Staff Directory

Alexander Sotiriou

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Alexander Sotiriou works across a range of issues at CGAP, including micro and small enterprise (MSE) finance and the linkages between financial services, improved livelihoods, and access to basic services.

He joined CGAP from MicroVest, where he was the investment manager for Latin America and managed a portfolio of investments in the region’s leading microfinance and small and medium enterprise finance institutions. Earlier, Alexander was an associate in Citi’s Johannesburg and Mexico City offices, where he developed corporate and project finance solutions for corporations and governments across Africa and in Mexico. He has also worked as an analyst for a private equity fund in Mexico and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso and Guatemala.

Alexander has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Economics from the University of Arizona.

By Alexander Sotiriou

Research

The Promise of Fintech for Micro and Small Enterprises

Nearly 500 million micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are estimated to be operating around the world. Access to credit and other financial services is critical to the growth and sustainability of these businesses, and consequentially to the low-income and vulnerable populations which rely on MSEs for their livelihoods. Yet despite decades of efforts and some notable successes in expanding MSE finance, the credit gap remains an estimated 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars.
Blog

Can Kenya’s Fintech Boom Address the MSE Finance Gap?

Kenya has seen an explosion of fintechs and nano credit providers, but they have yet to meaningfully serve MSEs in the country. We explain how fintechs could have a wider reach and distinct value proposition for MSEs in Kenya beyond digital credit.
Research

No Small Business: A Segmented Approach to Better Finance for Micro and Small Enterprises

This paper is based on primary research conducted with 383 micro and small enterrpises (MSEs) in India, Kenya, and Peru – three diverse emerging markets with a vibrant MSE finance ecosystem that includes strong incumbent providers like microfinance institutions, cooperatives, and banks, as well as innovative new providers like fintechs.
Blog

As PAYGo Moves Beyond Solar, Addressing Risks Can Ensure Impact

PAYGo financing is expanding beyond solar, creating the potential to improve the lives of low-income households through financial inclusion. The challenge will be to manage the accompanying consumer risks without killing innovation.
Blog

Opening Pandora’s Box: Revisiting the Impact of Small Business Finance

The debate over the impact of small business finance is far from settled. Here are four gaps in the evidence base that should be filled to move the debate forward.