Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is pleased to welcome Ms. Smita Aggarwal as the new Director of the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Ms. Aggarwal will assume the leadership role in supporting Queen Máxima's efforts as the UNSGSA, based in New York.
Ms. Aggarwal joins the Office of the UNSGSA after spending more than three decades in various leadership roles as a venture capital investor, a commercial banker, a regulator, and a Board Director. In her most recent role at Flourish Ventures, she led investments in innovative fintech start-ups that help advance financial health and inclusion in Asia. Previously she was Senior Program Director at the Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL), an independent body set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
She began her career with ICICI Bank in India and was at the forefront of leading digital initiatives for superior customer experience. She has served as a member of the Fintech Advisory Board of New York University and as an Independent Director on the Board of U Gro Capital and 360 One Asset Management.
An Indian national, Ms. Aggarwal is a rank holder Chartered Accountant from India and attended executive programs at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management.
Ms. Aggarwal succeeds Ms. Pia Bernadette Roman Tayag, who fulfilled the role since September 2020.