Robert is a banker and economist from Sydney, having spent 9 years as a relationship manager or analyst for banking deals, including private equity, merger & acquisitions, project finance, property, and ordinary corporate lending deals. During his career he has been engaged in a broad range of development projects for new banking systems and processes. Robert also has experience in community not-for-profit management including board positions. He's always had a passion for global development and it's been a long-term goal of his to get involved in the sector. Robert has been a believer in the potential of microfinance since he studied it as part of his Economics degree. He fell in love with Kiva as soon as he discovered the organisation via a Vlogbrothers’ YouTube video. Robert is a hopeless technophile, so Kiva’s combination of crowdfunding and social media with microfinance really appeals to him. He's excited to help Kiva develop and grow Kiva Zip across the US and beyond and can’t wait to meet and work with the rest of the Kiva team. In his spare time, he loves to cook, ski, keep fit, and read.