Financial Access is a long established financial sector advisory firm with a global 25 year track record of implementing change and capacity development for – and with – financial institutions in emerging markets. In November 2015, Financial Access incorporated a finance company called Financial Access Commerce & Trade Services (“FACTS”) with operations in Kenya, Uganda and a Head Office in the Netherlands.
Today, FACTS lends to SMEs in Kenya, Uganda and (soon) Tanzania. The ideas and concepts behind our business model go back to the successful Finance for Agriculture (“F4A”) programmes that we ran in Kenya and Uganda between 2013 and 2017 in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands.
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Founder of FACTS EA BV and e-Kara Fintech Ltd, he has been advising and managing projects in East Africa since 2010. As project director for F4A, a Dutch Government-funded Agri-finance program in Kenya and Uganda, he focused on improving SME access to finance, including supply chain finance solutions. He also serves as an ambassador for FCI in East Africa.
Previously, as co-owner of an advisory firm, he led restructuring projects for non-banking financial institutions and commercial banks across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, working with organizations like IFC, World Bank, and EBRD.
With 40+ years of experience, he has held roles in private and public financial institutions, including the Dutch Ministry of Finance and the World Bank/IFC. At ING Bank (1989–2006), he managed corporate, structured, and commodity finance in emerging markets, with senior management positions in Amsterdam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Russia.
Mr. van der Krogt holds a MA from the University of Leiden and is fluent in Dutch and English.
Cynthia brings over 26 years of experience as a senior credit risk professional and consultant. As co-owner of an advisory firm, she has helped businesses access critical financing. She joined Barclays Bank in 1997, advancing through roles in commercial banking, including Corporate Credit Manager, Senior Credit Auditor for Barclays Africa, and Associate Director & VP at Barclays Plc in Dubai, where she approved credits for Barclays Africa and the Middle East.
In February 2023, Cynthia joined Financial Access Commerce and Trade Services as Regional Director and CEO, overseeing operations in Kenya and Uganda.
She holds an MBA from the University of Mauritius, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Sociology from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Risk Management in International Banking from KPMG, Stockholm, and a Certificate in Advanced Commercial Lending and Credit Skills from the IFS School of Finance, London, UK.
Peter Ndirangu has extensive experience in the finance and banking sectors, with expertise in accounting and a certification as a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya (CPA-K). He holds an MBA from Strathmore Business School, a BSc in International Business Administration from the United States International University–Africa, an Executive Certificate in Agriculture Finance, and advanced knowledge in Information Systems Audit certification.
Peter has worked as an Internal Auditor at Saam Kenya Limited (Fabric City at Nakumatt Holdings), a Finance Officer at Financial Access East Africa Limited, and a Finance Manager at Financial Access Commerce & Trade Services (K) Limited.
Currently, he serves as the Head of Finance and Administration for the East Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, Kenya, including e-Kara Fitech Ltd, managing financial planning, reporting, and administrative functions for the Financial Access Group. He also supports the Head Office in Amsterdam with consolidated financial reporting.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ndirangu-7760aa48
Ms. Sembiro Isabel Diana is a former Banker with a wealth of experience spanning over 10 years in the Banking industry mostly concentrated in credit risk management and administration.
Prior to joining FACTS (U) LTD, she served as a credit analyst with Orient Bank, a Senior Credit Risk Officer at Diamond Trust Bank and also worked in various roles with Guaranty Trust Bank (formerly FINA Bank) where she spent the bulk of her banking career.
She Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Makerere University, Certificates in Basic Banking, Credit management and Lending to SME’s from the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-sembiro-208a5564
Jessica Bernah Nalubega is the Business development Manager FACTS Uganda. Before joining FACTS, she served as a distribution manager in Parambot Breweries Limited before rising to acting sales and marketing manager.
She has ten years banking experience. She started her banking career in Standard Bank as a teller and later became a customer service consultant. She also served in the business banking department where she worked as a business relationship officer before assuming the role of Relationship Manager SME.
She holds a Diploma in Business Studies from Makerere University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Nkumba University.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-nalubega-ba0a98112
Mr. Munyae specializes in Infrastructure, General IT Support, as well as Systems Project Management and Processes Quality Assurance whereby he takes lead in the development of our in-house developed SCF platform also known as e-Kara. Prior to joining FACTS Africa, he worked with different organizations in various capacities, most recently as an IT Administrator.
He has a Degree in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, he is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), ITIL v3 certified, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) and has a foundation certification in International Factoring (FCI) and recently pursued Agile Project Management which is a non-credited online course with Coursera.
Blessing Nakalema has over 10 years of experience in the Trade and Supply Chain Finance, Transactional Products Services, Revenue Assurance and operations, having served under various capacities.
She was part of the team at Stanbic Bank Head Office that launched the Finacle system under the Learning and Development Unit (which involved creating awareness among the bank staff on the new core banking system that eventually had a successful roll out). Blessing has also served in other nations like South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya where she lended her skills as Trade Finance Officer for 6 months.
Blessing holds a Masters in Business Administration (Finance) (MBA)at Makerere University Kampala as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Social Administration (BSWSA) at Makerere University Kampala.
She also holds a certificate in FCI Factoring Foundation Course
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aisha-blessing-nakalema-56842b9b
Hellen is an organized and adaptable administrative assistant with five years’ experience working in various office environments. She has leveraged strong multitasking skills to manage customer service, data entry, inventory control and purchasing of supplies. Additionally, Hellen facilitates event registration, maintains customer files, updates mailing lists and supports other departments and cross-functional teams in addressing customer needs with much emphasis on ensuring that every task is completed efficiently and to the highest possible standard.
She holds a Diploma in Procurement and Logistics Management.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahone-hellen-24bb1aa9
Jan Cherim is a Managing Director for the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF), a pioneering emerging markets Private Equity firm with an SME focus and investment teams in some 15 countries worldwide. He manages their hub in the EU (based in Amsterdam) and coordinates advisory services, European investor relations and business development and serves as Director of various SEAF funds globally. Mr. Cherim’s earlier investment experience includes establishing asset management companies in Thailand (mutual funds), Poland and China (PE) for ING, as well as launching the bank’s first Emerging Markets debt fund.
On behalf of SEAF, Mr Cherim is a non-Executive Chair of the FACTS holding company and was a co-founder of Financial Access Capital Partners. He has over 30 years of banking, investment management and consulting experience in Europe, the Far East, Africa and the Caribbean. He has advised corporate, financial sector and sovereign clients in the areas of financing, investment, strategic development, management organisation, balance sheet restructuring, privatisation, as well as risk management, governance and internal audit concerns. He led the SEAF-backed MBO of Financial Access from ING Bank in 2007, a business he had helped to launch in the early 1990s. He is actively involved with clients in the PE, financial and SME/agri-financing sectors. He is a recognised authority in performance enhancement in banking.
At ING, Mr Cherim was a member of the Management Committee of ING Bank’s Wholesale International (Banking) unit based in Amsterdam, and Head of ING’s Financial Institutions business, with global responsibility for FIG products and relationship managers, including the lending, payments, securities services, trade finance, and the advisory practice for financial sector clients (which became FA). He was Country Manager for ING in Thailand, as well as Regional Director for Africa.
Before joining ING in 1990, he worked in international corporate finance at S.G. Warburg & Co. in London (now UBS Investment Banking), and in research at the World Bank in Washington. Mr Cherim was educated at The Johns Hopkins University (USA) and the London School of Economics (UK).
LinkedIn: httpsss://www.linkedin.com/in/jancherim
