Arnaud Ventura
Vice President, PlaNet Finance and CEO, MicroCred

David F. M. Stileman
CEO, Americas, Standard Chartered Bank

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is one of the largest investors into microfinance to date. In this exclusive session you will be able to hear the motivations behind this which will be followed by a panel of other investors who will present their investment strategies, what is most appropriate, and how to identify links between their strategies for securing success.

• A fund managers criteria for investing in microfinance
• Identifying the characteristics of a successful microfinance investment and a successful MFI:
  • Client focused product diversification
  • Ownership, governance, and management
  • Market knowledge and regulatory hospitality
• Overcoming the challenges of microfinance investment and resulting MFI performance evaluation

Presentation by:
Martin Holtmann
Head, Microfinance Global Financial Markets Department, International Finance Corporation

Panelists:
Scott Budde
Managing Director, Social and Community Investing, TIAA-CREF

Paul DiLeo
Grassroots Capital Management Corporation

Christian Novack
Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

Cyrille Parant
Chief Executive Officer, Planet Investment Services

In such a dynamic industry as microfinance, there is a clear lack of information to chart future potential and growth. In this session, the speaker will present some real figures in order to leverage the actual scale, outreach, and investment potential of the current landscape and for future opportunities.

• Setting up an ideal case scenario - what do we want to exist?
• Current financial models and growth in the next ten years
• Developing market mechanisms to keep growth on track
• Analysis of the role of subsidy in stimulating private investment
• Investigating how investors can use grant funds
• Government actions that could boost or thwart the development of the market

Xavier Reille
Lead Microfinance Specialist, CGAP

In an exclusive to this congress, we present a four part series of global microfinance investment case studies. India is one of the most advanced regions where microfinance is flourishing. Hear the ecosystem approach to building additional investment in India and learn from venture funds examples.

• Dramatic increase in efficiency in last few years
• Growth of bank self-help groups linkage programs in accord with changing structures of NGOs to MFIs

Landscape:
Vineet Rai
Co-Founder and Director, Intellecap

Case Study:
Wim van der Beek
Founding Partner, Goodwell Investments

Although fixed income investment opportunities are by far the most advances strategies, examining the growth potential and changing nature from  pure loan and debt investments in microfinance to more structured finance like CLOs/CDOs and securitization is of crucial importance in getting your head around the complexities of this investment.

• Overlaying available ratings results to increase transparency as key in the progress of fixed income financing
• Harnessing current credit analysis:
  • What is emerging as the globally acceptable standard?
• Growing utilization and innovative adaptations of structured finance

Presentation by:
Roland Dominice
Senior Manager, Investment Services, Symbiotics

Moderated by:
Howard J. Finkelstein
Shareholder, Akerman Senterfitt LLP

Q&A panel:
Jean-Pierre Klumpp
COO, BlueOrchard Finance S.A

Cyrille Parant
CEO, Planet Investment Services

Eliza Erikson
Senior Investment Officer, Calvert Foundation

Richard Greenberg
Senior Manager, Micro and SME Finance, Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Profund is the first Private Equity Fund in microfinance and it is  now closed. Hear from the former director, Alex Silva, about the obstacles that were faced and which exit strategies were utilized, what worked and what didn’t in order to prepare for the future of a secondary market in microfinance.

• Identifying potential obstacles and how to strategically overcome them
• Understanding the knowledgeable investor’s concerns:
  • Lack of liquidity
  • Equating risk and reward
• Evaluating options such as trade sales, buybacks, mergers & acquisitions, and other more innovative options in relation to microfinance

Alex Silva
President and Founder, OMTRIX Financial Consultants, and Former Director, PROFUND

It is imperative to identify how to expand equity investment opportunities to meet the demand within microfinance today, illustrate currently developing exit strategies and specifically address the challenges of attracting investors to this type of microfinance investment.

• Identifying existing opportunities for equity investment
• Exit strategies in equity investment
• Challenges of increased equity within microfinanc

Moderator:
Alex Silva
President and Founder, OMTRIX Financial Consultants, and Former Head, PROFUND

Panelists:
Vikram Akula
CEO, SKS

Chris Brookfield
Director, Equity Fund Investment, Unitus

Gil Crawford
CEO, MicroVest Capital Management

Wagane Diouf
Managing Partner, AfriCap MicroVentures

In this second country specific case study, we will examine the developing landscape of this hotly contested region where an openness of the Chinese government is crucial for the expansion of microfinance initiatives.

• 2008 is expected to be a critical year for China’s rural financial system:
  • Relaxation of restrictions on village banks, village mutual funds, and microcredit companies
  • Reform of existing institutions
• Promoting market-oriented rural financial institutions
• The uniqueness of legal and regulatory risks of microfinance in China

Overview:
Jinchang Lai
Senior Operations Officer and Deputy Secretary General, China Project Facility, International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Case Study:
Jeff Ferry
Board Member, MicroCred China

Case Study:
M. Zhiwen Guo
President, Harbin Bank

Case Study:
Roy Jacobwitz
Senior Vice President, Development and Communications, ACCION International

With the recent entrance of VC into microfinance, investment is moving forward and this phenomenon will no doubt continue steering investment avenues globally through novel investment approaches.

• Evaluating VC within microfinance to date
• The positive market reaction to the entrance of VC:
  • Identifying next steps
• Motivations, concerns and challenges behind incorporating VC into microfinance
• Paving investment avenues through foreign capital
• Moving forward with more efficient funds that stimulate growth
• Nurturing creative thought and innovation of investmen

Presentation by:
Vijay Advani
Executive Managing Director, International Retail Development, and President Alternative Strategies, Franklin Templeton Investments

Reddy Padmaja
Director, Spandana

André Laude
Head, Microfinance, Global Financial Markets, IFC

As IPOs become more prevalent within the microfinance industry, their changing nature must be dissected. Duncan Niederauer from the New York Stock Exchange will introduce and moderator a panel between two leading MFIs that established IPOs in 2007.

• Impact of IPO
• Effect on investment
• Practical lessons and predictions for the changing landscape of an MFI:
• The future organizational and operational structure
• Product strategy and change of ownership
• New avenues for stock market investment

Carlos Danel
Co-CEO, Compartamos (TBC)

Luca Torre
Financial Institutions Group, Credit Suisse

W. Lieberman, PhD
President and CEO, LIPAM International Inc.