Michel Hanouch

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Michel Hanouch currently leads CGAP´s work on climate adaptation and resilience for financial service providers (FSPs) and their customers. This work explores strategic considerations for FSPs across risk management and product innovation, as well as the operationalization thereof. Previously, Michel led CGAP´s work on open APIs in financial inclusion.  
 
Michel is an experienced leader with deep expertise on the use of technology to profitably deliver financial services to hard-to-reach customers at scale. He has 20 years of experience working across strategy consulting, technology (Amazon Web Services) and international development. He has a breadth of experience, delivering strategic projects spanning product, channel, and business model innovation; digital transformation; customer experience; data; fund raising; regulation; sustainability; pricing and more. Michel has worked with C-level executives at banks, telcos, fintechs, platforms, payment companies, and regulators across 20+ countries.  
 
Michel has a Master’s degree in Economics, and an Honour’s degree in Economic Science, both from the University of Witwatersrand. He is based in Madrid, Spain. 

By Michel Hanouch

Blog

Can Retail Payment Systems be Profitable and Inclusive?

A framework developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation explains the economics of payment systems and how providers can make a profit while still effectively serving the poor.
Research

Microfinance and Mobile Banking: Blurring the Lines?

This paper addresses options MFIs have to leverage m-banking; experiences of MFIs that have served as agents for m-banking ; benefits for MFIs and their customers; why some MFIs hold off on m-banking; and new innovative microfinance business models.
Blog

What Options do MFIs Have to Leverage M-banking?

There is no evidence that MFIs or their customers are driving the development of m-banking. MFIs that are successfully leveraging m-banking tend to be in countries where an m-banking service is already widely used.
Blog

Mobile Money Adopters – Who Are They And What Can They Teach Us?

Individuals who are connected to mobile money users through social networks are more likely to adopt mobile money than those with no social mobile money connections.
Blog

Beyond the Mzansi Account in South Africa – Targeting Usage

Between 2004 and 2008 the percentage of banked South African adults increased from 46% to 63%. This feat was driven primarily by the six million Mzansi accounts that were opened over that period – two-thirds of which by people that had never before had a bank account. However, approximately 30% of these were inactive. This post explores the importance of understanding the financial needs of low income clients, and how business models need to adapt to meet those needs on an economically viable basis.