Soula Proxenos1689 34th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20007 +1-202 818 0308 (cell)sproxenos@gmail.com

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

High-energy, global, and creative financial services professional with thirty years of experience. Extensive global board experience. Managed large multicultural teams on three continents. Proven track record in financial markets and infrastructure development. Experienced in strategy development, media relations, joint venture creation, credit risk management, fund development, restructuring, relationship management, sales, financial product development, marketing and consulting efforts globally. Passionate about empowering emerging markets and emerging communities. Proven strategic global thinker as a senior executive, and as a board member.

SPECIAL ABILITIES TO:

Understand public-private interrelationship Create developmental impact Understand global markets—in particular developing markets—in Africa, Asia and Latin America Represent organizations and promote ideas in the media and at conferences and events Build strong international multicultural teams Connect people and ideas Develop inspiring strategic goals

BOARD EXPERIENCE

South African Work Force Housing Fund (SAWHF) (South Africa General Partner)2008-PresentIHS South African Work Force Housing Fund (SAWHF) South Africa Share Trust2008-PresentIHS (Pty) Limited 2006- PresentTahirih Justice Center, Washington, DC, Chair of Nominations Committee 2010 – Present International Housing Solutions (UK) Limited2006-2012International Housing Solutions S.à r.l. (Luxembourg)2008-2010NStreet Village , Washington, DC Chair of the Board. Awarded Best Run Non-Profit, by the Washington Post, 2006; 2000-2005

AFILIATIONS

Member of Women Corporate Directors (WCD)

AWARDS

The Siyabonga Global South African Award: awarded by the South African government 2014Selected as Citibank Progress Maker: https://vimeo.com/113291797

COUNCIL EXPERIENCE

Africa Council for Emerging Market Private Equity Association, Washington DC 2012—PresentAdvisory Council Member-International Union for Housing Finance, Brussels, Belgium 1998—2015

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

International Housing Solutions, London and Washington, DC January 2006—PresentManaging DirectorCo-Founded the South African Workforce Housing Fund. The fund finances the creation of homes for low and moderate income households, initially in South Africa but growing into other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The fund had its first close in 2008 and has 1.9 billion rand (approximately USD 240 million) of capital—amongst its investors is OPIC, Citi, MacArthur, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Subsequent fund II first and second closings have been achieved. Conceptualized the fund structure and strategy Recruited a world-class team Led capital raising (have closed over $600million) Identified deals resulting in over 27 000 units of housing financed by the first fund Managed risk as vice-chair of the Investment and Asset Management committees Created an international brand as spokesperson: conferences and media (National TV, radio, and press interviews) Oversaw development of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and responsible for ESG strategy and

measurement of impact

Fannie Mae, Washington, DC Managing Director, International Housing Finance Services July 1999—January 2006 Profit and Loss responsibility for division Brought the division to profitability while providing best practice consulting to governments and financial

institutions across the globe. Directed consulting, training and worked in over 25 countries; clients and counterparts were banks, specialized mortgage companies, pension funds, credit unions, governments, DFIs, and building societies

Established a profitable suite of training symposiums in Washington DC and other countries which were oversold and attended by people from across the world

Ran multiple symposiums in five countries

Corporate Executive Board, Washington, DC November 1997—July 1999Director Successfully customized research for Fortune 10 member organizations to inform their strategic direction Presented findings to large (several hundred) member attended meetings as well as to boards Co-authored two books on banking and financial products worldwide Restructured part of the organization, achieving extensive cost savings and efficiency

AEGON Scottish Equitable International, London and Luxembourg January 1997—September 1997Market and Business Development Director Oversaw the full marketing mix for this start up subsidiary, one of the world’s largest listed insurance companies. Responsible for all aspects of new market entry Managed the sales team for the entity

Old Mutual Group, Johannesburg, London, and Guernsey January 1988—December 19969-year career in marketing, moving from planner to the executive management team. Was the youngest Assistant Divisional Manager in the history of this FTSE 100 company

Old Mutual International, London and Guernsey December1994—December 1996 Marketing Director Member of the executive management team of the company and head of marketing. Established strategy for the development of an international platform Developed an international brand and suite of financial products Successfully opened new branch offices in South Africa and Hong Kong ( Hong Kong office quickly attracted 10%

of the company’s non-domestic business) Successfully managed a culturally and geographically diverse team

Old Mutual Individual Life, Cape Town October1992—December 1999Manager of Marketing

Successfully restructured and retrained the company’s 4,000 sales staff Controlled a $5.7m expense budget Launched with success new products aimed at previously underserved populations Negotiated commitments from national media for joint sponsorship of socially responsible projects Initiated a clear and fair affirmative action policy, achieving 50% growth in black staff in 6 months

Old Mutual Unit Trusts, Cape Town September 1988—September 1994National Marketing Manager Member of the executive management team and head of marketing for South Africa’s largest mutual fund company. Launched three new funds and eight new products Quadrupled automatic payroll deduction business from 30,000 to 120,000 accounts Managed the increase in market share from 31% to 38% in number of accounts Created products and payment methods that were profitable but accessible to low income earners

Old Mutual Individual Life, Cape Town January—August 1988Marketing Planner Planned and managed direct marketing campaigns

Gallo (Africa) Limited, Johannesburg March 1983 — January 1984Public Relations and Advertising Manager Under my direction Disney Home Videos became an established brand in South Africa.

Dun and Bradstreet (Pty) Limited, Johannesburg February 1981—March 1983Marketing Consultant Consistently the top monthly sales person on a team of ten.

GUEST LECTURER

Regular visiting lecturer in the MBA programs at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and occasional lecturer at Columbia Business School, Columbia University.

EDUCATION

MBA, University of Stellenbosch (1991); Honors Business and Administration, University of Stellenbosch (1990); BA (Philosophy major, English minor), University of Witwatersrand (1986)Languages: fluent in English, Greek, Afrikaans; reading knowledge of Dutch, and some comprehension of French.

PUBLICATIONS

“Mortgage Models, Interest Rate Risk, and the Consumer: A Four Country Comparison.” [with L. G. Taff] Housing Finance International 18.3 (March 2003): 14-23.“Homeownership Rates: A Global Perspective.” Housing Finance International 17.2 (December 2002): 3-7. “Plato’s Housing Policy: Then and Now.” [with Debra Nails] The Proceedings of the Twenty-First World Congress of Philosophy, ed. P. Canevi and S. Voss (Ankara, 2007), vol. 10, pp. 73–78.New Generation Network Management: Aligning Branch Strategies with a Changing Market (Washington: Corporate Executive Board, 1999). Innovative Products Around the World (Washington: Corporate Executive Board, 1998).