PRESS RELEASES

Women's World Banking and the Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs Host a Capital Markets Workshop for Microfinance Institutions

For Immediate Release
January 3, 2007
Contact: Petra Tuomi, Women's World Banking,
212-768-8513, cell 646-873-0763, ptuomi@swwb.org
— Microfinance and the Capital Markets: a Global Exchange to be held in New York City, Jan. 16-17

New York, NY — Women's World Banking (WWB), one of the leading microfinance organizations globally, in cooperation with the Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs, will host a two-day learning exchange among microfinance practitioners and international microfinance investors to further increase microfinance institutions' (MFIs) capacity to access the capital markets. This event, titled "Microfinance and the Capital Markets: a Global Exchange," will take place January 16-17 at 32 Old Slip, 2nd Floor, in New York City, and will offer workshops concentrating on new developments in the field of debt and equity finance and feature experts in investor relations, governance, and ratings.

Please note that the event is by invitation only. Members of the press interested in attending please contact Petra Tuomi at 212-768-8513 or 646-873-0763, or by email at ptuomi@swwb.org.

The event will bring together over 100 experts in the field to focus on capacity building for MFIs in the capital markets. The opening remarks will be given by Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President of Women's World Banking and Suzanne Nora Johnson, Chairman, Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs and Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs.

"With the coming of age of microfinance," said Ms. Iskenderian, "one of the most exciting developments is the emergence of microfinance investments as an asset class. Women's World Banking has been an industry leader in providing forums for discussing the role of MFIs in the capital markets, and we are delighted to host our fifth annual capital markets event with the sponsorship of the Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs."

The first day will highlight four MFIs that have successfully rolled out capital markets transactions including bonds, securitizations, and CDOs (collateralized debt obligations). The program will also feature new equity models for microfinance investments and advice for MFIs on "pitching" their story to the capital markets and developing expertise in investor relations. Speakers will include eminent microfinance professionals and investors such as Clara Serra de Akerman of FWWB Colombia, Fernando Alvarez of Compartamos, Dirk Brouwer of Catalyst Microfinance Investors and Viswanatha Prasad of Bellwether.

The second day will include raters, development agency representatives and international investors, such as Gustavo Aristizabal of Duff and Phelps, Damian von Stauffenberg of Microrate, Jean-Philippe de Schrevel of Blue Orchard and Andre Laude of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), who will discuss new product offerings, including local currency loans and credit enhancements. There will also be a "mock" bond road show for high-level institutional investors in which leading MFIs will be selected to apply their newly-acquired skills.

For a full description of the two-day program, please view the complete program agenda.