixed-income specialist with 20+ years of experience spanning private credit, distressed, and high-yield bonds and loans. She most recently led Jefferies’ EM Sales as an MD in Hong Kong and previously held senior roles at SC Lowy, BNP Paribas, and Deutsche Bank. Sneha’s track record includes revenue growth, strong client relationships, and executing complex deals, particularly in high-yield and distressed situations.

An MBA graduate from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Accounting and Analytic Finance) and a CFA charterholder, Sneha also holds a full-scholarship graduate degree in computer science from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she began her career as a programmer.

An EMpower Board Director since 2023. Prarthana is a true professional in talent development with focused experience in learning and leadership development. Her experience spans across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Through her expertise, Prarthana has partnered with global organisations to craft strategic and impactful leadership development programmes. These initiatives have facilitated organisational transformations, nurtured talent pipelines, and enhanced overall capability building.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024, Radhika is a transformative leader in education, social impact, and women’s empowerment. As Joint Vice Chairperson of The Shri Ram Schools and founder of the KARM Fellowship for Young Indian Women, she champions access to education and financial independence for underserved communities.

She also leads initiatives for inclusion and cultural preservation as Chairperson of the Indian Blind Sports Association and Trustee of CAPED, promoting women’s health. Recognized with accolades like the IMC Woman of the Year (2023–2024), Radhika’s work spans key roles at Teach For India, HelpAge India, and the CII National School Education Council.

An EMpower Board Director since 2024. Devanshi oversees audience growth, dissemination, global partnerships, and talent at the India Development Review (IDR). Devanshi's work on digital outreach has helped make IDR the largest social-impact-focused independent media platform in Asia. Previously, Devanshi worked as a communications and research lead at Dasra, and built a wide range of communications products around philanthropy.