Isabelle Barrès
Fractional Chief Strategy & Operating Officer
Isabelle Barres is a transformational leader and Fractional Chief Strategy & Operating Officer with a proven track record of advancing social impact, sustainability, and responsible finance. With extensive expertise in crafting innovative strategies, she has successfully partnered with governments, organizations, and industry leaders to create meaningful, lasting change.
Known for her compassionate leadership and strategic rigor, Isabelle has led global movements protecting vulnerable communities and improving financial practices worldwide. Her visionary approach drives results while inspiring teams to achieve excellence.
Clients trust Isabelle to navigate complex challenges, build cross-sector partnerships, and deliver impactful solutions. Whether refining operations or scaling initiatives, she blends purpose and precision to help organizations grow sustainably and achieve bold, transformative goals.
"True leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about creating the space
for the right questions to emerge."
Isabelle Barrès
Visionary
"Visionary" perfectly captures Isabelle Barres' approach as a professional. She possesses the rare ability to see beyond immediate challenges and imagine bold, transformative solutions that drive meaningful change.
Whether crafting strategies to advance social impact or building partnerships across sectors, Isabelle combines foresight, innovation, and a deep sense of purpose. Her work consistently paves the way for sustainable growth and equitable solutions, inspiring others to reimagine what is possible.
Education
1994
University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne
Diplome d’Etudes Supérieures de l'Université de Paris I (DESUP), Development
1993
McGill University
MBA, International Business
Experience
Since 2023
BRAC International Holdings B.V.
Board Member
Since 2022
888 Global
Managing Director
2021-2024
CGAP
Microfinance Digitization Community of Practice Lead
Skills
Strategic Leadership
Cross-Sector Collaboration
Empathy Driven Leadership
Core Competency
TRANSFORMATIVE VISION
Isabelle specializes in crafting forward-thinking strategies that deliver meaningful social impact, foster sustainability, and drive operational excellence tailored to her clients' needs.
SCALABLE IMPACT
With a distinctive ability to unite governments, private enterprises, and civil society, Isabelle creates innovative, scalable solutions that generate lasting and measurable change.
EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP
Renowned for guiding purpose-driven teams, Isabelle builds trusted cultures of empowerment and excellence, inspiring individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential and deliver extraordinary results.
THE
NUMBERS
GLOBAL IMPACT
2000
At MIX, Isabelle helped build a global database used by over 2,000 microfinance institutions and investors, which became a critical tool for understanding and advancing financial inclusion. At Kiva, she scaled operations to enable over $1 billion in microloans distributed to borrowers across 77 countries.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
40M
Under Isabelle’s leadership, the Smart Campaign developed and implemented client protection standards adopted by over 100 financial institutions globally, impacting more than 40 million low-income consumers.
LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE
10
Isabelle managed a global team at Accion for over ten years, mentoring professionals who helped create a global movement for responsible finance, directly improving financial practices in multiple regions.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
100+
Isabelle’s collaboration with stakeholders, including policymakers, impact investors, and financial service providers, resulted in industry-wide initiatives like the Common Social Performance Indicators, influencing practices across hundreds of organizations.
"Isabelle joined Kiva at a pivotal moment, elevating operations and transforming risk management with her strategic and people-focused leadership. Her humble, masterful approach instilled a culture of excellence, contributing significantly to Kiva’s early success. She's an inspiring and effective leader."
— Chelsa Bocci
"Isabelle’s visionary leadership at Accion built a global movement for responsible finance, impacting millions of consumers. Her ability to engage stakeholders and foster team empowerment is unmatched. I was fortunate to learn from her strategic, compassionate mentorship."
— Alexandra Rizzi
