Rethinking Finance to Address the Next Frontier in Food Systems Transformation

Alan Johnson is a Senior Operations Officer in IFC’s Agribusiness Advisory Services based in Jakarta, Indonesia.  He is the global lead for Stronger Smallholder Supply Chains, a program linking smallholder producers and last mile retailers to the commercial supply chains of IFC agribusiness clients.  The program includes several supply chain projects in Africa and Asia based on commodities (cocoa, coffee, barley, rice, maize) and the distribution of improved agro-inputs.  He is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP).  Alan has a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of New England in Australia where he was a Commonwealth Scholar. 

Roel played an instrumental role in the launch and development of the Farmfit Fund, a blended finance fund aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. He helped design fund structure, investment strategy and governance. He engaged with both public and private investors. Roel has previously served as an official at FMO (the Dutch development finance institution) for 16 years 2001-2017where he occupied varied and progressively more senior positions.

He concluded his career at FMO as director of FMO Public Investment, where he oversaw Government-funded investment funds, as well as government supported projects in emerging markets using public funds of The Netherlands and the European Union.

Roel served for six years as director of Special Operations for FMO, where he lead a team handling distressed and stressed investments in emerging markets which FMO had funded. He oversaw the workout and recovery of a number of projects and served as a member of the Advisory Committees of, two multi-billion dollar Special Situation/Distressed Debt Funds (ADM Capital Maculus III and V).

Prior to heading FMO’s Special Operations Group, Roel was a Senior Investment Officer who oversaw FMO private equity investments in LATAM. In that capacity, he worked with private investment funds and also oversaw direct FMO investments in specific LATAM projects. He has an MA in Law from Leiden University and can speak Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish.

Suon Pisey joined AMK in 2009 as Regional Manager and quickly advanced to Head of Credit in 2012. In 2017, he was promoted to Chief  Business Officer, where he currently oversees branch distribution, operations, credit, supply chain financing, leasing, deposits, and bancassurance. With 20 years of experience in the microfinance sector, Pisey has developed deep expertise in business operations, audit, product development, and branch management, all of which have contributed to his strong leadership at AMK.

Pisey holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business management from a local university and has completed numerous microfinance-related training programs, both locally and internationally. His combination of practical experience and academic qualifications enables him to navigate the complexities of the microfinance industry with both strategic foresight and operational insight.

Currently, AMK has a US$200 million agriculture credit portfolio, which accounts for 30% of its total loan portfolio. This focus on agriculture is central to AMK’s mission to drive financial inclusion and support the development of rural communities. Agriculture remains a resilient and vital sector, especially given its role in economic stability and food security. By providing financing across the entire agricultural value chain, from production to agribusiness, AMK aims to empower farmers and agribusinesses, helping them thrive even in challenging times, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tessel started at FMO in 2016, building expertise in client-facing Technical Assistance across FMO’s Funds, FI and Agribusiness sectors. From 2022, Tessel is part of FMO’s Market Creation Team, in which she dedicates her time to the design and management of ecosystem and business development programs focusing on supporting unbankable projects and businesses to bankability in the agribusiness sector. She holds an MA in Political History from Leiden University.

Somya's research focuses on how inclusive finance and agricultural technology can help smallholders, cooperatives and agri-SMEs contribute to resilient livelihoods and participate in sustainable and nutritious food systems.

Prior to CGAP, she worked with UN agencies and the U.S. government across West Africa and Southeast Asia, focusing on innovative financing, resource mobilization, and strategic partnerships for agricultural development and food security programs. She also brings experience in providing strategic advisory and research support to early-stage agtech enterprises seeking financing.

Somya holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Emilio Hernandez explores digital financial solutions for last-mile customers. He leads work on innovations that make digital financial systems more impactful in achieving top development goals, especially food security; implementation of foundational building blocks for inclusive finance, like Digital Public Infrastructure and inclusive agent networks; and on new methods to measure the impact financial inclusion has on poor people’s lives to inform more effective policies.

Before joining CGAP, Emilio led technical cooperation programs focused on inclusive rural and agricultural finance at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations overseeing field interventions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He also oversaw business operations for a large international agricultural technology company throughout Central and South America. 

He has a Doctorate degree in Agricultural Economics and Development Finance from The Ohio State University.