Over 22 years of experience in strategic planning, retail banking and marketing, organizational development and project management in the banking and financial sector.
Her early career in the banking sector was split between retail operations as Head of Retail Baking & Marketing (9 years) and Operations & Finance as COO (3years), during which she led several important transformation projects for the bank, such as: Full migration to FlexCube, New Business Model for Retail branches, Retail Risk Model, Credit Cards introduction, creating the Recovery and Distress Assets Department, etc.
In April 2014 Mrs. Herjola Spahiu took over the management of NOA sh.a, a non-Bank Financial Institution in Albania founded by USAID in 1998, as Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Council. During these 10 years in the microfinance industry, she has focused on protecting NOA’s long-term mission in supporting financially the micro and small entrepreneurs, farmers and agro-tourism, families that aim to improve their life and grow their businesses in the Albanian landscape. She has build a strong team of senior managers, capable of leading the business and growing its market share, alongside a full transformation of the Institution to endorse the Corporate Governance best practices, ensuring the company operates in full compliance with the legal and regulatory framework, the Code of Conduct and Customer Protection Principles. During 2022, she also led and successfully achieved in 2023 the opening of a non-bank financial institution in Kosovo (NOA subsidiary), fulfilling also the dream of the management for a regional expansion.
In the spirit of advocacy and promotion of the role of the microfinance sector in the Albanian economy, Ms. Spahiu held the position of Chairperson of the Albanian Microfinance Association in the period 2015-2016. From 2021 onwards, she is Member of the Board of the European Microfinance Network (Brussels) and Member of the Advisory Board of Balkan Economic Forum.
Mrs. Spahiu holds a degree in Business Administration and an Executive MBA from the International Hellenic University, Greece. In 2018 she attended the Strategic Leadership in Financial Inclusion in Harvard Business School and recently, she was certified as an Expert in ESG and Impact Investing.