Professional and socially engaged… These are the words we use to describe ourselves at Lendahand. We are a diverse team with experience in business, banking, consulting and working in the non-profit sector. Please allow us to introduce ourselves!
Management Team
Our Management consists of executives who are responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and day to day operations of the company. Our CEO & CCO are also both co-founders who have been with Lendahand since the beginning. Their experience spans across Banking, Corporate Finance, and International Aid & Development, allowing us to be a social enterprise that puts impact first while still pursuing a sustainable and profitable business model.
Koen The
Co-founder & Chief Executive OfficerA self-proclaimed “reformed banker,” Koen is a former Executive Director at Goldman Sachs and Assistant VP at Barclays Capital, now putting his extensive financial knowledge and background to work fighting poverty as the CEO of Lendahand. A proud alumnus of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam with a degree in Econometrics and an MBA from Cal Berkeley, Koen has overseen the growth of Lendahand from a small team of 4 employees to a buzzing group of 20. Our CEO is committed to helping Lendahand fulfill its potential as the world’s leading crowdfunding platform for impact investing.
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Peter Stolze
Co-founder & Chief Compliance OfficerThe person making sure Lendahand always keeps impact at the forefront of our focus, Peter is a former Manager of Corporate Strategy at T-Mobile and Manager of Microfinance at Cordaid. He is our COO and is dedicated to helping Lendahand maintain operational excellence throughout his various responsibilities. Proud alumnus of Erasmus University & Radboud University Nijmegen, Peter is an avid footballer and enthusiastic Feyenoord supporter.
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Daniël van Maanen
Chief Financial OfficerMaking sure Lendahand’s numbers add up is Daniel. His background ranges from Portfolio Manager at APG Asset Management to CFO of Aircrete Europe, an international technology company in the construction sector. He joined our team in December of 2019 as CFO with the desire to make social impact a central focus of his career.
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Arno Hoogenhuizen
Chief Product & Technology OfficerFrom building something new to making good things even better, Arno is a true innovator. He enjoys taking on various challenges such as developing digital strategies and shaping teams. As our Chief Product & Technology Officer, Arno continues to enhance our crowdfunding platform and make it better and better.
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Team
Jorge Vilar
Operations & Knowledge ManagementAs part of our Catalyst and Knowledge Team, Jorge is responsible for problem-solving in daily activities. He has a heart for solar energy projects and is originally from Portugal. Our only certified Apple Genius, Jorge also used to do comic strips and even short animation videos before working at Lendahand.
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Ingrid Murariu
Junior Legal OfficerDrafting investment contracts, loan agreements and more, Ingrid is getting plenty of legal work done at Lendahand. Having stuck around after her studies in Psychology, International and European Union Law, and Crisis and Security Management, she now calls Rotterdam home. Yet the lifelong dream of our Romanian colleague is to one day live in a beach house.
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Lily Zhou
Head of MarketingMeet Lily, the most motivated Head of Marketing in the Netherlands. At Lendahand, she uses her years of experience in media and marketing at Mindshare and Unilever for a cause closer to her heart. Besides all that, she’s the team’s go-to person for restaurant recommendations in Rotterdam.
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Arthur Brophy
Ruby DeveloperMeet Arthur, a passionate enthousiast of creative technology! Having recently set foot in the Netherlands from South Africa, he is thrilled not only by the country’s rich and diverse culture but also by its innovative tech scene. Ready to bring a blend of coding expertise and creative flair to the Team, Arthur looks forward to contributing to our collective success.
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Manan Modi
Investment ManagerAs a kid, Manan was dedicated to becoming a professional tennis player. That was until he discovered that being an Investment Manager at Lendahand also was an option. So, after spending some time in Georgia (the country), the Indian Manan came to the Netherlands to delight the team with his good humor.
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Anshul Jindal
Head of InvestmentsLeading the investments team to excellence is Anshul. He brings 14 years of experience in impact investments to the team, having worked at Oikocredit, responsAbility, and Rabobank. His passion for high-impact investments in emerging markets got him to travel to more than 20 countries for work. After being torn between Delhi and Mumbai for his whole life, his family decided to move to the Netherlands in early 2020 to pursue new career opportunities. If you’re looking to connect with this avid networker, you can probably coax him into a game of badminton.
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Matteo Gilardi
Investment ManagerMeet Matteo, our warmhearted Investment Manager from Italy. From his beginnings as an Investment Intern, Matteo has quickly risen through the ranks of our investment team with his expertise and determination. When he’s not busy crafting impact investment strategies, you can find surfer Matteo conquering waves around the world.
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Lera Ilginisova
Investments Operations OfficerMeet Lera, an avid traveller who enjoys exploring new countries, meeting people, and creating precious memories. Her life travel itinerary starts in St. Petersburg, Russia, from where she moved to the United States for almost a decade. After spending 2 years in Nairobi, Kenya, you can now find her playing fetch with her dog Cena in Dutch parks. Lera streamlines the Investment team processes by bringing experience in operations, project management, and data analytics to the table.
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Diosa Taylor
Ruby DeveloperDiosa has seen quite a bit of our planet. She was raised in Dubai, spent 1.5 years teaching in China, and then backpacked South America before settling in Amsterdam. By day, she is a software developer at Lendahand with a knack for art and maths. Outside of coding, she’s a rock climbing enthusiast, tackling both outdoor and indoor walls. Living in the flat Netherlands won’t stop her from reaching new heights, one climb at a time!
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Lynn Hamerlinck
Content Marketing SpecialistMeet Lynn, our joyful Content Marketing Specialist. Hailing from Belgium, she uses her journalism skills and language knowledge to create content that inspires and informs our investors about Lendahand. In case you can’t reach her, she’s probably on the water somewhere.
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Olivier Dubarry
Country Manager FranceMeet Olivier, who brings a wealth of knowledge and cultural insight to our team as Marketing Manager for France. He ensures our social mission reaches and resonates with French impact investors. With his green thumb and passion for gardening, you can find Olivier nurturing plants in his beloved garden.
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Jan Metten Van der Meer
Sr. Software EngineerJan Metten brings many years of experience in software development to Lendahand, 8 of which he worked in the USA. He enjoys nature; especially watching and photographing birds. You can find him doing this while hiking or kayaking.
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Charles Te
Investment ManagerMeet Charles, an adventurous Frenchie who’s always on the move. With a skateboard as his preferred mode of transportation, Charles constantly seeks new experiences and makes an impact wherever he lands. Charles brings valuable impact investing experience from his time at the Netri Foundation to the team. Get ready to be inspired by his zest for life!
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Willianne van der Weijde
Legal & Compliance OfficerWillianne is as native and local to Rotterdam as can be. As a part of our Legal Team, she works towards her goal to create equal opportunities and inclusion in the impact sector. Before joining Lendahand, Willianne worked at People’s Pension - a micro pension company in Ghana - and SNAP Solutions, where she introduced a savings product to coffee farmers in Rwanda. She loves structure and having everything under control, all of which is possible provided there is coffee.
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Judith Mathijssen
Impact ManagerJudith is the freelancer who never left. With a background in consultancy for social and financial conclusion and healthcare access in developing countries, she is our guidance in executing our impact framework.
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