PODCAST | Making the case for global financial inclusion
Accion CEO Michael Schlein on fintech, financial inclusion and impact investment sceptics
30 January 2020 - 12:57
byAndile Masuku
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
In this podcast, Accion president and CEO Michael Schlein explains why he’s bullish on fintech start-ups and shares how his organisation is leveraging investments in tech-led micro-finance innovation to reach the more than 2-billion people who are currently invisible and/or poorly served by the global financial system.
Schlein is a huge fintech fan, and Accion, one of the world’s largest non-profit impact finance organisations, is backing start-ups that seek to advance financial inclusion by giving people financial tools to improve their lives.
In this candid conversation with Andile Masuku, Schlein shares useful context about Accion’s origins and makes a case for increased co-operation between the legacy financial institutions, governments and impact investment non-profit organisations such as Accion to advance global financial inclusion. Listen to him address sceptics who hold that the commercial and social impact incentives of the aforementioned parties are hopelessly misaligned.
Michael is an MIT graduate who amassed nearly 30 years of international banking, management and public service experience before taking on his current role. Prior to joining Accion, he managed Citi’s network of chief country officers as president of Citigroup’s International Franchise Management. He also previously served as chief of staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the Clinton administration, and served in New York’s City Hall during the Dinkins and Koch administrations.
This podcast is brought to you by African Tech Roundup in partnership with MultimediaLIVE.
• African Tech Roundup is a Johannesburg-based media and insights organisation, aka village square, which tracks the progress of Africa’s emerging digital, tech and innovation industries.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
African Tech Roundup
PODCAST | Making the case for global financial inclusion
Accion CEO Michael Schlein on fintech, financial inclusion and impact investment sceptics
In this podcast, Accion president and CEO Michael Schlein explains why he’s bullish on fintech start-ups and shares how his organisation is leveraging investments in tech-led micro-finance innovation to reach the more than 2-billion people who are currently invisible and/or poorly served by the global financial system.
Schlein is a huge fintech fan, and Accion, one of the world’s largest non-profit impact finance organisations, is backing start-ups that seek to advance financial inclusion by giving people financial tools to improve their lives.
In this candid conversation with Andile Masuku, Schlein shares useful context about Accion’s origins and makes a case for increased co-operation between the legacy financial institutions, governments and impact investment non-profit organisations such as Accion to advance global financial inclusion. Listen to him address sceptics who hold that the commercial and social impact incentives of the aforementioned parties are hopelessly misaligned.
Michael is an MIT graduate who amassed nearly 30 years of international banking, management and public service experience before taking on his current role. Prior to joining Accion, he managed Citi’s network of chief country officers as president of Citigroup’s International Franchise Management. He also previously served as chief of staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the Clinton administration, and served in New York’s City Hall during the Dinkins and Koch administrations.
This podcast is brought to you by African Tech Roundup in partnership with MultimediaLIVE.
• African Tech Roundup is a Johannesburg-based media and insights organisation, aka village square, which tracks the progress of Africa’s emerging digital, tech and innovation industries.
PODCAST | Unpacking Arab identity and socio-economic dynamics
PODCAST | Yengi Lokule of the Rural Finance Initiative on micro-finance in South Sudan
PODCAST | When it comes to tech, is there an Africa-China or China-Africa dynamic at play?
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
DAVID SHAPIRO: Australia fires raise environmental, social and governance issues
Environmental, social and governance abuses are the new tobacco
Neither an irresponsible lender nor borrower be
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.