Dearest Michaela, tiny bird, strong personality, funny girl , smiling face, caring friend… I will always remember our holiday in Dubrovnik, our long conversations over a cup of coffee in Belgrade , our long walks and shopping in London, full of joy and optimism… she almost conviced me  she would be fine… My deepest condolences to the family …

Michaela was an untiring champion for gender justice and on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable. Her dedication to social development, and to making invisible gaps visible, contributed to policies and operations that improved the lives of many around the world and inspired her colleagues and friends. On behalf of the World Bank Gender Group, we express our sincere sadness at her passing and gratitude for her life’s work. We send our condolences to her family and loved ones….

What wonderful and fitting tributes for Michaela. She really cared. She heroically fought for women, for vulnerable people, for the overlooked and forgotten, in project terrain too often dominated by other pressures. Adept in both policy and practice she made a difference whether in a conference room or in the field. She did it all with grace, humour, zest and spirit. I’ve known her close to 25 years. In recent years we shared conference platforms in the Hague, Vancouver, Santa Fe, Nanjing, and by zoom. She made a difference in ADB, EBRD, and AIIB. She left them all better places. Sail on, Michaela!…

A light gone out too soon, Michaela leaves a trail of ignited flames of hope all over the world behind her. I feel lucky to have got to know her in all too brief time working togethor in gender working groups, and through our plotting on how we could ramp up engendering the last frontiers in hard-to-crack financial institutions. I admired her wisdom and collobaration. She even good-heartedly joked when we poached her staff! Michaela, it takes a collective to work on social justice and others will continue to stand on your shoulders. Most importantly, sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. Vale Michaela…

Chatting with Michaela was never dull, always very enjoyable and usually highly thought-provoking. She loved to gossip, as do we all, and she always had an interesting take on events and people. This photo was taken at Ognisko/Polish Club on Exhibition Road in summer 2022 – a fantastic place that I’d never been too. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time due to China’s covid restrictions and spent a wonderful couple of hours chatting about people, places and plans. Her treatment had clearly been extremely gruelling but she was looking forward to spending a few weeks in Greece, where she planned to waterski. I remember so clearly her laughter, smile and her sparkly eyes that exuded energy and mischief. She really believed in the good that organisations like EBRD and AIIB could achieve, which was so refreshing. I will miss her company greatly. …

Dear Julian, Viorica, David, Sarah, Laleh and Zizou, I have no words to express how sad and sorry I am that Michaela has passed. I have such fond memories of Michaela – always smiling, positive and loving. She made everyone around her feel special. I still have the beautiful silk scarves she brought me as gifts, every time she came to visit. I cherish them and always think about her when I wear them. I will miss her dearly. Sending all of you lots of love and support.  XOXO Maanit  …

Sadly, a bright light has gone out with Michaela’s passing. She brought tremendous commitment, dedication and compassion to supporting the vulnerable and marginalised, giving them a much-needed voice, and she will be greatly missed.  She fought hard for what she believed in and she triumphed.   I will never forget the fearsome work she did in Serbia to support the resettlement of a Roma community living under the Gazella Bridge in Belgrade, which we were upgrading under an EBRD project.  A very challenging experience for all involved and there were many doubters at the outset – myself included until I travelled with Michaela and Alistair to the south of Serbia to visit the villages that some of the affected people had returned to.  Many had made improvements to their homes with the compensation they received and were proud to show us around their village.   Overall, they still had very little and lived in poverty, but they were content.  Michaela understood how important it was for them to feel supported and she a made a real difference.  She showed them that they were valued and they loved her, like so many people whose lives she touched.   And, she showed us that…

So saddened to hear about Michaela’s passing. I will not forget her sincere commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. She was absolutely authentic and very powerful.  Sincere condolescences to her family and loved ones….

Dear Michaela, we would have needed your one of a kind passion, spirit and commitment to fight for gender equality so much longer. But alas too early we had to bid goodbye. I came to know you as the results foucsed chair of the multilateral development bank gender group. As a newcomer into that circle in 2013, I could easily see how much you invested in advancing the rights of women and girls and brought others along. You were fearless and spoke your mind. This was not always easy to digest, but your perspectives came from a place of conviction and wanting to make a positive dent in the world visible until the very last moment of your rich and couragous life. Your humor, determination and strive for a more just world was impressive. And for you a poem, I love for the time of eternal goodbyes.  IN BLACKWATER WOODS (EXCERPT) – Mary Oliver To live in this world  you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.  …

I miss Michaela. When I last saw her in her hospital room in December I felt it was maybe the last time, but she was still entertaining future projects, so I left her not too sad. She was such a strong character and a fighter that one could think she could even beat destiny. She has been a fantastic support to the Trust Women conference I organised for many years (this picture is from 2015) and became a great friend of mine. Rest in peace, Michaela!  …

I was very shocked and saddened to hear the news. I first met Michaela the day she arrived at the EBRD for her interview for the Social Advisor position in the E&S team. We had a coffee together before I took her to meet the team’s Directors – I remember that she was very nervous about the interview – she got the job. I enjoyed working with Michaela as friends and colleagues at the EBRD. We travelled together on a few occassions to Tunisia and Morocco to host workshops on the EBRD E&S Policy. I recall the night before one event Michaeala asked me to play the bad cop when the consultants hired to deliver the workshop (in French) informed us just before going out to dinner with us that they did not bring a French speaker in the team and would deliver the workshop entirely in English. Needless to say, dinner with the consultants didn’t last very long that evening. Thanks to an ex-EBRD colleague who just happened to be attending the event the sessions were delivered in French. I will never forget the sound of Michaela constantly running from her office heading to a meeting somewhere in…