Mojaloop Taps Rwandan Leader to Drive Global Financial Inclusion

WAKEFIELD, MA – April 22, 2026 – The Mojaloop Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing financial inclusion through open-source technology, has announced a significant leadership transition that signals a strategic deepening of its engagement with emerging economies. Jean Bosco Iyacu, a distinguished leader in digital finance from Kigali, Rwanda, will take the helm as Chief Executive Officer on June 1, 2026. He succeeds the foundation's retiring Executive Director, Paula Hunter.

The appointment is more than a routine change in leadership; it represents a deliberate move to embed regional expertise at the highest level of the organization. Iyacu’s extensive background in the very markets Mojaloop aims to serve is expected to guide the foundation into its next phase of global growth, focusing on scalability, sustainability, and tangible impact on the unbanked and underbanked.

A Strategic Shift Towards Deep Market Expertise

Based in Kigali, Jean Bosco Iyacu brings over 15 years of on-the-ground experience in building inclusive financial ecosystems. His appointment is a powerful statement of the Mojaloop Foundation's commitment to a model of development led by experts from the Global South. Kosta Peric, Chairperson of the Mojaloop Foundation, highlighted this strategic value, commenting, “Jean Bosco brings an exceptional combination of regional insight, leadership experience and deep understanding of Digital Public Infrastructure. This marks an important step in Mojaloop’s evolution as we continue to scale our global impact.”

Iyacu’s track record is most notably defined by his tenure at Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR), where he currently serves as CEO. Under his guidance, AFR has been a key catalyst in Rwanda’s remarkable financial inclusion journey, which saw the national inclusion rate soar from 48% in 2008 to 96% by 2024. Rather than focusing on direct service delivery, Iyacu championed a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, targeting the root causes of market failures to create sustainable, large-scale change.

This approach yielded impressive results. AFR, with Iyacu at the forefront, supported the launch of crucial national programs like the “Ejo Heza” long-term savings scheme, which has enrolled over 3.5 million contributors, and the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), which protects over 650,000 farmers from climate-related risks. His work has been instrumental in enabling more than 4.5 million Rwandans to access and use financial services, demonstrating a profound ability to turn policy and strategy into life-changing outcomes.

Scaling Digital Public Infrastructure Through Open Source

At the core of the Mojaloop Foundation's mission is its open-source software, Mojaloop, which serves as a public good for building interoperable, real-time payment systems. These systems are a critical component of what is known as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—shared digital platforms that enable a wide range of services, from finance to healthcare. Iyacu is a vocal proponent of open and accessible DPI, viewing it as essential for fostering innovation and reaching underserved communities.

In his own words, Iyacu sees a clear path forward. “Inclusive finance is one of the defining challenges and opportunities of our time. Mojaloop has already demonstrated the power of open, interoperable infrastructure to transform economies and improve lives,” he stated. “I’m excited to build on this momentum, working with partners around the world to expand access to inclusive digital financial services and ensure long-term sustainability for the organization.”

His vision is informed by practical experience. In Rwanda, he has guided partnerships between AFR, Co-Develop, and the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) to accelerate the country’s DPI ecosystem. These efforts have focused on tangible applications, such as strengthening digital agriculture value chains and developing credit market infrastructure. This hands-on experience in implementing DPI solutions will be invaluable as Mojaloop seeks to support similar initiatives with governments, central banks, and financial service providers globally.

Charting a Course for Long-Term Sustainability

A key mandate for the new CEO is to fortify the Mojaloop Foundation’s future by “strengthening its long-term sustainability and securing additional funding.” Operating a global public good like Mojaloop requires a robust and diversified financial strategy that moves beyond traditional philanthropic grants. Iyacu’s proven ability to attract significant financial support will be critical to this effort.

During his time at AFR, he successfully mobilized substantial donor funding from a range of international partners, including Sweden and the MasterCard Foundation. This fundraising prowess demonstrates his capacity to articulate a compelling vision and build the trust necessary to secure long-term investment. His new role will involve replicating this success on a global scale, ensuring the foundation has the resources to maintain its open-source software, support a thriving developer community, and assist with complex national-level deployments.

The transition comes as Paula Hunter, the foundation's outgoing Executive Director, retires. Hunter’s leadership was foundational in establishing the 501(c)(3) nonprofit and shepherding Mojaloop from a concept into a globally recognized tool for financial inclusion. The handover to Iyacu represents a natural and strategic evolution, shifting the focus from establishment to scaling and securing the organization's enduring impact.

With his deep expertise in both the technical and developmental aspects of financial inclusion, Jean Bosco Iyacu is uniquely positioned to lead the Mojaloop Foundation. His leadership promises not only to expand the reach of its technology but also to ensure that the organization itself is built on a sustainable and resilient foundation, ready to meet the challenges of building a more equitable global financial system.