Natalia Meylunas is an SME development expert. Until recently she was the Associate Director at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Head of Regional Programme of EBRD in the Western Balkans. Born in Russian Federation, Natalia graduated from Herzen State Pedagogical University, St.Petersburg, Russia in Spanish and English, followed by an MBA from Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. Currently she is enrolled at UCL`s Cultural Heritage master`s program.
An international development professional with 15+ years of experience in private sector/SME development, including skills assessment and capacity building at SME and institutional level in Western Balkans, South Caucasus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Led the EBRD business advisory support programme for SME in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, effectively managing a team of 18 people and over 20 mil. EUR donor funds. Supervised development and financing of over 1,400 advisory projects and 40+ SME and consultants’ trainings, ensuring high quality and impactful delivery. Results include an average 35% growth in sales and nearly 50% increase in productivity. Contributed to the design of, and co-managed a €37 million EBRD Women in Business programme in Western Balkans. Coordinated the EBRD’s activities in SME development with external stakeholders in South-East Europe including World Bank, European Union Delegations in the region, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, South East Europe Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, etc.
Her native language is Russian, while she is fluent in Spanish and English.