HASTEN Lecture: Linking agrifood SMEs to finance and innovation for sustainable agrifood systems – Fintech for smallholder financial inclusion

Moderator

Hajnalka Petrics

Programme Officer, Office of SDGs, FAO

Hajnalka Petrics is a Programme Officer at FAO's Office of Sustainable Development Goals, where she leads the Prototyping and Acceleration Portfolio. She heads the FAO SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme and the HASTEN FVC Project, which promote eco-inclusive and social agripreneurship. Previously, she was the Global Coordinator of the RBA-EU Joint Programme on Gender Transformative Approaches for Food Security and Nutrition. She also served as a Gender and Development Officer in FAO’s Gender Team, leading work on CEDAW implementation, gender-responsive policies, and rural advisory services. Earlier in her career, she was a Rural Development and Gender Technical Officer at FAO's Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Hajnalka holds a PhD in International Cooperation and Sustainable Development Policies, and an MA in Policies and Governance of European Integration from the University of Bologna.

Niclas Benni

Rural Finance Specialist, Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, FAO

Niclas Benni's fields of specialization include digital finance in agriculture,  climate risk insurance, and climate finance, having authored more than twenty studies on these topics.   He has previously worked on establishing co-financing partnerships with the private sector to develop rural finance projects at the International Fund for Agricultural Development.   He holds a Master in Development Economics from Bocconi University, and is a graduate of the Rural and Agricultural Finance Programme of the Boulder Institute of Microfinance.

Panos Loukos

Director of Financial Inclusion, The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Mobile Money Programme

Panos Loukos leads GSMA’s partnership with Visa, which aims to support individuals and small- and micro-businesses (SMBs) in accessing and benefiting from digital and financial ecosystems. His work focuses on thought leadership in areas such as privacy and security, financial education, and policy development. Panos also leads research initiatives to assess the impact of digital finance programmes on the resilience and growth of SMBs and publishes industry insights to support the development of an inclusive digital finance ecosystem. Prior to joining the GSMA, Panos spent several years at leading analyst and consultancy firms, specialising in mobile operators’ digital strategies. He holds an MSc in Plant Science from Imperial College London and an MBA from the University of Manchester.

Yiannis Theodorou 

Digital Public Infrastructure Consultant

Yiannis is the Managing Director at Digileap Advisory Services Ltd and also works as a Senior Advisor for Government Innovation & AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), leading TBI’s Advisory portfolio on Digital ID & Wallets in 25+ countries. He works directly with government leaders around the globe, helping them reimagine public service delivery in the age of AI, accelerate digital economies, and build citizen trust. With over 20 years of cross-disciplinary experience spanning law, policy, technology, user experience, privacy, and ethics, Yiannis has spearheaded strategic programmes and partnerships with prominent private sector and international development organizations, including the UN, World Bank, FCDO, the EU, and numerous donors across more than 50 countries. A seasoned public speaker and thought leader, Yiannis previously held senior global roles at the GSMA and the UK regulator Ofcom, authored multiple influential publications, drafted impactful legislation, and successfully brokered strategic public-private partnerships.