dfe Partners & Creation Investments Establish CEE Microfinance Holdings & Complete 3 Acquisitions

CEE Microfinance Holdings, N.V., a new, private equity backed, Dutch holding company owned by the BFSE Fund and Creation Investments Social Ventures Fund, announced today it purchased 3 microfinance institutions located in Central and Eastern Europe.
By: Patrick Fisher
 
Sept. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- dfe Partners and Creation Investments Establish CEE Microfinance Holdings, as a Regional Holding Company and Complete 3 Acquisitions

Combined Talent from Financial Services and Microfinance Join to Expand Microfinance Services Throughout Central and Eastern Europe

DATELINE, September 23rd, 2010 – CEE Microfinance Holdings, N.V., a new, private equity backed, Dutch holding company owned by the Balkan Financial Sector Equity Fund, managed by the Swiss based dfe partners, and Creation Investments Social Ventures Fund I, managed by US based Creation Investments Capital Management, announced today it purchased three microfinance institutions located in Central and Eastern Europe. CEE Microfinance Holdings has a newly recruited management team which combines talent from the financial services industry both inside and outside the microfinance sector.

The three microfinance institutions involved in the transaction are located in Albania, Poland, and Russia and purchased from, U.S. based Opportunity Transformation Investments Inc., UK based Opportunity Microfinance Investments Ltd and FORA Fund (Russia).    The first institution, Opportunity Albania is a non-bank financial institution currently serving more than 16,000 clients from its 23 branches, with its headquarters in Tirana, Albania.  The second, Inicjatywa Mikro is a non-bank financial institution currently serving more than 2,000 customers, with its headquarters in Krakow, Poland. The third, FORUS is a registered bank in Russia currently serving more than 10,000 customers, with its headquarters in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia and a 42 branch network.

“The successful completion of this transaction opens a new chapter for our customers, our employees, our businesses, and our investors and lenders.” said Pieter van Groos, the chief executive officer of the newly established CEE Microfinance.  “We are convinced that these businesses have tremendous potential to expand accessible and affordable financial services to both current and new customers that are underserved by traditional commercial banks and finance institutions. These acquisitions also provide a starting point for further acquisitions and create scale in the region.” Pieter van Groos was previously CEO of GE Money Bank in the Czech & Slovak Republics, and prior to this worked for McKinsey and Exxon. In addition, Koen Wasmus joins as COO of CEE Microfinance. Wasmus was previously CEO of ProCredit in Kosovo and held other management positions within ProCredit. Further appointments to the CEE Microfinance team will be announced.

Clive Moody, Managing Partner of dfe partners, who negotiated and led the transaction said, “The challenges for success in the maturing microfinance sector in Central and Eastern Europe have and will continue to change. What we see as critical to the future of CEE Microfinance is fresh vision combining the capabilities of experienced management with active shareholders who promote strong corporate governance and provide much needed access to capital. We believe there is much to be gained through developing a common business model across the three institutions that will then serve as a template for further country acquisitions.”

“The formation of CEE Microfinance with presence across three territories, including the banking license in Russia, allowed us to recruit a level of expertise to manage these operations that combines the best practices not only from the microfinance world, but also from the wider financial services environment,” said Patrick Fisher, CEO of Creation Investments. “Pieter and Koen individually have extensive experience, that combined provides a management strength that is the essential ingredient of a successful microfinance business in Central and Eastern Europe for the next decade”.

About CEE Microfinance Holdings, N.V.
CEE Microfinance Holdings, N.V. is a Dutch public limited liability company.  CEE Microfinance is involved in the business of owning microfinance and small and medium enterprise lending institutions in unbanked and underbanked markets and client segments in Central and Eastern Europe.  CEE Microfinance is owned by a Dutch Coöperatief formed by the Balkan Financial Sector Equity Fund CV and Creation Investments Social Ventures Fund I.  The Balkan Fund is a Netherlands investment fund, managed by Development Finance Equity Partners AG, Switzerland.  The Creation Social Ventures Fund is a U.S. investment fund, managed by Creation Investments Capital Management, LLC.  

For more information, visit http://www.dfe-partners.com/ or http://www.creationinvestments.com/.

Or contact:
Clive Moody, Managing Partner, dfe partners AG
Phone:   +44 1962 850736
Mobile:  +44 7866 565588
cmoody@dfe-partners.com

Patrick Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, Creation Investments Capital Management, LLC
Phone: +1.312.784.3980
Mobile: +1.773.960.8520
patrick.fisher@creationinvestments.com

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Alternative investment management company managing private equity funds focused on Microfinance Institutions and for-profit social ventures in emerging markets seeking to maximize financial and social returns on investment.
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Source:Patrick Fisher
Email:***@creationinvestments.com Email Verified
Zip:60606
Tags:Microfinance, Social Ventures, Central And Eastern Europe, Private Equity
Industry:Financial, Society, Banking
Location:Chicago - Illinois - United States
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