Managing Director, GOPA AFC

Holger Christ has been an integral part of the GOPA Group/ GOPA AFC since joining the team in 2014. In 2016, he became a member of GOPA AFC’s Management Team, where his focus has been the development of GOPA AFC’s financial sector development team. He further focused on the modernisation and digitalisation of the unit. His commitment and dedication to his work led to his appointment as Managing Director of GOPA AFC in March 2024.

Holger is a firm believer in the potential of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to stimulate economic growth, foster financial inclusion, and drive development. He recognizes that rural areas, in particular, require innovative solutions to connect them with financial institutions and resources. Over the past decade, Holger has successfully led a team dedicated to transforming GOPA Group’s activities in the Financial Sector Development into a prominent player within the sector.

Holger's career in the Development Finance Sector began in 2007. Before joining GOPA AFC, he spent over six years with Deutsche Bank’s Socially Responsible Investment Team in Luxembourg and Germany. His fields of expertise include rural, green, and SME finance, with significant experience in designing, structuring, and managing various development funds. While at Deutsche Bank, he was a member of the Fund Management Team and served on several committees for the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), the Green for Growth Fund (GGF), and the SANAD Fund for MSME. He worked in close collaboration with KfW, the initiators and driving force behind these funds.

At GOPA AFC, Holger has overseen a large number of projects, including those steered and financed by EIB, EU, KfW, ADB, EBRD, and GIZ. His global experience spans numerous regions, including Eastern and Western Africa, Central Asia, Southeast and South Asia, MENA, the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

Holger holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Trier, where he specialized in international business, developing countries, and SME finance.