Michel A. Rathier

Michel A. Rathier is an accomplished Economic and Business Development Expert with expertise in Rural Finance, Project Manager/COP and Training with over thirty years of international experience. He has spearheaded numerous complex initiatives primarily in countries of West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, such as Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Paraguay, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Panama, Pakistan, Senegal, Surinam, and Togo. Throughout his career, Mr. Rathier has been dedicated to fostering sustainable economic growth. His key initiatives focus on improving business environments by providing greater access to adapted and inclusive financing mechanisms. These efforts have expanded market opportunities for rural SMEs, actors on agricultural value chains, and for women and young entrepreneurs. Mr. Rathier as more than a decade of experience in designing, setting up and managing impact development funds, mostly in West and Central Africa. His primary areas of expertise encompass strengthening agriculture and other natural resource value chains, enhancing climate resiliency and food security, promoting rural M&SME development, improving financial systems & microfinance development, as well as entrepreneurship training. He is skilful at adapting regulatory and legal frameworks, with a focus on rural financing systems. Michel Rathier currently serves as an External Expert and Advisor to the German KfW Bank, targeting impact financing initiatives in Mali, the Ivory Coast. He also collaborates with various donors and DFIs on inclusive, rural, and agricultural value chain projects in Colombia and Senegal. Furthermore, he continues to advise the Mécanisme de Refinancement des SFD du Mali, an apex type of inclusive funding facility aimed at enhancing access to financing for rural MSMEs, particularly those led by rural women and youth operating within the agricultural and other natural resource value chains, as well as for initiatives to strengthen climate resilience and mitigate environmental and social risks. Post graduate degrees in Intl Management (MBA), Urb Planning (M.Urb.), Graduate degree in social-psychology & organisation development, Associate degree in Law.