Impact at Risk: Credit Risk Management in Asset Finance

Webinar

21 April 2021 9:00 am - 10:30 am EDT
This event has concluded.

From Sub-Saharan Africa to the Indian sub-continent, asset finance and leasing companies are doing innovative work to finance solar home systems, smartphones, motorbikes, and other critical assets. These companies provide credit to low-income and informal borrowers who are traditionally underserved by formal financial institutions. But many are new to lending and do not always have deep experience in organizing a credit operation, mitigating risk throughout a credit transaction, or managing a portfolio of loans or leases. This has important implications for their ability to achieve financial sustainability and drive impact at scale.

 

Want to learn more about how to manage credit risk in asset finance? Check the technical guide for credit risk managers and senior executives at asset finance companies.

This webinar will offer participants a first look at the findings from CGAP’s global review of credit risk management practices in asset finance. Based on partnerships with over 15 asset finance companies from across Africa and Asia, CGAP will share insights into the current state of credit risk management in the sector and steps that companies can take to professionalize their credit operations. The webinar will also bring together industry leaders and risk experts to discuss the importance of managing credit risk and share lessons from their own experience.

Presenters

Daniel Waldron

Daniel Waldron | Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP

Through 2020, Daniel Waldron led CGAP's work on access to energy and safe water. Daniel has seven years of experience in financial inclusion and development, primarily focused on energy access and agricultural finance. He has collaborated closely with numerous firms in the off-grid energy space, helping them to optimize their consumer finance and digital collection operations.

Walter Tukahiirwa

Walter Tukahiirwa | Credit Risk Management Expert, Nestor Advisors

Walter has over 20 years of experience within East Africa and internationally in financial and treasury management, business strategy, financial accounting and management and audit. He has led financial institutions, enabling them to achieve business strategy objectives. He also managed financial and treasury operations at commercial banks and microfinance institutions.

Holger Siek

Holger Siek | Senor Risk Management Expert, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

Mr. Siek has more than 10 years of experience in micro, small, and medium enterprise finance and risk management. He works with banks, microfinance institutions, LMDs and asset finance companies Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa and Germany. As a member of Frankfurt School’s Risk Management Competence Centre, Mr. Siek covers all areas of risk management topics relevant for financial institutions operating in developing countries. He advises institutions in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe on improving their risk management framework.

Isaac Williams

Isaac Williams | Director of Strategy and Business Development, IPC

Isaac Williams is a director at IPC, a financial sector strategy and sustainability consulting firm, where he leads the firm’s work on credit risk and portfolio management in the off-grid solar and emerging asset financing sector. More broadly, his work focuses on the intersection of finance and digitalization.


Panelists

Alison Boess

Alison Boess | Head of Credit Operations, ENGIE Energy Access

Alison has over a decade of experience in providing inclusive financial services across Africa. As the head of credit operations, Alison works across nine markets to provide responsible clean energy financing. Previously, Alison headed up FINCA International’s PAYGo clean energy company in Uganda (BrightLife), led strategy and management of FINCA’s microfinance bank start-up in Nigeria, and supported the launch of new financial products, digital channels and improved standards across FINCA’s microfinance operations in Africa.

Rodney Schuster

Rodney Schuster | Senior Risk Consultant / Head of Special Projects, Tugende

Mr. Schuster was co-founder and executive director of Uganda Microfinance Limited (UML), one of the largest MFIs in East Africa before it was sold to Equity Bank of Kenya in 2008. Subsequently, he joined Equity Bank, where he was charged with developing and implementing the strategic plan for the bank’s expansion across Africa. In 2010, he left the bank and started preparations to form a regulated MFI in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which launched in 2014. He joined Tugende Ltd. in 2017 as the head of Risk and Corporate Affairs. Mr. Schuster has been a key member of Tugende's senior management team, helping the company to achieve exponential growth and roll-out of their regional expansion plan.

Andrew Tarazid-Tarawali

Andrew Tarazid-Tarawali | Portfolio Manager, Acumen West Africa

Andrew serves as portfolio manager for Acumen West Africa, where he is responsible for sourcing and end-to-end deal management for investments. Most recently, Andrew served as senior investment professional for Injaro Investments, an impact investor focused on agriculture in West Africa. Andrew has over eight years of investment experience in the region, having worked with impact investors as well as traditional banks. Andrew is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ghana, has been a Fellow with Impact Business Leaders, and the Foundation for African Leadership in Business.

Avi Jacobson

Avi Jacobson | Investment Director, SunFunder

Avi is an investment director at SunFunder. He oversees and leads SunFunder's transactions in the solar home system sector for products ranging from basic inventory loans to arranging syndicated structured receivables finance facilities.  Prior to joining SunFunder, Avi was the director of market analysis at Lumos Global, a solar home system provider that launched initially in Nigeria. He previously worked in energy project development and state/local energy policy in the United States after serving in the US Air Force.