Investing with Insight: How Data Is Changing the Game for Inclusive Fintechs

Xavier Faz is the lead for CGAP’s work on technology and business models in digital finance. His area of work includes emerging technologies, fintech and digital banking, as well as open platforms. He is also CGAP’s Regional Head for Latin America & the Caribbean.

Prior to CGAP, Xavier was VP of Strategic Planning for a development bank in Mexico, where he helped launch a line of services offering low cost banking infrastructure and payments to microfinance and nonbank financial institutions in that market. He also worked with McKinsey & Company in Mexico and Central America, supporting large organizations in banking, retail and consumer goods, in leveraging emerging technologies to launch new base-of-the-pyramid businesses. Before that, Xavier was a Systems Engineer at several startups in Mexico and Silicon Valley, as well as Field Engineer for Schlumberger in North Africa.

Xavier has a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and an Engineering degree in Electronic Systems from the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, México.

Hani is the Chief Investment Officer at Lendable, an impact credit provider to the fintech and climate financing sectors supporting MSMEs in emerging and frontier markets. Prior to Lendable Hani was the Head of Debt Capital Markets at QInvest in Qatar where he deployed $500m in FM and EM structured private credit.

Wayne Hennessy-Barrett is Founder/Executive Chairman of 4G Capital, an award-winning neobank powering business growth in Africa. The company was ranked in the top ten global B Corporation financial institutions and the Financial Times 100 fastest growing companies in Africa. He is a committed advocate for the power of business and technology for the alleviation of poverty.

He has over 25 years leading high-performance teams in frontier markets for high impact outcomes. Advised and served on several commercial and non-profit boards in business, technology and development including the prestigious Global Advisory Council for the Wilson Center (a non-partisan US government think tank), and positions with the SMART campaign, B for Good Leaders Network, Council for Inclusive Capitalism and Ethereum Foundation. Listed in the top 50 Fintech CEOs, he had a distinguished first career as a British Army infantry officer with active duty in Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the MOD and as an instructor at Sandhurst.

Member of the Global Advisory Council of the US Government Wilson Center, Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management, Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. MA(Hons) in Conflict Studies from King’s College London, BA(Hons) in Politics from Exeter University, diploma in International Compliance, Harvard Business School Strategic Leadership in Financial Inclusion executive course. Enjoys all outdoors pursuits, current affairs and supports a number of charities in the UK and Kenya focused on learning disabilities, advocacy for marginalised communities and veterans. He is Vice-Chairman of the Companions of the Order of Malta in Kenya.

Hilda is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and fintech pioneer with over 15 years of experience, having worked with multinational firms like Coca-Cola to drive innovation across Africa. She made history with her first tech start-up, achieving Kenya’s first multi-million dollar exit in 2015, inspiring a new wave of entrepreneurs. Hilda is now the Founder and CEO of Pezesha, a digital financial infrastructure company that supports working capital and credit scoring for SMEs across Africa. In 2023, Hilda was named a Bloomberg LP New Economy Catalyst, and in 2024, she received the Tech & Innovation award from Forbes Woman Africa. She has also been appointed as the UNCTAD eTrade for Women Advocate for the English-speaking African region for 2024-2025.

Jim Chu is an entrepreneur and investor pioneering innovative applications of technology and finance to unlock new market opportunities and drive economic empowerment.

Jim has spent 30+ years working in tech and investments in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. He is the founder and CEO of untapped-global.com, a technology company that builds infrastructure for embedded finance to unlock overlooked opportunities in emerging markets.

As an investor, Jim invests in entrepreneurs with transformative businesses that deliver strong returns and drive purposeful impact.

Jim has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University, and in his spare time, enjoys paragliding, running, and occasionally flying planes.  He's based in San Francisco but is often in Europe and Africa.

David joined CGAP in 2021 as part of its MSE team. Prior to this he has accumulated a wealth of experience in the microfinance sector working for organizations like ProCredit, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and OXFAM. David held Board positions on regulated MSME banks in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, one Serbian Bank and a finance company in Kosovo.

More recently he has been a Director of a fintech that digitises MFI operations and designs credit scoring algorithms, and has worked for the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance helping them establish a global collaboration network, where he still holds a Research Affiliate position. Currently David is Chairman of Musoni BV, and Credit Committee member at Incofin.

David obtained his first Masters degree at the Agricultural University of Wageningen in Rural Development Studies, and a second Masters degree at Aberystwyth University in Post-Colonial Politics.