Central Asian & Caucasus Microfinance Forum 2017 | Uniglobal Events | 26 October 2017 | Tbilisi, Georgia, 12-13 Kheivani I Street I Dead End, Tbilisi, Georgia

Microfinance goes digital: opportunities & challenges
in the Caucasus & Central Asia
The microfinance market in Central Asia & Caucasus is young and dynamic. Regional microfinance market is acute and recently gaining popularity. Microfinance investment opportunities have significantly grown and diversified in recent years as the MFI market grows and matures.

Discussions and presentations format will allow participants to share their experiences, ask questions to the experts, as well as communicate with colleagues about the most trending issues of the microfinance sector at our Central Asian & Caucasus Microfinance Forum in Tbilisi.

DAY 1
Market and investment outlook. What are growth predictions for 2017-2018 in Caucasus and Central Asia?
New developments in the regulation of microfinance 2017-2018 in Georgia
New developments in the regulation of microfinance 2017-2018 in Azerbaijan

1. FUNDING POLICY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
• Panel Discussion: Industry outlook & performance of Microfinance institutions
• Access to finance in local currency
• Access to finance for SMEs in the Caucasus countries
• SME finance: a success story
• What MFIs need to do to make their organisation more attractive for new investors
• Green Microfinance – focus on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
• Crowdfunding challenges and opportunities in Georgia
• INTERACTIVE SPOTLIGHT SESSION ON MFIs & INVESTORS

DAY 2
FINTECH FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION: ACCESS, QUALITY AND UTILISATION IN A COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER
• Innovative financial inclusion
• Fintech for MFIs and new financial services offered by MFIs.
• Panel Discussion: The importance of client protection principles in microfinance.
• Microfinance credit risk management: credit scoring in the region.
• Expanding access to finance through mobile.
• Workshop on “Combining customer insights with MIS data to really “Know your customer”
• Future of digital finance in microfinance in Caucasus and Central Asia.

2017 SPEAKERS

Elizabeth Davitashvili
Principal Banker
EBRD, Georgia

Irakli Mekvabishvili
Senior Banker,FI
EBRD, Georgia

Debbie Watkins
Managing Director, APMEA
Fern Software, Singapore

Margot Jacobs CFA
Senior Advisor
East Capital Private Equity AB, Sweden

Sevara Mukhamet-Alieva
Regional Manager/Eastern Europe, Middle East , Central Asia and Caucasus
BlueOrchard Finance LTD/ Tbilisi, Georgia

Tatiana Babii
Regional Manager (Eastern Europe, Caucausus and Central Asia)
Triple Jump BV, Georgia

Irma Bokuchava
Head of Non-Banking Institutions Supervision Department
National Bank of Georgia

Besik Shengelia
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Georgian Microfinance Association

Zinaida Vasilenko
Senior Investment Officer
responsAbility, France

Altynai Valikhanova
Senior Investment Officer
Triodos Investment Management, The Netherlands

Ulan Diushebaev
Regional Manager for Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia
MicroFinanza Rating – Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Theo Brouwers
Managing Director
ACTIAM Impact Investing, The Netherlands

Olivier Edelman
Head of Microfinance Unit
European Investment Bank, Luxembourg

Rovshan Rahimov
Eastern Europe and Central Asia Analyst
MIX, Azerbaijan

Bulat Dosmukhamedov
General Director
Saas Credit Group, Russia

Ilona Mianecka-Pniewska
Frankfurt School Development Finance e-Campus, Project Coordinator
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany

Stefan Martiniak
CEO
CJSC “The First MicroCredit Company”, Kyrgyzstan

Oleg Flaum
Banking Expert
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Germany

Aida Karabaeva
Head of Department Public Relations, National State Programme for Improvement of Financial Literacy of the Population
National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic

Christoph Eckart
Senior Fund Manager for the Dual Return
Vision Microfinance Funds at C-Quadrat Asset Management, Austria