Michael De Groot

Michaël joined Rabobank Foundation in December 1994 after his return from Sudan where he had been doing volunteer work in community exchange projects and informal microfinance schemes. Before going to Africa he had spent three years with NMB Bank (now ING) where he was engaged in loan risk management of international loans. For the last several years he has been working as a senior project manager with Rabobank Foundation concentrating mainly on Latin America and Eastern and Central Europe. Beside these activities for Rabobank Foundation he is a core member of teams engaged in the development of social ethical investment funds, sustainable green funds, and micro-finance loans in LDCs.

Michaël has significant international experience in co-operative savings and credit systems, village banking and a variety of other types of microfinance institutions with a wide knowledge of issues such as: strategy formulation and (re)positioning, organisational issues, savings and loan policies, membership development, new product design and institution building. He is responsible for major programmes in Bangladesh, India, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Romania and Bulgaria. He conducts seminars and works as a consultant.

Michaël holds a Masters degree in economics from the Free University of Amsterdam. He speaks English, Dutch, German and basic Spanish. In addition to his work Michaël is actively engaged in Dutch development co-operation networks. In his spare time he enjoys dancing, motorcycling, cycling and running.