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Elissa McCarter LaBorde is a three-time Chief Executive Officer with 25 years of leadership across the global financial services, fintech, and impact investment sectors. She most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), the global trade association representing financial cooperatives in 100 countries, where she led a successful institutional transformation that expanded the organization’s revenue, reach, and global impact.
Previously, she founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Vitas Group, a network of small business lenders across the Middle East and Europe, where she drove digital innovation and early-stage fintech investments.
A practitioner at heart, Ms. LaBorde began her career in microfinance, launching financial institutions first in Armenia and Turkey and advising programs in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. She has held numerous governance roles, including board chair and director positions with regulated financial institutions and privately held companies across multiple markets, bringing extensive expertise in risk, governance, and investment strategy.
An engaging speaker, author, and educator, Ms. LaBorde serves as adjunct faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. A strong advocate for “AI for good” and inclusive finance, she is passionate about democratizing access to opportunity and advancing more equitable and sustainable financial systems worldwide.