IMF SEMINAR EVENT
DATE: April 19, 2017
DAY: Wednesday
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM
LOCATION: IMF HQ1 Gallery
Overview
This session analyzes the promises and challenges of advancing digital financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa. Our speaker will focus on his entrepreneurial experiences in the financial services industry, and subsequent discussion will explore how both the public and private sectors can leverage technological innovation in this field—in Africa and beyond.
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Eric Chinje is the Chief Executive Officer of the African Media Initiative, the largest network of independent media owners and operators in Africa. Mr. Chinje is the former head of communications at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the African Development Bank and the World Bank’s Africa Region. He has advised a number of governments on communication and development. Over the years he has launched a number of very successful social enterprises, including Santa MC2, an award winning micro-finance institution in Cameroon. Mr. Chinje is a Visiting Scholar at George Mason University.
Carla Grasso assumed office as Deputy Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the IMF in 2015. In that role, Ms. Grasso oversees all the Fund’s administrative functions, coordinates the budget, human resources, technology, general services, and internal audit. She also oversees the IMF’s capacity development (TA and training) activities. Before coming to the IMF, Ms. Grasso worked for fourteen years at Vale S.A., one of the world’s largest mining companies. She also served as Secretary of the Brazilian Supplementary Social Security Office. She is a graduate of Universidade de Brasília.
Benno Ndulu is the Governor of the Central Bank of Tanzania, a position he has held since 2008. He also currently serves as the Board Chair of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. Between 1998 and 2007, Mr. Ndulu worked at the World Bank, where he served as Research Manager for the Development Economics Group and as Advisor to the Vice President for Africa. He has been involved in policy advisory roles worldwide and has served in a wide range of boards locally and internationally. He holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Tayo Oviosu is the Founder and CEO of Paga, Nigeria’s leading mobile payment platform that serves close to 6 million people. Before launching Paga, Mr. Oviosu worked at Cisco Systems and at Deloitte Consulting. His industry experience spans several sectors, including high tech, telecom, pharmacy retail, government, and healthcare. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California and a masters’ degree from Stanford University.