This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Normunds Mizis, Chief Cedit Officer (CCO), based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

  • Why did you join BlueOrchard?

“On a starry night in Kabul back in 2011, I received a call from our former CCO, who was looking in different corners of the globe for assistance with loan underwriting for what was back then a small Asia team of four people. I have never regretted picking up the phone that night. As the old proverb ‘All good things come in threes’ suggests, my trio for BlueOrchard would be: people, culture, and purpose.”

  • Why did you decide to work in impact investing?

“Early in my career, I wanted to help make a difference in Africa but started with an assignment in Sri Lanka and continued managing development projects elsewhere in Asia. I have had an opportunity to do some work in Africa as well, but my lesson learned in the early stages of my professional career was that good deeds are needed everywhere around the world.”

  • What is the most memorable experience you have made during your time at BlueOrchard?

“There have been many, but during my visit to the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, I was fascinated to learn about human resilience and adaptability, no matter the hardships—whether brought by nature or man-made.”

  • What is the most valuable advice you can give to people interested in impact investing?

“Seeing is believing. Now and then, find time to visit beneficiaries—institutions and individuals in emerging markets—to see first-hand the impact that investments make.”

  • What is your favourite book? Why?

“I find that, for me, it is a series of books by a particular author rather than a single book that makes an impression on me. Two of my favourite authors are German novelist Erich Maria Remarque and American writer John Updike. While they depict different decades and continents in their work, they both focus on the experiences of their characters during periods of social change. If one is looking for an easy and humorous read on a flight, I can recommend Henry Mintzberg’s Why I Hate Flying: Tales for the Tormented Traveler.”