The topic of this 2013 conference, “Building a high performing SME business”, is of critical importance for the MENA region. SMEs need access to banking services to create jobs and support economic growth, but only 20 percent of them have access to credit, and the SME funding gap in the region is estimated at $160 billion. Banks and policy makers in the region are aware of these opportunities and are developing new strategies to support SMEs. The AMF and the IFC are working together to support these important efforts.The conference gathered around 250 bankers and international SME experts from more than 20 countries to share experiences on best practice SME banking.
The event was organized in partnership with
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Session 1: CEO Perspectives - Making SME Banking a Strategic Priority
With rapidly eroding growth opportunities in retail and corporate banking, Banks are increasingly looking for avenues to build a competitive and sustainable SME business. This session will discuss CEO strategy to scale up SME Banking operations.
Moderator: James Gohary, Regional Manager, Financial Markets and Private Equity Funds-MENA, IFC
Raheel Ahmed, Regional Head of Consumer Banking, Standard Chartered Bank
Atif Bajwa, CEO, Al Falah Bank, Pakistan
Fadel El Halaissi, Delegate General Manager, BMCE Bank, Morocco
Bernd van Linder, Managing Director and CEO, Saudi Hollandi Bank
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Session 2: Opportunities and Changing Landscape in SME Banking in MENA
With a funding gap for MENA SME estimated at USD 170 billion, Financial Institutions in the regions are launching new SME banking initiatives. This session will focus on the business case for sustainable SME banking in MENA, latest innovations and global best practices in SME banking, and the importance of financial infrastructure to increase outreach.
Moderator: Xavier Reille, Manager, Financial Sector Advisory Services, IFC MENA
Mutsa Chironga, Associate Principal, McKinsey & Company
Hafid Oubrik, Financial Sector Specialist, Arab Monetary Fund
Matthew Gamser, Head, SME Finance Forum, IFC
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Session 3: Regional Initiatives and Role of Regulators in SME Banking Development
The MENA region is witnessing various regional initiatives to improve SME’s access to finance. In addition, regulators are playing an important role to improve the enabling environment for SME banking. This session will discuss best practice policies to promote SME banking.
Moderator: Yisr Barnieh, Arab Monetary Fund, Chief of Financial Markets Division
AbdulKarim AlArhabi, Secretary General, SMEs Facility, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
May Abulnaga, Head, Regulations Department, Central Bank of Egypt
Ashraf Khan, Executive Director, State Bank of Pakistan
Badr El Din Ibrahim, Director, Central Bank of Sudan
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Session 4: Mastering the SME Banking Risk Management Frontier
SME Banking is often viewed as a high risk market segment. However, SME Banking business can yield attractive returns, one of the best, on risk adjusted return basis. This session will discuss the ways banks must adopt differentiated risk management techniques, innovate approaches of assessing the credit risk involved, and use technology and analytics to dynamically manage portfolio risks.
Moderator: Cameron Evans, Principal Risk Management Specialist, IFC
Lawrence Antioch, Managing Director-Group Risk, DBS Bank Singapore
Mandeep Vohra, Head of SME Risk, Middle East, Pakistan and Africa, Standard Chartered Bank
Oscar Madeddu, Principal Financial Specialist, IFC
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Session 5: Maximizing SME revenues - through Strategic Customer Management
Profitably serving the SME sector requires not just a deep understanding of the best segments to serve, but also of the financial needs and revenue drivers for each customer segment. This session will provide insights on how banks have radically increased revenues through developing customized propositions at targeted segments.
Moderator: Panayotis Varangis, Head of SME and Business, Access to Finance, IFC
Andrew McCartney, Global Product Specialist, IFC MENA
Christian Wessels, Partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Turgut Boz, SME Banking Assistant General Manager, TEB Turkey
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Session 6: Women in Business - Leveraging Segment Opportunities
Despite being an emerging & profitable business segment, most banks do not have a differentiated value proposition for serving Women in Business. This session will discuss how to use market research to develop a segment strategy and develop an attractive value proposition for women entrepreneurs.
Moderator: Qamar Saleem, Senior SME Banking Specialist, IFC MENA
Larke Riemer, Director, Women’s Markets, Westpac Bank, Australia
Tania Moussallem, Head of Strategic Development, BLC, Lebanon
Hanan Saab, Founder and Managing Director, Pharmamed, Lebanon
Patience Marime-Ball, Principal Investment Officer, IFC, Washington DC
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Session 7: Making a difference with SME Islamic Banking
Islamic banking has enjoyed a double digit growth over the past 10 years providing new opportunities for SME finance. This session will address the opportunities and challenges of serving SME customers with Islamic banking products.
Moderator: Kaiser Naseem, Program Manager, IFC MENA
Ashar M. Nazim, Islamic Financial Services, Ernst & Young Bahrain
Tariq Hameed, Senior Vice President, Capitas Group
Neil Miller, Global Head of Islamic Finance, Linklaters
Mubashar Khokhar, Management Consultants Islamic Advisory, Israa Capital
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Session 8: Integrating Alternative Channels into SME Banking Value Proposition
Cost to serve SMEs, which are in most circumstances widely dispersed, nonhomogeneous in nature and offering smaller revenue wallet, poses a significant challenge to banks. This session will discuss how to leverage new delivery channels to lower operating costs, build internal efficiencies and maintain customer satisfaction levels.
Moderator: Margarete Biallas, Global Product Leader, Retail Payment Institutions & Innovation, IFC
Scott Stefanski, Maana Mobile
Teresita Tan, President, BPI Globe BankKO, Philippines
Rohit Arora, Chief Executive Officer, Biz2Credit
Milkah Chebii, Head of Retail Banking Channels & Operations, Kenya Commercial Bank
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Session 9: Using SME Advisory Services as a Competitive Advantage
Leading SME banks have developed successful SME advisory programs to differentiate their value proposition and better manage risks. This session explores experiences of banks that have implemented such strategies, the challenges faced and the benefits reaped of this differentiated approach.
Moderator: Sylvia Zulu, Manager, Sustainable Business Advisory, IFC MENA
Michel Botzung, Principal Operations Officer, IFC
Steven A. Tambunting, Vice President and Board Director, Planters Bank, Philippines
Regina Bundang, General Manager, Regalo Service & Redwood Internet, Philippines
Saad N. Mouasher, Senior Deputy CEO, Jordan Ahli Bank, Jordan
