I have spent more than 30 years working across the Middle East and North Africa on projects related to financial inclusion, MSME development, institutional strengthening, and economic empowerment. My career has taken me through Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Somaliland, where I have led major organizational transformations, advised central banks, and supported financial sector reform efforts. Zayad_AlRefai_ResumeNov2025 I previously served as Executive Director of Tamweelcom, where I oversaw the delivery of more than 460,000 loans valued at USD 298 million, leading one of Jordan’s largest inclusive finance institutions through nationwide expansion and operational strengthening. I later became the founding CEO of Ethmar, Jordan’s first Sharia-compliant microfinance institution, where I established the organization, introduced Islamic finance products, restructured teams, and built risk and performance systems. Zayad_AlRefai_ResumeNov2025 Most recently, I served as Executive Director of Siraj Financial Services (SFS), supporting the institutional assessment and transformation of microfinance and livelihood projects in Northern Syria. In this role, I worked closely with NEF leadership and project teams to strengthen systems, governance, and outreach. Zayad_AlRefai_ResumeNov2025 In my consultancy work, I have designed and delivered technical projects with GIZ, USAID, EU, IFC, Sparkassenstiftung, and the World Bank. These include national-level capacity-building, policy analysis, financial sector diagnostics, and training for banks, non-bank financial institutions, digital payment providers, microfinance entities, and regulators. One of my recent projects was leading the GIZ–Central Bank of Iraq capacity-building initiative in support of the Iraq National Financial Inclusion Strategy (2025–2029). Zayad_AlRefai_ResumeNov2025 I am a certified EFQM Lead Assessor, and I regularly conduct institutional assessments, performance reviews, and quality assurance exercises for financial and development organizations. In addition, I have delivered more than 20 specialized trainings over the past two years in MSME finance, risk management, financial analysis, fintech, portfolio quality, governance, and strategic planning. Zayad_AlRefai_ResumeNov2025 I also contribute academically as a lecturer at the University of Jordan, Luminus Technical University College, and Arab Open University, teaching entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and financial technology. My experience is deeply rooted in practical delivery, not theory — establishing institutions, running organizations, designing real systems, advising regulators, strengthening governance structures, and directly supporting the financial and economic resilience of vulnerable populations across the region.