Ivor Istuk is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist in the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice at the World Bank Group. Leveraging his legal background and financial sector expertise, he develops innovative financial solutions to enhance small business access to working capital and investment globally. His work advances product and policy frameworks in areas such as supply chain finance, receivables finance, digitized trade finance, and embedded finance via digital platforms, alongside investment-based crowdfunding. Recently, Ivor has focused on financial products to support the growing creative industries, harnessing intellectual property as a lever for small business growth. He frequently publishes on financial innovation, exploring topics like smart contracts and Fintech’s role in small business finance.
Ivor represents the World Bank in global forums and organizations, including UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, WIPO, and ICC, on access-to-finance initiatives. Previously, he advised clients as a practicing lawyer on financial law and regulation and spent five years as Principal Counsel in the Financial Law Unit at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. His career is dedicated to fostering financial inclusion and small business development through practical, forward-looking approaches.