MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Women’s World Banking (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business Host Second Annual Advanced Leadership Program

Women’s World Banking (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership, an organization that provides technical and advisory services to microfinance institutions (MFIs) affiliated with WWB, and the Aresty Institute for Executive Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business recently partnered to host the second annual Advanced Leadership Program, a multi-day course focusing on trends and best practices in the microfinance industry.

The program, launched in 2010 in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, a private Canadian foundation that seeks to alleviate poverty through microfinance and education, focused this year on innovation. Speaking on this theme, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of WWB, said “innovation in the products institutions offer, such as savings and insurance, and in the way in which these are designed and marketed to women is essential if microfinance institutions are to continue to deliver on their social mission.”

Topics at this year’s conference included: tools for customer-centric innovation, product design, negotiations, leading the enterprise, succession planning, organizational development and strategic alignment of mission and growth. The attendees represented 25 for-profit and nonprofit outfits from 15 countries [1].

By John Howard-Smith, Research Associate

About Women’s World Banking (WWB): Women’s World Banking (WWB) is an organization that provides technical and advisory services to its global network of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Founded in 1976, the network is based in New York. WWB seeks to alleviate global poverty by expanding the economic assets, participation and power of the poor, especially women. As of February 8, 2011, WWB reportedly had 39 members working in 28 countries.

About MasterCard Foundation: Based in Canada, the MasterCard Foundation is a private foundation with approximately CAD 2.69 billion (USD 2.72 billion) in assets, as of 2009. The foundation’s goal is to enable people living in poverty to improve their lives through increased access to microfinance and education. The foundation was established in 2006 by a gift of shares from global payment processor MasterCard Worldwide during the company’s initial public offering.

[1] Wharton Press Release: “Wharton School and Women’s World Banking Focus on Global Innovation in the Microfinance Industry”, http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/news/wharton-school-womens-world-banking-global-innovation-microfinance.cfm

MicroCapital.org story, April 9, 2010: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Women’s World Banking’s (WWB) Center for Microfinance Leadership and University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business Host Advanced Leadership Course”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-women%E2%80%99s-world-banking%E2%80%99s-wwb-center-for-microfinance-leadership-and-university-of-pennsylvania%E2%80%99s-wharton-school-of-business-host-advanced-leadership-course/

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe profile: Women’s World Banking (WWB), https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Women%27s+World+Banking+(WWB)

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe profile: MasterCard Foundation, https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=MasterCard+Foundation

Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at: https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/

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