Meet our Leaders…Robila Agha

Meet our leaders….Robila Agha

Good Return’s Inclusive Finance Program Manager

We sat down with Good Return’s Inclusive Finance Program Manager, Robila Agha, to talk about her career journey to date. 

Tell us about a career highlight or a proud moment from your career

I didn’t start with privilege or grand plans, just resilience and consistency. An unexpected path into an MBA led me to commercial banking, where I joined a foreign bank even before my results were out. Over six years, I earned a rare hat-trick of Best in Sales & Services awards across all foreign banks in Pakistan.

The defining moment, though, was leaving commercial banking for development finance. That shift transformed my work from transactions to impact, shaping systems in microfinance and SME finance that expands access and resilience.

Do you have a person who has inspired you in your career?

I’m inspired less by individuals and more by people who quietly combine purpose with execution. Leaders who build systems that last, stay grounded in community realities, and navigate complexity without losing integrity.

Can you share a humourous moment from your career to date?

While leading a microfinance project for the Ministry of Women Development in two high-risk districts, one client repeatedly avoided repayments by telling my field staff she was a helpless widow and deserving of sympathy. Over time, the team began warning her, “If you don’t pay, Madam herself will come.”

This gave birth to a rather fearsome legend of “Madam”, ironic, as I was recently widowed myself and anything but intimidating.

When I finally visited, the client received me politely, with armed men visible outside her street, and confidently explained that she was not helpless at all; she was an older widow with adult sons, land, and property, and therefore far stronger than a young widow like me.

I attempted a final, procedural bluff about escalating the matter to the police. She calmly responded by calling a senior police officer herself and inviting him for tea. I made a swift, dignified retreat into my official jeep.

Only on the drive back did my team, between tears of laughter, mention that male staff had been beaten in that same area the week before.

The key lesson learned was that in microfinance, reputation is far scarier than reality, and “Madam” is most powerful when she doesn’t show up!

Above all, my greatest source of pride has been knowing that my father took pride in my professional journey. Raised in a patriarchal society, he understood the resilience required for a woman to create and sustain space in her career, and he never failed to acknowledge it. That quiet recognition has stayed with me longer than any title or milestone.

BIO

Robila Agha is a seasoned inclusive finance and development professional with over two decades of experience spanning international development, financial inclusion, microfinance, and private sector engagement across Asia and emerging markets. She currently serves as Inclusive Finance Manager – Asia Pacific at Good Return, where she leads the design and implementation of inclusive finance strategies, partnerships, and investment-linked technical assistance across the region.

Prior to joining Good Return, Robila held senior advisory and leadership roles with international organisations and financial institutions, including the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Standard Chartered Bank. Her work has focused on expanding access to finance for women, MSMEs, and underserved communities, through market-led solutions, financial product design, capacity building, and policy engagement.

Robila is widely recognised for her expertise in women’s economic empowerment, SME finance, social impact investing, and institutional strengthening. She has contributed to national and international forums on financial inclusion and has served in advisory and board roles, including as a Director on the Board of the Soon Valley Development Program.

She holds academic qualifications in Business Administration, Economics, and Statistics, along with professional certifications in international investment advisory and enterprise development. 

With a deep commitment to gender equity, sustainability, and ethical finance, Robila is passionate about building inclusive financial systems that enable dignity, resilience, and long-term economic opportunity.