Shane Lavagna-Slater

My career has always been a blend of academics and business development. I have held academic positions and business development positions. I have attained four degrees – culminating in my PhD: Business Management (University of Pretoria), Master of Commerce: Financial Management (University of Pretoria), Honours degree: Financial Management (University of Johannesburg) and a Bachelor’s degree: Investment Management (University of Pretoria).

I have held both operational and academic positions within the higher education industry. My roles include, head of operations for Cornerstone Performance Solutions (Learning Experience Manager), Head of Department at Milpark Business School, Lecturer at Southern Cross University, Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia. I am currently a full time faculty member with the Business School within the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education at the University of Western Australia.

I have held senior management positions within the financial services industry such a senior consultant, insights manager, chief executive officer and new business manager. At the core of these roles have been strategic and business development, relationship management and leadership across international borders. Largely the markets I operated in were bottom of the pyramid or the unbanked population. I’ve spent a number of years studying and practicing in the bottom of the pyramid and especially with the provision of credit, savings and insurance products in Africa. Financial inclusion is a field I am keenly interested in from both a research and practical standpoint. In 2016, I completed the Accion-Harvard Business School Executive Education certification on Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance.