Speaker Bio
Ashley joined the GSMA in 2021 as the Head of Financial Inclusion and AgriTech.
Prior to joining GSMA, Ashley had been living and working in East Africa, championing financial inclusion and the development of agrifood systems across sub-Saharan Africa for over 11 years. During this time, Ashley designed and managed funds, investing in agribusinesses and fintechs across the continent, with Root Capital and Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), to catalyze innovation and growth for wide impact. Ashley has played key roles in driving and supporting gender lens investing in her work. She also worked with Mastercard Foundation and Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA), managing large multi-million-dollar programmes, partnering and working with a wide array of implementing partners and key stakeholders in the industry.
Ashley holds a BSc in Management and Finance from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (United States) and an MBA from IESE Business School (Spain).