Staff Directory

Alexander Sotiriou

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Alexander Sotiriou works across a range of issues at CGAP, including micro and small enterprise (MSE) finance and the linkages between financial services, improved livelihoods, and access to basic services.

He joined CGAP from MicroVest, where he was the investment manager for Latin America and managed a portfolio of investments in the region’s leading microfinance and small and medium enterprise finance institutions. Earlier, Alexander was an associate in Citi’s Johannesburg and Mexico City offices, where he developed corporate and project finance solutions for corporations and governments across Africa and in Mexico. He has also worked as an analyst for a private equity fund in Mexico and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso and Guatemala.

Alexander has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Economics from the University of Arizona.

By Alexander Sotiriou

Research

Digital Finance for the Real Economy: Education

Education is a powerful tool to combat poverty. This slidedeck describes how digital finance can remove systemic barriers to high-quality global education in at least three ways.
Research

Digital Finance for the Real Economy: Energy

This slidedeck describes how digital finance can help achieve universal access to clean, affordable energy (SDG 7) in three major ways.
Research

Strange Beasts: Making Sense of PAYGo Solar Business Models

Despite their relatively recent emergence, PAYGo companies are rapidly approaching maturity. These businesses have the chance to reduce the energy poverty gap, drive financial inclusion, and improve the quality of life for millions of people.
Research

Escaping Darkness: Understanding Consumer Value in PAYGo Solar

This paper uses research and interviews with customers to understand the value they derive from PAYGo solar, why they decided to purchase it, how they were able to afford and pay for it, and whether they considered the product a “good deal” in the end.
Blog

Are PAYGo Solar Companies a New Type of Microfinance Institution?

Are PAYgo solar companies a new breed of microfinance institution (MFI)? Many are engaged in a number of MFI-like activities and could benefit from lessons learned in the more mature MFI sector.