After over a decade at the World Bank, Sevi Simavi was appointed in December as new CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, set up five years ago by the Queen’s Counsel, barrister and wife of the former prime minister of the United Kingdom to help empower women in developing nations.
With longstanding experience in international development and a passion for women’s economic empowerment, what will this trained lawyer bring to the organization?
In an exclusive interview with Devex, Simavi explained how under her new leadership the foundation plans to have a renewed focus on facilitating access to a range of financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises managed by women in the developing world — and not just microfinance.