Who
we are
Get to know the GABV team. A global group of values-based professionals committed to creating a positive impact through finance.
Our team
Martin Rohner
Martin (Switzerland) is an Economist and Banker with over 25 years of experience in the field of social banking, sustainable trade, development finance, economic policy and debt relief. Before joining the GABV, Martin was CEO of Alternative Bank Switzerland (ABS) and served on the Board of the GABV, representing the European member banks.
As Executive Director of the GABV Martin is building the banking on values movement and growing our work with members, partners, experts and policy makers to influence the banking system so that it is more transparent, ethical, robust and real economy focused.
James Niven
James (United Kingdom) is a communications professional with experience in business, government and non-governmental organisations. He previously worked for almost 20 years at Triodos Bank including as International Head of Impact Assessment and Reporting, International Head of Corporate Affairs, and Head of Marketing and Communications for Triodos Bank in the UK.
James is responsible for the GABV’s operations, including the Netherlands-based Secretariat, and supports the effective delivery of its programmes.
Sonia Felipe
Sonia (Spain) has +15 years of experience in strategic communications, PR, marketing, and content creation in management positions, focusing on sustainability and positive change.
She worked at Triodos Bank Spain for 12 years, where she was Country Communications Director, and took part in the beginnings of the GABV as a Values Ambassador. She has participated in movements and networks that want to change the rules in the economy and companies, such as B Corp. Her latest position was as Marketing, Communications and Content Director at Impact Hub Madrid, a global network of impact entrepreneurship communities.
Jesica Cooray
Jesica (Sri Lanka) did her internship at GABV, where she wrote her thesis on GABV’s Communities of Practice and graduated with a bachelor’s in International Business Management.
Jesica has experience in communications in the hotel and events industry.
Within GABV, Jesica works closely with the Head of Communications and Marketing. Jesica works on content creation, managing GABV’s website and social media platforms.
Alice Khounta
Alice (USA) has more than 15 years international experience in the Netherlands, New Zealand, US and Japan developing and executing communications strategies in the ICT, consumer brands and nonprofit sectors. She has a strong passion to drive transformative change by helping businesses transition to innovative and sustainable business models to create positive social and environmental impacts.
Within GABV, Alice leads the implementation of the GABV Knowledge and Supporting Partner strategies, manages GABV structured information platforms, and coordinates GABV’s work with member CEOs and Supporting Partners. She also supports the GABV Human Development Community of Practice.
Ugo Biggeri
Ugo (Italy) is the first contact person for the European region. He has a long and strong connection with the banking on values movement and the GABV in itself. He is the Co-founder of Banca Etica and the former CEO and President (2010 to 2019). Until 2023, he has been President of Etica Sgr (2011-2023), the asset management company of Banca Etica Group, and a Board member of the GABV (2017-2023).
Ugo has always been committed to the issues of social justice and ecology, both personally and at the family level, and professionally, promoting actions and proposals for change with some Italian NGO. Lecturer in Ethical Finance and Microcredit at the University of Florence and author of books about ethical finance. He has a degree and PhD in Physics, with a specialization in Sustainable Development (Trento) and Business Management (Bocconi).
Jean Pogge
Jean (USA) is the first contact person for North American CEOs and the network in the region. She is a social entrepreneur who has proven ability to align social mission with revenue goals. Jean served on the executive leadership team of ShoreBank’s for over a decade. An experienced nonprofit manager, Jean has served as CEO of Woodstock Institute (1988-1992), Delta Institute (2010-2015) and Ecotrust Canada (2016-2019).
She is past board member of the Social Venture Network, past Treasurer of the Chicago Foundation for Women, current member of the Alumni Council of the Chicago Foundation for Women, a member of the Chicago Finance Exchange and a board member of Climate Smart, LLC.
Upendra Poudyal
Upendra (Nepal) represents GABV for the Asia and Pacific and is the first contact person for the member CEOs in the region. He has 3 decades of banking experience including in Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Limited, mostly Corporate Banking, for 14 years. He led NMB Bank Limited (NMB), the only member of GABV in Nepal, for 17 years as its Chief Executive Officer before he retired in March 2017.
Martha Lucía Rojas Hoyos
Martha Lucía (Colombia) is the first contact person for the Latin America region. As an Attorney and Master´s in Business Administration, she has knowledge on banking regulation and risk management, and extensive experience designing, implementing and evaluating programs on corporate ethics, financial inclusion, regulatory compliance, financial intelligence and anti-money laundering & anti-terrorism financing.
She worked as Executive Director of the ACCION Network in Latin America, Regional Project Director of ACCION´s Remittance and Microfinance Program, and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for Latin America & Caribbean Region of Western Union Financial Services Inc. In Colombia, Martha Lucía worked as Prosecutor on Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Extorsion & Anti-Kidnapping crimes, Director General (ad hoc) and Advisor to the Director General of the Financial Intelligence Unit-UIAF, Anti-Money Laundering & Regulatory Compliance Manager of Colfondos S.A. Pension and Severance Fund, Visiting Attorney of the Attorney General Office, Associate Attorney of Idrobo & Asociados S.A. Law Firm, and she practices as an Independent Attorney & Consultant.
Tom Cummings
Tom’s role focuses on engaging annually with member CEOs to get insights for developing the activities of the GABV. Tom also manages the design of the Annual Meeting and is the key facilitator during the conference. Tom provides advice to the Executive Director on topics relating to the internal development of the network.
Dr Katrin Käufer
Dr. Katrin Kaufer is Director of the Just Money Program at the MIT Community Innovators Lab (CoLab) in Massachusetts I Institute of Technology’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning and Executive Director of the Presencing Institute. Her work includes a research focus on leadership, organisational change, values-based banking as well as on Transformational Literacy research.
Dr. Kaufer has worked with mid-sized and global companies, non-profit organisations, as well as with international development organisations. Her 2013-book co-authored with Otto Scharmer is titled “Leading from the emerging Future: From Ego-system to Eco-system Economies”. In 2021 she published: “Just Money. Mission-based banking and the future of finance.” (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2021). In 2018, Dr. Kaufer co-created the MITx Just Money Massive Open Online Class on mission-based banking. With colleagues she co-created the GABV Leadership Academy. Dr. Kaufer earned PhD in economics from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany. She has won the Richard Beckhard Memorial Prize for best paper in Sloan School of Management Review.
Sonia Reinhardt
Sonia Reinhardt coordinates and co-facilitates the GABV Leadership Academy, where she works with (senior) leaders of values-based banks around the world to explore a joint future in which finance serves people and the planet and not the other way around. She also provides coaching sessions to create an opportunity for the leaders to reflect, grow and move towards their full potential.
Sonia also manages the GABV Alumni network. The group consists of graduates of the Leadership Academy, which has become an active hub of over 200 people.
Sonia further works closely with the HR leaders of the GABV member banks. In this role, Sonia provides a space for HR leaders to come together to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and bounce ideas with like-minded people. She further works on the development of a values-based learning infrastructure for the GABV network.
Governance
The Global Alliance for Banking on Values was established as a Dutch not-for-profit foundation in 2009. Under its Articles of Incorporation, the Alliance is governed by a Board of Directors. Operational responsibilities are delegated to a Secretariat through the Chair of the Board.
The Board has a regional structure with the Chair selected on a global basis. Current members include:
David Reiling
Selim Hussain
Maria Flock Åhlander
Beltrán Macchi Salín
Darrin L. Williams
Fabian Kasi
Mirela Pekmezi
The GABV Honorary Directors:
Peter Blom
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Luis Felipe Derteano
Mary Houghton
Thomas Jorberg
Meet the Global
Alliance for Banking
on Values
The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) is a network of frontrunner organizations in the banking industry worldwide that put finance at the service of people and the planet. Our collective goal is to make the banking system more transparent and support economic, social and environmental sustainability.