Lendtech Ezra appoints Erwan Gelebart as new CEO
SME lendtech Ezra, which partners with finserv providers to offer credit to the financially underserved, has appointed Erwan Gelebart as its new CEO.
Ezra appoints Erwan Gelebart as CEO
Gelebart has spent the past 14 years working for digital financial services firms Orange Money, JazzCash and Grameenphone across Africa and Asia.
He also oversaw the launch of one of Africa’s first mobile money products in 2008 and went on to lead mobile money business units and subsidiaries, as well as several digital lending products.
His appointment comes at a “pivotal moment” for Ezra as it expands its geographical footprint in emerging markets, particularly across Africa.
Across the continent, Ezra says digital services have become a popular way to deposit, borrow and invest, driving financial inclusion in a part of the world that has typically been excluded from accessing traditional banking and credit solutions.
Gelebart will be leading a 100-strong team which operates across three offices in Dubai, Nairobi and Singapore.
Ezra offers embedded lending solutions that promote sustainable economic growth, partnering with mobile wallets, banks, network operators, utility companies and e-commerce platforms including Airtel, Vodacom, mpesa, Access Bank and Interswitch. The company says it has other partnerships in the pipeline.
The firm services 35 million users each month in more than 20 countries and provided more than $1.6 billion worth of loans last year.
Ezra’s new CEO Gelebart says: “At Ezra, we work hard to financially empower people who have historically been denied access to basic financial services, to uplift their lives and businesses.”
