Driven by his desire to restore insurance to its original purpose of providing mutual aid to those who need it most but can afford it least, Michele founded Democrance in 2015.

Prior to that, Michele worked in strategy and distribution at global insurance powerhouses AXA and MetLife in France, Egypt and the UAE. He is a frequent speaker at microinsurance, entrepreneurship and social innovation events, as well as a frequent contributor to publications in the Middle East and wider region.

On top of his position as CEO of Democrance, Michele sits on the Board of Directors at the Microinsurance Network, a non-profit member association of microinsurance experts, including donor organizations, multilateral agencies, insurance and social protection providers, policymakers and academics.

Italian by birth, Michele holds a Master’s degree in Management/Grande Ecole from ESCP Europe in Paris and an MSc in Economics from Turin University. He is also a graduate of Carlos III University in Madrid and City University in London.

Alberto looks after operations, products and the customer success functions in the business.

Educated at ICAI School of Engineering and EOI Business School in Spain, he started his career at PwC as a management consultant before relocating to Johannesburg where he worked at the Trade and Investment arm of the Government of Spain (ICEX) and helped small and medium-sized tech companies expand their operations into Sub-Saharan African markets.

Seeking new adventures, he relocated to Dubai as the CEO of a newly born B2C startup and soon after tried to (unsuccessfully) disrupt the petrol station market by launching an award-winning on-demand fuel service.

In 2016, he bumped into Michele while having a coffee at the accelerator where they both happened to be working. The connection between Michele’s vision and Alberto’s prior experience in Africa was immediate. The rest is history.

As founder of a boutique software development company, Tauri-Tec, Damian has built cutting-edge software for a diverse range of clients throughout his career. These include the United Nations, the UK government, a Nigerian electricity operator and a variety of startups in e-government, fintech and media.

Damian holds a PhD in Parallel Programming from the University of Kent and a BSc in Physics from King’s College London.

He is fluent in English, German and Polish.

Dan is a very experienced finance, strategy, and operations professional, with a specific passion for scaling B2B SaaS businesses.

Since 2021, Dan has been an investor and board member for Democrance. He later became CFO.

Prior to that, Dan held CFO, FD and other positions in scaling tech (mostly SaaS) businesses, supporting them through fundraising, M&A, building and growing finance operations and achieving scale. He co-founded and still co-leads Veridian Ventures, an early-stage tech-focused angel syndicate. Dan also spent 6 years in impact investing private equity in emerging markets, preceded by over a decade of management consulting with the likes of McKinsey & Co., EY and UBS, in both Europe and Asia.

He is a Romanian national, now residing in London, and holds an MBA from INSEAD. Dan is also a CIMA-qualified Management Accountant.

Medea Nocentini is Senior Partner at Global Ventures and a Board Member at Democrance. She is also Founder of Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise helping impact-driven entrepreneurs in MENA to unlock their growth potential and maximize their positive impact on the community.

Before joining Global Ventures, Medea served as Chief Strategy Officer at the AW Rostamani Group, an international and diversified family group, as well as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development at OSN, a leading Pay TV platform in the MENA region. Earlier in her career, she spent several years at Booz Allen Hamilton developing strategies for TMT, consumer and public sector’s clients across Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School (New York, USA), an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and an Engineering Diploma from Ecole Centrale Paris (France).

Zeeshan is the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Ventures (Wa’ed Ventures) and a Board Member at Democrance.
In his current role at Wa’ed Ventures, Zeeshan leads strategic decision-making for venture capital investments, managing a substantial $500 million fund from seed to growth stage. He brings 15+ years of expertise in Venture Capital and as part of this role he serves on the Boards of various companies, spanning technology, energy, education, Artificial Intelligence and robotics.
He holds a MBA in Finance from University of Wales, a Certified Private Equity Specialist (CPES) designation from the International Academy of Business and Financial Management, and a CIFE in Islamic Finance from the Academy for International Modern Studies (AIMS) UK. Zeeshan’s commitment to professional development is evident in his affiliation with the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI) as a Member and his role as a Judge and Mentor at in several platforms in entrepreneurial eco-system.
He joined Democrance Board on Q4 2023.

Anupam is an Independent Board Member at Democrance. He brings over three decades of international experience in Life, Health and P&C insurance. He was previously Managing Director & Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he led the Asia-Pacific Insurance Practice. He was formerly Partner and Head of APAC Insurance at Oliver Wyman, and Partner, UK Financial Services at McKinsey & Company. In executive capacity, he was a member of the Group Executive Committee at Aviva Plc, a listed multinational insurer, serving as Group strategy & development director; and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific. He has served on several Boards in Asia, UK, and Middle East, and is currently Independent Director at PE/VC backed players. He is an active investor in the global Insurtech/Fintech space. Anupam is based out of Singapore and has joined us in March 2024

Wayne Benson, a dynamic leader in the Financial Services industry, has joined Democrance in May 2024 as Head of Sales. With over 18 years of experience in selling SaaS solutions across Digital Banking, Core Banking Payments, Financial Inclusion, and Insurance, Wayne is well-equipped to drive our business expansion efforts.

Before joining Democrance, Wayne excelled as the Commercial Director for APAC at Coherent Global, where he led cross-functional teams and achieved significant revenue growth. Prior to that, he served as the Head of Strategic Business APAC at Mambu Asia, focusing on driving revenue growth and strategic partnerships with leading banks and fintechs in the region.

Wayne’s strategic mindset and deep understanding of regional dynamics make him a valuable addition to our team as we continue to innovate and expand our offerings in the InsurTech space. His expertise and leadership will be instrumental in advancing our mission to deliver faster, more secure, and cost-effective solutions to our clients.

Michael joined Democrance in January 2020, to head up Business Development across the Middle East and North Africa.

Prior to Democrance, Michael worked with multiple enterprise SaaS companies both in the UAE and Ireland. Michael is passionate about the power of technology and how it’s impacting people’s lives. Outside of work, he can be found in the bunker at many of Dubai’s golf clubs.

Siani has spent over 15 years working across Sub-Saharan Insurance markets and is currently serving as the head of Business Development for Sub-Saharan Africa. He is extremely passionate about unlocking key challenges faced by low to middle-income consumers and helping them to access affordable insurance solutions.

Before joining Democrance in 2022, he has worked for some of the most innovative insurance companies in the region. He has designed solutions for low-income customer segments, product development, marketing, distribution and partnership management, to ensure responsive customer-centric products for consumers.

Maximiliano has been a distinguished professional in the Latin American (LATAM) insurance industry for over 15 years, bringing a wealth of expertise in sales, business consulting, and strategic development. His career has been marked by his adept oversight of marketing initiatives and the development of alternative channels for insurance companies, significantly contributing to the industry's growth and innovation.

Throughout his tenure, Maximiliano has played a pivotal role in the creation and implementation of insurance inclusion programs, product innovation, and tailored insurance solutions for diverse demographics, including migrants, micro-entrepreneurs, and informal workers. His efforts have not only broadened the accessibility of insurance but have also enhanced financial security for underserved communities across the LATAM region.

Maximiliano is highly respected in the industry, evidenced by his active membership in various inclusive insurance organizations and innovation-focused groups. His commitment to advancing the sector through collaborative efforts and cutting-edge solutions is well recognized.

He Joined Democrance Team in March 2024.

Viviana Lannutti joined the company in March 2022 and wears several different hats in the firm. She is HR Manager, Operational Manager, Admin Head and the CEO’s Personal Assistant.

She comes with extensive insurance experience gained during her time at Lannutti Assicurazioni Spa, a family business she helped grow in her home country Italy. In addition to that, she spent 10 years in Paris managing a team of 30+ employees leading Flagships retail stores and handling operations end to end.

Her multi-tasking expertise and ability to adapt make her a brilliant fit for different levels of our business.

With over a decade of experience in the Middle East, Maryna is a highly skilled professional known for her exceptional track record in delivering cloud-based solutions that help clients achieve their desired outcomes.

Specializing in the SaaS industry, Maryna has successfully led numerous digital transformation projects across diverse sectors and regions, with a particular focus on emerging markets. Her key strengths include account management, consulting, and project management.

She joined us in April 2023 and got promoted to CSM Team Leader in April 2024 !

With over 10 years of experience in the Middle East and the Americas, Waled possess a proven tract record overseeing project delivery, product development and management, customer success management, and client service engagement within digital collaboration, public sector, security and monitoring, and SaaS industries.

Waled is a bilingual Arabic and English speaking native who has received his Master’s degree from the University of Maryland, USA in Information technology and has joined Democrance in 2023.

With over 6 years of experience in Europe, Florian has been responsible for project management, strategy management and customer success management in various multinational conglomerates, as well as startups based out of Europe.

He has a background in FinTech, Cybersecurity and Supply chain management. Florian is trilingual, speaking English, German and Hungarian.

He received his Master’s degree from ESCP Business school in Strategy & Digital Business and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and joined Democrance end in Q3 - 2023.

PRINCE2 certified, Lauriane has over 5 years of experience in the SaaS industry. She has assisted Tier 1 Brands and retailers in digitizing and streamlining their data-sharing processes while working in technical delivery and customer success for a Tech SaaS company specializing in Product Information Management (PIM) in France, with clients across Europe and North America.
Lauriane has a proven track record of leading successful client onboarding, driving adoption, and ensuring client satisfaction by advocating for customer needs and facilitating collaboration with technical teams.
She is Bilingual in French and English, and she earned her MSc in Supply Chain Management from SKEMA Business School, studying at campuses in Sophia Antipolis, France, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. She has joined Democrance in July 2024.

A skilled professional with over 5 years of experience in SaaS and business solutions, joined Democrance in October 2024 as a Customer Success Manager.

With a background in Computer Engineering from the American University of Sharjah, Ahmed brings a strong mix of technical knowledge and client management expertise.
Before joining Democrance, Ahmed worked at Odoo Middle East as a Customer Success Manager. Over the time in this role, he was responsible for onboarding clients, managing key accounts, and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure smooth ERP system adoption. His focus was on understanding client needs and delivering tailored solutions.

Earlier in his career, Ahmad gained valuable experience as a Business Analyst at Rasan Information Technology, working in the health insurance sector. His ability to analyze business processes and align them with technical solutions strengthened his approach to client success.

Ahmed’s fluency in English and Arabic, combined with his technical expertise, positions him as a key asset to Democrance in fostering strong client relationships.

With over 9 years of experience in Accounting and Finance, Nausheen is a Finance Manager with valuable skills gained through working in diverse financial positions within multiple industries in the UK, Mauritius, and UAE.
Nausheen has solely managed several projects within the FinTech, Oil & Gas, Health Care, Construction, Financial Services and Technology industries from different jurisdictions.

Prior to joining Democrance in 2023, she helped other companies design and implement accounting systems from scratch with procedures and policies to be implemented within the company and the group in order to stay compliant and ensure the smooth running of the businesses.

Nausheen is from Mauritius, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University together with an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business from ACCA.

Since joining the Democrance team in 2019, Aysha has overseen numerous product implementations that have aided in driving the company’s mission to make insurance products accessible to all within the changing digital landscape.

Aysha has over 9 years of sales and customer success experience within the software and e-commerce industry, including multinational organizations such as Meltwater.

Raised in the UAE, Aysha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management from Murdoch University.

In 2023 her responsibilities shifted complitely towards Product !