Greg Casagrande
South Pacific Business Development
“Creating A Successful MFI In A Small, Remote, Low-income Nation”

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Biography:

Greg launched SPBD as a Grameen replication in the remote South Pacific nation of Samoa in January 2000. In the past 3 years, SPBD has trained and provided unsecured credit and ongoing motivation and guidance to over 2000 poor Samoan micro-entrepreneurs. SPBD is now the largest and most successful MFI in the entire South Pacific region. Samoa, SPBD's first market, is one of the world's 49 least developed countries.

Greg has a BA from Colgate University, an MS from New York University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Northwestern University. He is also a CPA.

Greg has studied microfinance firsthand in Bangladesh, India and Africa and has lectured on the topic at universities and conferences throughout the Pacific and Asia. Prior to launching SPBD, Greg worked in various financial and general management positions for Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Chicago and Japan. He began his career with Coopers and Lybrand in New York City. Greg is also involved in New Zealand based venture capital.