President and CEO of FINCA Impact Finance

Description

You can't seem to pick up any Fintech aka banking & payments magazine or blog without the mention of the word, 'financial inclusion'. Depending on whom you talk to, the number of financially excluded population is anywhere from 2.5 Billion people to 1.5 Billion. World Bank Group defines financial inclusion as individuals (and businesses) that have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs - such as transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance - delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. 

Most of this is done through microfinance banks. These microfinance basically offer a very specialized category of financial services to those who lack access to conventional banking and related services.

One such institution that is helping solve this problem of underbanked/unbanked is FINCA. FINCA's network of 20 community-based microfinance institutions and banks use fintech to expand financial inclusion, offering innovative, responsible and impactful financial services to low-income clients.

I'm very honored to have Andrée  Simon who is the President& CEO of FINACA Impact Finance, based out of Washington DC.

About FINCA Impact Finance

FINCA Impact Finance (FIF) is a network of 20community-based microfinance institutions and banks that provides innovative,responsible and impactful financial services to low-income clients around theworld. FIF’s mission is to expand financial inclusion by providing financialservices to the 1.7 billion people who remain unbanked and for whom traditionalbanking services are out of reach.

Overthe past year, FIF embarked on a network-wide transformation (FINCA 2.0) to digitize its core business with thegoal of improving efficiency and better serve its clients. This transformationhas resulted in a shift to a ‘touch-tech’ service delivery model that combinesfintech innovation with a human-centered approach to financial services.

Inorder to reach the people most in need of financial services, FIF employs over10,000 people who live and work in the communities that they serve, enablingthem to build the warm, human relationships that define FINCA Impact Finance.

Andrée Simon is the President and ChiefExecutive Officer of FINCA Impact Finance (FIF). Simon was at the forefront oftransitioning the organization from a donor-based nonprofit to a for-profit,double bottom line company. Previously, Andrée served as VP and COO, returningto FINCA after serving for several years as President and COO of Women forWomen International, a humanitarian organization dedicated to financial,educational, and interpersonal support of women survivors of war, poverty andinjustice.

Andrée has been named one of the Top 100 Fintech for SDG Influencers by LATTICE80. She has also written extensively on responsible finance and has been featured in numerous publications, including International Banker, Forbes, Euromoney and The Financial Times.

Sponsors:
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Host: Faisal Khan

Guest: Andrée Simon

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