About me

Hannah Siedek is a Microfinance Impact Investment Officer with 15 years experience in microfinance strategy and operations, and technology-enabled delivery models. Her career started at CGAP/The World Bank where she acquired experience and knowledge in a range of different challenges facing the access to finance industry.

During her 3 years with the CGAP Paris office, she was deeply involved in the aid effectiveness initiatives of the donor consortium. When moving to CGAP Washington DC in 2005, she joined the newly created Technology Programme and focused on designing projects for alternative delivery channels, including mobile banking- and agent banking services in Latinamerica.

To complement her World Bank experience, Hannah joined ProCredit Holding AG in 2008 and became the Managing Director of ProCredit Bank Congo, DRC and an executive member on the bank’s Board of Directors. During the three years with ProCredit, she oversaw the organizational restructuring of the bank to enable its regional and national expansion, she managed the introduction of SME loans, grew the branch network from 6 to 17 branches with a first time expansion into regions outside the capital city, and helped grow staff numbers to 500.

Today Hannah Siedek works as Impact Microfinance Investment Officer at the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg.

Hannah holds degrees in Bank Financial Management and Development Finance, a European Master (MSc.) in Management from ESCP-EAP, France and City University, UK, and a Bachelor Degree in Economics from Bayreuth University, Germany. She is fluent in English, German, French and Spanish.

Nationality: German

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

10/2015 – present  Impact Microfinance Investment Officer, European Investment Bank (EIB), Luxembourg

06/2012 – 10/2015 Independant consultant:

  • June 2014 – 2017: Evaluation of IFC/MCF partnership on financial inclusion plus business study with 5 microfinance greenfield banks in DR Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Madagascar over three years.
  • October 2014  – Study of credit and savings groups in South West Nigeria
  • January 2014: Study on potential agent banking pilots in Mozambique
  • May 2013 – November 2013: Investment Officer, European Investment Bank
  • October 2012 – September 2015: Member of Board of Directors at Microcred Nigeria, International Finance Corporation
  • September 2012 – December 2013: Implementation of three agricultural lending products at CAMCCUL, Cameroon, Internationale Project Consult
  • May 2012 – April 2013: Branchless Banking Feasibility Study in 16 countries in the Caucasus, Finance in Motion
  • September 2012 – July 2013: Research studies on a) capacity building, and b) greenfield institutions for CGAP/The World Bank.
  • July – September 2012: Tender agent for KfW

05/2015-12/2015 Member of Credit Committee, Fonds pour l’Inclusion Financiere (FPM SA), Kinshasa, DRC

08/2014-12/2015 Member of Supervisory Board, AMK – Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

12/2012-10/2015 Member of Supervisory Board, MicroCred Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna, Nigeria

07/2010-11/2011 Member of Supervisory Board (voting), Procredit Bank Congo sarl, Kinshasa DRC. Responsibilities according to the internal articles of association which included the approval of loans above USD350,000.

11/2008 – 10/2011  Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Procredit Bank Congo, Kinshasa, DRC. CEO of the Congolese affiliate of Procredit Holding AG. Procredit Bank Congo caters to small and medium sized enterprises in the DRC.

09/2008 – 11/2008 Consultant, International Projekt Consult GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Consultant in retail department of Procredit Bank Congo, Kinshasa, DRC

01/2006-05/2008  Associate Microfinance Analyst, CGAP/ The World BAnk, Washington, DC USA. Associate Analyst on Technology Program, a four‐year US$ 26 million program co‐funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

— Managed projects and research activities in Latin America.

— Shaped access to finance projects with microfinance institutions, banks, payment processors, and engaged with financial sector actors and governments in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru.

— Managed research activities regarding agent‐based distribution channels and use of alternative data to improve credit scoring applications. Headed small research teams of CGAP staff and contracted consultants.

08/2003-01/2006  Microfinance Analyst, CGAP/ The World Bank, Paris, France. Analyst on Aid Effectiveness team seeking to help development agencies and other microfinance funders to improve assistance and investments targeted at the microfinance sector.

— Managed relationships with ten member donors (AECI, EBRD, EIB, Ford Foundation, gtz, ILO, KfW, NORAD, SDC, Sida) regarding funding issues, reporting requirements, and staff capacity training sessions.

— Contributed to Country‐Level Aid Effectiveness & Accountability Reviews ‐ initiatives assessing donor effectiveness in Cambodia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka.

— Conducted first time research on funding flows to microfinance (public and private). Initiated CGAP’s work on disclosure guidelines for microfinance investment vehicles.

 

The views, opinions and positions expressed on this website are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. Hannah Siedek accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.