About Us - Staff Profiles

Staff Profiles

Guy Winship - CEO

Guy is internationally recognised for his experience and skills in the enterprise development field, particularly in the areas of microfinance and rural financial services. Guy was previously Managing Director of FINCA Uganda, a large regulated best-practice rural Microfinance Institution (MFI), and has extensive operational knowledge in provision of credit, savings, and micro-insurance services within low-income communities. During this period FINCA Uganda won the prestigious Grameen Foundation USA Excellence award for international best practise in microfinance in 2002.

Guy has unique knowledge and experience of transforming Microfinance Institutions into regulated formal (non-bank) commercial financial institutions. He has provided a wide range of technical inputs to MFIs, commercial and central banks, donor and government agencies in many areas of microfinance, including performance and risk management, supervision and regulation policy, and designing monitoring & evaluation systems in over 15 developing countries throughout Asia and Africa. Additionally, Guy has knowledge and experience of designing and implementing vocational and business skills programs for livelihoods and small & micro-enterprise (SME) development. Guy has provided advice to a number of governments in the areas of enterprise and financial services development, including those of Australia, USA, Indonesia, South Africa, and Uganda.

Guy is a Director and CEO of World Education Australia.

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Shane Nichols - Program Director

Shane has extensive experience in the fields of microfinance, micro-enterprise and livelihoods development. He has worked with more than thirty microfinance organisations in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade, providing microfinance technical assistance and management support. Shane plays technical and management roles on various projects, and acts as Team Leader on an Asian Development Bank microfinance program in Laos.

Prior to joining World Education, Shane worked as a program manager and microfinance focal point for AusAID in China and Mongolia. His work encompassed the design, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation of numerous rural development and capacity building projects, including collaborative programs with the World Bank and various UN agencies.

Shane attended the renowned Boulder Microfinance Training Program and has completed a Master of Social Science in International Development. His masters’ research investigated the impacts of microfinance upon the poor in rural China. He is a certified microfinance trainer with UNCDF / ILO, and has worked on projects in Cambodia, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

Shane was responsible for the conceptualisation, design and development phase of Good Return. Now that Good Return is operational Shane leads the work with microfinance partners and their borrowers.

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James Le Compte - Microfinance Partnerships Manager

James has a background in business management and has previously worked in the web development industry for 7 years. During his time in the IT industry he jointly established a successful web development agency which still operates today. He has extensive experience in the areas of e-commerce and content management software and has helped to launch a large number of successful business websites.

James completed a Masters in International Studies and has completed work placements with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) and Australia for UNHCR. During his time at the UN in Sydney he assisted in the coordination and promotion of the UN International Year of Microcredit (2005). He has since lead a group of volunteers on a 3 month development program in Vanuatu, which delivered small business and microfinance training to youth on remote rural islands. James attended the "Boulder" Microfinance training program in 2008 (a collaboration between the Economics Institute at Naropa University, Colorado, and the ILO).

James has project managed Good Return from concept through to reality. With his IT and Project Managent skills James was responsible for the design and development of Good Return's business model, solution architecture, operational procedures (ensuring legal and regulatory compliance) and Microfinance partner engagement. Since the Good Return project has moved from design to operation, James' focus has shifted to managing Good Return's relationships with partner MFIs.

James has a passion for applying technology and entrepreneurial skills to increase the impact of social intiatives.

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Di Bowles - Community Engagement and Marketing Manager

Di has over 22 years experience in marketing, business development and training for various corporations in both the US and Australia. She has a record of success in the development and implementation of effective marketing, training, customer satisfaction and customer retention programs. Di also successfully launched an Internet Consulting Company to assist automotive clients with maximising opportunity with new Internet and software tools.

Di always had a desire to utilise these skills in the international non profit sector. Di has volunteered her time for many years with groups and organisation such as the UN International Year of Microcredit National Committee, The Grameen Foundation Australia, Results, OXFAM, the International Women’s Development Agency and teaching adult literacy programs.

Di has completed a BA in International Political Science and she will be responsible for engaging and building linkages with the Australian Community and also developing a donor base to expand our development work.

Di is responsible for Good Return's marketing, fundraising and community engagement activities.

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Nicole Stanmore - Operations Manager

Prior to joining World Education, Nicole worked as an independent consultant where she undertook short-term assignments for a state government department and a foreign government ministry.

Her previous work experience includes 10 years at the Australian Trade Commission in Santiago, New York and Sydney where she developed skills in strategy and planning, change management, project management and process improvement.

Nicole is a qualified lawyer and has a Master of Business Administration from Cambridge University in the U.K where she received a scholarship to research environmental and social sustainability issues in the Chilean mining industry.

Nicole is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Good Return website.

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