Laxmi Kumari got married at 22 years. For the first couple of months, her in-laws treated her well, but the birth of her daughter changed everything. She was subjected to incessant domestic violence. Within the next couple of months, she was diagnosed with a severe medical condition and was sent back to her parents’ house. It was like going out of the frying pan into the fire. A single mother with no financial means, Laxmi’s life came to a near standstill. At this time, she accidentally met Manju Dhobi, a Community Motivator of the Manzil team.
Ricardo has 35 years´ experience in private sector development, regulatory reform, regional and local economic development in the European Union, Western Balkans, Easter Partnership Countries, Middle East, Africa, etc. He is tasked with developing our strategic operations in continental Europe and Ukraine.
Ricardo is a seasoned international development professional with over 30 years of experience designing and delivering Private Sector Development and economic growth initiatives across more than 50 countries spanning Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe, the CIS, Africa, MEDA, and Asia. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC).
Ricardo brings a unique combination of strategic insight and practical implementation expertise. He has led high-impact assignments for key development institutions, including the European Commission, OECD, GIZ, FCDO/DFID, UNDP, UNCTAD, EBRD, ILO, ADB, World Bank, USAID, and Danida.
With a deep and practical understanding of institutional architecture, policy environment, and post-conflict recovery dynamics, and a career spanning over 30 years across transition economies, Ricardo brings not only technical depth but also a trusted reputation among donors, policymakers and peers.He is leading Triple Line’s strategic expansion into continental Europe, including Ukraine, while strengthening our credibility across the broader region and beyond. Proven Expertise Across Our Core Pillars. Ricardo’s work focuses on the areas central to Triple Line’s evolving service offering: Governance & Institutional Reform: advising public institutions on regulatory impact, policy reform, and donor coordination, Private Sector Development: strategy development for SME ecosystems, innovation, and competitiveness, Infrastructure Enabling Conditions: support for investment climate improvement and regional/local economic development and Cross-cutting themes, including green transition, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusive growth
