Speaker Biography - Microinsurance Conference 2007

Elizabeth McGuinness, Microfinance Opportunities, USA

Qualifications Summary

Microfinance Research: Design, manage and implement diverse and multi-year research projects. Assess impact of microfinance programs. Conduct qualitative market research to develop new microinsurance and microfinance products. Certified Service Provider of MicroSave Market Research for Microfinance Tools. Microfinance Operations: Managed women-focused, poverty lending programs. Strong operational orientation with experience in institutional development, manual development, proposal development, strategic planning, business planning, MIS systems, staff training, monitoring and reporting, and program evaluation. Post-conflict microfinance experience. 

Regional Experience

Africa: Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi
Central Asia: Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan
Caucuses: Azerbaijan
LAC: Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago
Mid-East: Jordan and Morocco
Asia: Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan and Vietnam

Professional Experience

Microfinance Opportunities, Washington, DC
Senior Project Manager (3/2004 – Present)
•Oversee all client assessment, market research, and microinsurance activities. Develop new business.  Managed field research on the demand for microinsurance in Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Uganda and Pakistan.

Save the Children, Economic Opportunities Office, Washington, DC
Economic Opportunities Specialist (2000 – 2004)
•Developed best practice, women-focused microfinance institutions.  

Save the Children, Tajikistan
Sector Coordinator GGLS (Group Guaranteed Lending & Savings) (1997-1999)
•Managed expansion of a microfinance program. 

MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates), Zimbabwe, (1996)
SARIPS (Southern African Regional Institute for Policy Studies), Zimbabwe, (1996)Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NY, NY (1989-1996)
United Nations Development Programme, Division of Personnel, NY, NY, (1988-1989)

Education

New York University, MA, Economics, 1989.
McGill University, BA Economics, Minor: Environmental Studies, 1982.

Publications

• McGuinness, Elizabeth and Monique Cohen.  “Assessing Opportunities for Agricultural Insurance and Risk Coping Strategies: In Dong Thap, Thai Binh and Vinh Phuc Provices, Vietnam” (Asian Development Bank, Manila: 2007).
• Sebstad, Jennefer, Monique Cohen and Elizabeth McGuinness.  “Guidelines for Market Research on the Demand for Microinsurance.”  (USAID: Washington, DC, 2006)
• McGuinness, Elizabeth and Volodymyr Tounytsky.  “The Demand for Microinsurance in Pakistan.” (Microfinance Opportunities, Washington DC: 2006.)
• Matul, Michal, Dorota Szubert, Monique Cohen, and Elizabeth McGuinness. “Attracting the Unbanked: Preliminary Guidelines for Maximizing Existing Infrastructure Through Serving Untapped Markets.”  (Microfinance Opportunities and The Microfinance Centre: Washington, DC and Warsaw: 2006.)
• McCord, Michael J., Gaby Ramm, and Elizabeth McGuinness.  “Microinsurance: Demand and Market Prospects –  Indonesia.” Commissioned by Allianz AG, GTZ and UNDP. (MicroInsurance Centre, 2005).
• McCord, Michael J., Gaby Ramm, and Elizabeth McGuinness. 2005. “Microinsurance: Demand and Market Prospects –  Laos People’s Democratic Republic.” Commissioned by Allianz AG, GTZ and UNDP. (MicroInsurance Centre, 2005).
• Cohen, M., E. McGuinness, J. Sebstad, K. Stack.  “Market Research for Financial Education.”  Financial Education for the Poor Project, Working Paper No. 2. (Microfinance Opportunities, Washington DC: 2005.)
• Cohen, Monique, Kathleeen Stack, and Elizabeth McGuinness. "Financial Education: A Win-Win for Clients and MFIs."  Published on the Microfinance Gateway at www.microfinancegateway.org.