Alok Mishra, PhD, is the CEO of M-CRIL, a global microfinance rating agency. He has 23 years of professional experience in rural development, rural finance/microfinance and research at both policy and implementation level. Prior to M-CRIL, Alok worked with NABARD. Alok was part of multi institutional task force responsible for setting up India s first online commodities exchange. Alok has undertaken professional work across nineteen countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. He is a Fellow in financial inclusion from Tufts University and holds a doctorate in Development Studies from Victoria University and a Master in Development Management degree from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila.