WASHINGTON, D.C. - Robert Homans, Kyiv, Ukraine, a business finance and micro-credit expert with over 25 years of experience, has been approved for membership in the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), the USUBC executive committee announced today.  The announcement was made on behalf of the entire USUBC membership of over 200 companies and organizations who have business operations, investments or other development programs in Ukraine.

Robert Homans, a resident of Kyiv since 2006, is the Founder and CEO of Norden Capital of Los Angeles, California, and a consultant to international donors and financial services companies in Ukraine, other countries in the former Soviet Union, SE Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

At Norden Capital, Mr. Homans was responsible for originating and processing all types of business loan transactions focusing on small & medium enterprises, from short-term lending to financial leasing.    Mr. Homans’ specialty is providing financing solutions for farming operations, as well as manufacturers in the food and beverage and personal care industries. His direct responsibilities included all aspects of loan transactions, including loan origination, product development, underwriting and credit.

FINANCIAL LEASING
Robert Homans came to Ukraine in 2006 to be Head of the Financial Leasing Component of the Access to Credit Initiative, a technical assistance project operating under the auspices of USAID.    In this capacity he has worked with a number of Ukrainian lessors, as well as advising the Government of Ukraine on matters relating to leasing legislation, as well as regulation and supervision of Ukrainian lessors.    

He has also worked directly with the former Chairman of the Taxation and Customs Committee of the Varhovna Rada, on matters relating to improving the climate for capital spending in Ukraine.  During his time with the Access to Credit Initiative, Mr. Homans developed and supervised the establishment of the Certified Leasing Specialist Program, the first professional development program for leasing professionals outside of North America and was the Founder and 1st President of the Certified Leasing Specialists Union of Ukraine.

In addition to Ukraine Mr. Homans has worked on international donor projects in other countries of the former Soviet Union, SE Asia, the Middle East and Africa.     In this capacity he has assisted government agencies in the development of leasing legislation and regulations, and advised lessors and banks in improving their capacity to extend credit and other banking services to small & medium-sized enterprises.   In all of these engagements, Mr. Homans’ focus has always been to apply his practical knowledge, gained from his long career in business finance.

CO-AUTHORED IFC GLOBAL LEASING TOOLKIT
In 2011 Mr. Homans co-authored the IFC Global Leasing Toolkit (© IFC Corp.), a distillation of the authors’ combined 70 years of experience in all aspects of leasing. The Toolkit, available in both a book and cd/rom, includes chapters on starting a leasing company, funding lease transactions, lease origination and processing, as well as leasing company management, and includes over 75 case studies and examples involving actual lease transactions.  

The Toolkit also contains 4 specialty toolkits, including one focused on leasing agricultural equipment and another focused on leasing energy-saving equipment, both of which have direct relevance to Ukraine.    

The Introduction to the IFC Global Leasing Toolkit can be found here - https://www.smefinanceforum.org/knowledge-bank/research-papers/global-leasing-toolkit-introduction.   Copies of the IFC Global Leasing Toolkit cd/rom can be obtained by contacting Mr. Homans directly, by email at roberthomans@gmail.com, or by calling – 050-758-1319  (Ukraine) or – 310-929-7448 (USA).

LENDING PRODUCTS FOR SMALL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IN UKRAINE
In 2012, as part of his work with another USAID technical assistance project called Ukraine AgroInvest, Mr. Homans developed five lending products targeted at small agricultural producers in Ukraine including, for the first time, a short-term post-harvest lending product incorporating double warehouse certificates.  Other loan products include short-term financing for milk suppliers, small poultry producers, and farmers engaged in contract farming, as well as a leasing product.   

Templates for all five loan products are included in a report Mr. Homans wrote for AgroInvest, entitled, “Agricultural Loan Products Targeted at Small & Medium Producers (© Chemonics International, Inc.)  The objective of these products is to assist banks, credit unions and other financial institutions in Ukraine to build their capacity to provide financing to smaller farming operations. 

Mr. Homans is also the co-author of a 2nd report for AgroInvest, entitled “Access to Credit for Small & Medium Producers in Ukraine, Regulatory and Institutional Barriers (© Chemonics International, Inc.)

Mr. Homans is a graduate of Harvard University and holds a Masters in International Administration from the School for International Training as well as an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Homans’ wife, Larysa Homans, is the Leader of the Masters in Business Leadership Program  (MBL) at Kyiv Mohyla Business School, and is an executive coach.

CONTACT: Mr. Homans can be reached by email at – roberthomans@gmail.com, and by telephone at either – 310-929-7448 (USA) or – 050-758-1319 (Ukraine).  

ROBERT HOMANS AND USUBC

USUBC has been in contact with Robert Homans for several years. USUBC is very pleased now to be working directly with Robert Homans, said Morgan Williams, President of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC).  "Robert has an outstanding career and brings expertise and talent in financial credit and leasing needed in Ukraine." 

USUBC membership has grown rapidly during the past six years. Membership now stands at 200.  In January 2005 membership was eight; two years later it had grown to 22; in January 2009 it reached 100; and in January of 2011 topped 150. A complete list of USUBC members can be found at: http://www.usubc.org/members.php. For a list of the USUBC board of directors go to: http://www.usubc.org/site/u-s-ukraine-business-council-board-of-directors.