Maria Fernandez Vidal

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Maria Fernandez Vidal is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist, leading CGAP’s work on Data. Her work is focused on the role data can play in advancing financial inclusion and covers a range of topics including data-driven business models and open finance. She has also worked substantially with fintechs, platforms and advanced analytics. Before joining CGAP, Maria was at McKinsey & Company, working in Latin America & the Caribbean and the US. At McKinsey, she served clients in the financial sector and the public and social sector on a broad range of topics including strategy, risk, operations and organization. Maria previously worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Endeavor.

Maria holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with majors in strategic management and finance, and graduate and undergraduate degrees in economics from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

By Maria Fernandez Vidal

Blog

Finance Meets AI: Considerations for Public Authorities

How can public authorities support the financial sector to harness the power of AI while ensuring it operates within safe and ethical boundaries? Here, we propose three key considerations that could enable the responsible use of AI in finance. 
Blog

Key Regulatory Developments for AI in Finance

AI is not a novel concept in finance; so, what is driving renewed interest in addressing regulatory gaps around the technology? CGAP desk research covering more than 100 jurisdictions identified five key global developments in AI regulation.
Blog

Convenience Drives Rapid Adoption of Account Aggregators in India

Open finance in India has grown rapidly, with a significant rise in linked accounts through Account Aggregators (AAs). New CGAP research offers insights on key drivers of AA adoption and areas for improvement to enhance customer experience.
Research

The Role of Data in Inclusive Insurance

With 3.8 billion people in emerging markets lacking adequate insurance coverage, data plays a crucial role in enabling insurers to comprehend these segments' specific needs and risk profiles. This, in turn, helps develop more accurate risk assessment and pricing models for inclusive insurance offerings.
Blog

Trust and Awareness Will Be Key for Open Finance Adoption in India

India is pioneering open finance in developing economies, with 64 million accounts linked through its Account Aggregator ecosystem as of March 2024. As India continues to scale the ecosystem, early insights could help shape AA's future direction.