Greg Chen

Gregory Chen served as CGAP’s Policy team lead through October 2021. The team helps policy makers adapt to the fast-changing world of digital finance, including developing and executing a strategy to engage multiple countries, regions, and global bodies—and oversight of the work of more than a dozen staff and consultants.

Gregory has 25 years of financial inclusion experience and deep regional experience in South Asia. His work has focused on hands-on start-up pioneer microfinance institutions, digital finance players, and FinTech. He has been part of forging new institutions and regulatory environments to support financial sectors. This includes work with the Aga Khan Development Network, BRAC, Telenor, and Dvara. He also has experience as a corporate banker at Bank of America and led the establishment of the financial services consulting firm Enclude in South Asia.

Gregory is a frequent speaker and lecturer on microfinance and digital finance in academic circles at BRAC University, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Yale, and American University. He has been interviewed by BBC and quoted in the Economist. He has a Master’s degree in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.

By Greg Chen

Blog

Mobile Money: OTC versus Wallets

A new blog series explores the business choices involved when balancing the extremes of OTC transactions and electronic wallets when it comes to making electronic payments.
Research

A Microcredit Crisis Averted: The Case of Bangladesh

After years of strong growth, the microfinance industry in Bangladesh was on the verge of a sharp change in direction, when the big 4 MFIs began to cut back on branches and staff in 2008.
Blog

Comparing Branchless Banking in Bangladesh and Pakistan

What can be learned from benchmarking Bangladesh to the regional leader Pakistan which had begun two years earlier in 2009? Both have similar populations, mobile penetration and income levels making the comparison even more interesting.
Blog

Financial Inclusion In 2012: South Asian Highlights

Recent trends in South Asia reveal measured growth for microfinance, and a steady increase in branchless banking networks, across the region.
Blog

The Growth of Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh

In early 2010, we blogged about the steps identified for mobile financial services to take off in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has moved partly down this path. A newly released overview report on Mobile Financial Services by Bangladesh’s Central Bank highlights the progress achieved two years on.