1. Executive Profile
Jerrold Smelcer
Innovative and Visionary Leader
International Senior Management Professional
Jerrold Smelcer is an accomplished and highly capable Senior Management Professional with an impressive international record of delivering successful strategies to turn around businesses, drive sustainable profitability and build strong equity growth. He is a polished communicator with strong motivational skills and natural authority, and a visionary and charismatic leader who demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of banking and finance. Jerrold leads by example to build and empower well-motivated teams to achieve goals and exceed expectations; and has a wealth of experience in all areas of driving change, growing revenue and maximizing profitability gained over the last 16 years in the US, EU, CEE, Caucuses and Central Asia. He uses these well- developed skills to ensure the realization of objectives set forth by the companies he works with.
Until recently Jerrold was the Chief Executive Officer of FINCA Tajikistan, a subsidiary company of FINCA International, considered to be one of the most influential microfinance organizations in the world, where he led a successful turnaround process resulting in US$1m net income for country operations in 2014; the first time profitability was reached since 2008. During his time as CEO, Jerrold completely rebuilt the management team, including the Management Board and heads of 9 functional units, doubled the workforce from 300 to nearly 600 employees, and more than quadrupled total assets from US$8m to US$39m. Jerrold also led the establishment of the first National Credit Bureau in Tajikistan as a member of the Board of Directors and received the 2013 Brand of the Year Award from the Tajikistan Ministry of Trade and Commerce in the microfinance sector category.
Prior to Tajikistan, Jerrold fulfilled a contract as an independent consultant for FINCA Azerbaijan, providing a comprehensive review of operational efficiency and cost drivers that dictate future planning, covering 650 employees across 24 branch and 29 sub-branches throughout Azerbaijan, 82000 active clients and an outstanding portfolio of US$61m. He was thereafter permanently on- boarded and became Project Manager for FINCA International’s single largest investment to-date – an MIS core banking retail MIS conversion – which involved spending several months in India working with Oracle and then returning to implement the system in Azerbaijan.
Jerrold’s first role after graduating from Thunderbird School of Global Management, with an MBA in Global Management, was with ACDI/VOCA in Azerbaijan – a private, non-profit organization that promotes the development of low-income and emerging democracies. Here he consulted for USAID’s “SME Support through Financial Sector Development” project and provided strategic services to the Executive Directors of Azerbaijan Credit Union Association and Azerbaijan Microfinance Association.
Prior to this Jerrold held the position of Director of Operations and Strategic Development for Nadiga in Lithuania – a Joint Stock Company that exports to Europe crude and mineral oil refined in Russia, as well as delivering agricultural production to Eastern Europe. During this highly successful 3 years, Jerrold managed to develop a new product division, and led the process of identification and establishment of new joint ventures to create a global agro commodity trading network; while using strong client facing management skills to build strategic relationships with a multitude of public and private trade organizations, which included governmental departments.