Heike Harmgart

Dr. Heike Harmgart is a Research Fellow at the WZB Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences and currently serves as Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She previously led the EBRD's Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region, overseeing a $2 billion annual business plan across Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, and West Bank/Gaza.

• PhD in Economics, University College London

Research Interests center on microfinance, financial inclusion, and economic development, with empirical studies in Mongolia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her work bridges academic rigor with policy implementation in fragile economies.

Publication Trends (2015): Rigorous impact evaluations of microcredit and microfinance in developing markets, emphasizing poverty reduction, gender dynamics, and institutional design.

Scientific Awards & Recognitions:

• Forbes Middle East: Top 10 Most Powerful Women in Business (Middle East), 2020 & 2021
• World Economic Forum: Global Future Council Member on Fragility and Resilience