Open to opportunities

Eskedar Amensissa

@eskedaramensissa

Message

Impact-driven innovation and knowledge management specialist in inclusive finance.

Ethiopia

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a senior role driving innovation, knowledge management and inclusive finance programs with multi-stakeholder collaboration, evidence-driven decision-making, and opportunities to scale gender-responsive solutions.

I am an impact-driven development professional with over a decade of experience advancing inclusive digital access to finance, program and knowledge management across development, humanitarian, private sector and government institutions. I have coordinated donor-funded projects, built multi-stakeholder partnerships, and led evidence-based learning to scale inclusive business models for youth- and women-led MSMEs.

I design and implement knowledge and innovation strategies, produce evidence products, and manage pilot programs that drive gender-responsive, climate-resilient solutions. I combine strong program management, MERL, and stakeholder engagement skills to influence policy, strengthen ecosystems, and improve service delivery for marginalized communities.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Innovation & Knowledge Management Specialist

Current

Plan International Ethiopia

Jan 2021 - Present (5 years)

Developed and implemented country-level knowledge and innovation management strategy, producing evidence briefs and case studies that improved programme quality across 20 projects and coordinated gender-responsive innovation pilots.

Knowledge Management Program Design Monitoring & Evaluation Stakeholder Engagement Innovation Management MS Teams Capacity Building

Business Development & Country Representative

Base of the Pyramid Innovation Center

Jul 2018 - Dec 2019 (1 year 5 months)

Established a 300-member network of low-income women entrepreneurs across three regions and led business development, capacity building and digital literacy initiatives to strengthen inclusive last-mile distribution and market participation.

Business Development Partnership Building Stakeholder Engagement Program Management Market Access

Partners Network Manager

Kifiya Financial Technology Plc

Dec 2013 - May 2017 (3 years 5 months)

Managed a portfolio of six digital finance projects, built partnerships with financial institutions and government agencies, and led implementations including G2P payments, electronic vouchers and mobile/biometric banking to expand financial inclusion.

Partnership Management Project Management Payments Systems Government Relations Financial Inclusion

Project Coordinator

Techno Brain Ltd

Mar 2012 - Nov 2013 (1 year 8 months)

Led cross-functional efforts for ISO 9001:2008 certification and streamlined processes through mapping, audits and capacity building to improve institutional efficiency and compliance.

Quality Management ISO 9001 Process Mapping Audit Project Coordination Continuous Improvement Documentation

Project Management Officer

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia

Mar 2004 - Feb 2012 (7 years 11 months)

Assessed and approved SME loan requests and supported organizational transformation during a core banking system change through documentation, process optimization and branch training across eight offices.

SME Process Optimization Core Banking Training Project Management