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JPMorgan Launches Social Sector Finance Unit to Bring Financial Services to Microfinance and Social Enterprises
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| Guest post by: David Satterthwaite |
Article Overview: JPMorgan, a US-based global financial services firm with assets of USD 1.5 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries, has announced the launch of a Social Sector Finance (SSF) unit within its Investment Bank.
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JPMorgan Launches Social Sector Finance Unit to Bring Financial Services to Microfinance and Social Enterprises
JPMorgan, a US-based global financial services firm with assets of USD 1.5 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries, has announced the launch of a Social Sector Finance (SSF) unit within its Investment Bank. The unit will leverage JPMorgan’s existing products and expertise to bring financial services to microfinance and social enterprises. The unit’s service offering will include capital markets, structured products, and principal investments and will pursue a double bottom line strategy of both social benefits and financial returns.
The establishment of JPMorgan’s SSF unit is part of the firm’s overall strategy to increase its focus on microfinance. Head of Global Research Nick O’Donohoe is leading JPMorgan’s efforts to further the firm’s Social Responsibility agenda. The new SSF unit will be run by Christina Leijonhufvud, who will report directly to Mr. O’Donohoe. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms. Leijonhufvud received a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and was a former Country Director at the World Bank serving Central Asian Operations. In addition to her service a JPMorgan, Ms. Leijonhufvud also serves as a consultant for Ashoka, a non-profit organization that promotes social entrepreneurship worldwide through financial services for social enterprises.
JPMorgan’s new SSF unit is not the first of its kind. In September 2007, MicroCapital.org reported on the formation of a Microfinance Institution Group at Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley’s unit came as a natural progression stemming from its recent work in the microfinance industry. In March 2006, Morgan Stanley and BlueOrchard Finance, a microfinance fund investment company issued a USD 106 million bond backed by loans to MFIs. In May 2007, Morgan Stanley and BlueOrchard issued another USD 108 million equivalent in bonds to finance 13 MFIs globally.
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About the Author: David Satterthwaite RSS for David's articles - Visit David's website David brings 10 years of experience in microfinance management, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management/fund-raising and microfinance investment research. David is the Chairman and President of Prisma Microfinance, Inc., a retail “microbank” operating in Central America. He is also Chief Editor of MicroCapital.org, a news and information service for the microfinance community and its investors. Each month, MicroCapital.org publishes the MicroCapital Monitor, the leading industry newspaper. David writes and speaks frequently on microfinance. He has been a quest speaker at many events, including: Microcredit Summit 5+: Panel on Private Investment, Milken Institute Global Conference, United Nations Year of Microcredit Symposium for Wall Street, Chicago Conference on Microfinance, Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, Dartmouth’s Business Sustainability Conference, Wharton’s Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, Stanford’s Social Enterprise Club, Columbia’s Social Enterprise Program and the Net Impact Annual Conference. Through his work with Prisma and MicroCapital, he has been featured or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, “All Things Considered,” Reuters and SocialFunds.com. David has been recognized with the Compaq Computer Corporation Leadership Award, the City Year Inspiring Leader Award and the National Social Venture Business Plan Competition award for Best Social Impact Analysis. David has supported many non-profit and for-profit social enterprises in different capacities, including Access Technology Learning Center, Agora Partnerships, Bridges to Business, City Year, Fonkoze, Kiva and National Social Venture Competition. David holds a B.A. with Honors in Political Science from Haverford College. Click here to visit David's website Old Mutual OM Supports Expansion of Womens Development Bank WDB Microfinance into KwaZuluNatal South Africa with USD 710000 Compassion International Invests USD 5 Million in Opportunity International to Develop Microfinance in Africa Nigerian Government Creates $426m Microcredit Development Fund JPMorgan Launches Social Sector Finance Unit to Bring Financial Services to Microfinance and Social Enterprises International Finance Corporation IFC and Blue Financial Services Group to Integrate HIVAIDS Prevention with Microfinance |
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