Few people are better placed to tell the story of our International Development Organisations (IDO) business than Jaleh Saboktakin, VP in International Development Client Coverage & Global Markets. Before joining Crown Agents Bank, Jaleh spent over a decade with the UN, working on the ground in some of the world’s most difficult operating environments: South Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan. The first feature in our Inside the Impact series, details how sitting on the client’s side of the table, wrestling with the exact problems she now helps solve, has helped shape her outlook and approach.
Let’s start with the basics. Which organisations does Crown Agents Bank support?
They’re far more diverse than you might assume. We support agencies, international NGOs, faith-based organisations, development consultancies and not-for-profit entities working in development. Each has completely different governance structures, funding models and operational requirements. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for this sector, so relationships and solutions are tailored, not standardised.
How is banking an aid organisation different from banking a corporate?
Unlike many corporate clients, these organisations are stewarding donor funds. That’s taxpayer money and charitable contributions. They answer to donors, so transparency and reliability matter as much as price. That shapes everything we do: operational excellence, strong controls, dependable service. The consequences of a payment failure go well beyond financial loss. A delayed payment can disrupt a programme on the ground and create real reputational risk for the client with their donors.
The sector seems to live in a permanent state of emergency. How does that affect the way you work?
It makes agility non-negotiable. Humanitarian emergencies, conflicts, natural disasters, sudden shifts in donor priorities, any of these can create overnight demand for new currencies, new corridors, new payment solutions. Our ability to respond quickly, and to connect clients to harder-to-reach markets, is a key differentiator. When a crisis breaks, clients can’t wait weeks for a bank to work out whether it can help.
Take the Myanmar earthquake in March 2025, for example. The local banking system was temporarily disrupted, so we kept clients informed, worked closely with our network and resumed Myanmar kyat activity as soon as the corridor was available, supporting critical humanitarian flows for the emergency response. When humanitarian funding needs to move quickly, organisations need specialist market access and client support that’s agile, and that delivers even in times of friction. That’s us.
You’ve said these clients need a different mindset from a bank. What do you mean?
International humanitarian and development organisations exist to create impact, not to maximise profit. So, we can’t just understand the financial transaction requirement. We must understand the objective behind it. Why is this money moving? What happens on the ground when it arrives? What happens when it doesn’t arrive?
Mission-driven clients need a purpose-driven bank. When we get this right, it creates enduring partnerships, much deeper than a purely transactional relationship ever could be.
Funding across the sector has been cut hard. What does that mean day to day?
Every dollar matters. Our clients are under constant pressure to maximise the value of limited resources. It isn’t enough for us to be competitively priced. We must show how our services improve efficiency, reduce operational friction, and help organisations deploy more of their resources towards their missions rather than towards administration. If we save a client money or time, that translates directly into programme delivery.
Is it fair to say these are demanding clients?
They are demanding in the best way, and with good reason. Treasury and finance teams in this sector are often highly skilled and experienced people operating in complex international environments. They see through a traditional sales approach instantly. What they respond to is consultative support, genuine sector expertise and credible solutions. You have to earn the right to advise them.
It’s a competitive space. Why do organisations choose Crown Agents Bank?
Competition is intense. Many banks and payment providers target the same organisations. We don’t win purely on price. We win on specialist market access, responsiveness, sector understanding, and the ability to solve problems in markets where larger institutions struggle to operate effectively – expertise we’ve built over decades. Our sweet spot is precisely where others find it difficult to go. Or not go at all.
And finally: what made you switch from humanitarian work to banking?
Many years were spent in hotspots like South Sudan and Afghanistan. After a decade and a half, I made the conscious leap to Crown Agents Bank. I wanted to be part of the other side of the story and do this work with an adjacent purpose.
Today, I focus on last-mile payment solutions for these critical flows. I’m humbled -enlightened, even. I now understand the intricate pathways through which funds are delivered. What we do here at Crown Agents Bank is ambitious, it takes courage, and it’s meaningful. For our clients, it means cross-border payment solutions that power opportunities across the Global South. That’s the next chapter, and I’m looking forward to it.
