Gary Reusche

Gary Reusche is a dedicated social and economic development professional residing in Ukraine for 20 years. He has worked since 1975 with the IFC.org up until 2015, working and travelling in more than 50 countries including 17 countries in Africa and other countries in India and Sri Lanka. With a PhD in Agricultural Science and an MBA in Management, Gary has successfully managed projects across Central America, Africa, South Asia, and the former Soviet Union. Over the past 30 years, he has accumulated extensive project design and management experience with multiple bilateral and multilateral development agencies.

Gary Reusche retired from the World Bank in 2015 and then worked as a Professor with the International Management Institute (MIM-Kyiv) and served as an advisor for agricultural lending at the Bank “Credit Dnepr” in Kyiv. His career highlights included as a UNDP Project Manager for SDG project design in Iraq, and a member of the Global Team for the “Global Index Insurance Facility” at IFC/World Bank Group, travelling to many countries. He loved to design agri-insurance products and communities for major food crops and local housing. The last 20 years of experience in banking and MFI agri-finance and insurance risk management in Ukraine included working in regions east of Ukraine (Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) where he worked as an agribusiness manager and a seed industry specialist.

Gary has managed multiple projects in Ukraine, including four projects under the “Access to Finance” business line of IFC. Additionally, he is a faculty member for the MBA program, specializing in SME entrepreneurship and agribusiness.

As a member of the ebbf research team, Gary authored the brochure “Consultative Decision Making,” drawing from the Bahá’í Writings and his extensive personal experience in both business and as a member of Bahá’í consultative bodies in five different countries where he served as a pioneer. His passion lies in aligning Bahá’í social principles with contemporary global challenges and contributing to a sustainable future within a united world.

Gary Reusche also discussed the challenge faced by small farmers who are “outside the system” and often unable to secure loans or sell in regulated markets. Opening agriculture to communities requires “another kind of paradigm,” Reusche said, where “solidarity and development within the community” create new relationships between farmers and local inhabitants.

Gary and his wife are both social activists, living on a small farm where he operates a residential vacation school. The school serves groups of children, youth, and adults who are dedicated to building a culture rooted in universal spiritual principles.