Miguel Soriano

Miguel Soriano is a corporate finance leader and Fintech specialist with more than 15 years of experience in investment banking, business development, strategy consulting and project management. Currently, he is a Research Affiliate at Cambridge University’s Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), where is leading research programs on Fintech and financial inclusion. Some of the most recent projects include a comprehensive study of the Fintech landscape in the ASEAN region and a study for the UNSGSA on the different methods that regulators can use to regulate Fintech. He is also the Co-Coordinator of the Global Financial Innovation Hub Network launched by CCAF in November 2018. In addition to his work at CCAF, Miguel is an advisor on Fintech and financial inclusion to the World Bank, where is leading major research programs in Indonesia and China, as well as a Digital Finance Specialist Consultant for IFC (the private arm of the World Bank) in their Latin America FIG Advisory practice, based in Washington DC. Prior to that, he was a Fintech Specialist Consultant for IFC in Singapore on the ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) project, the world’s first cross-border, open-architecture platform to improve financial inclusion. In this role, Miguel was responsible for the development of the strategic framework for identifying, cataloguing and structuring the list of Fintech companies that will collaborate with banks in an industry sandbox, in order to drive financial inclusion in the ASEAN region.

While living in Singapore, Miguel completed a PhD in Business at Singapore Management University (SMU). His doctoral research, which was funded by a research grant from MasterCard on financial inclusion and social entrepreneurship, was focused on the development of an empirical, data driven model that quantifies the key factors that drive financial inclusion and financial performance in Fintech startups. His doctoral research has immediate practical applications for VC firms and investors, which evaluate the financial performance of new technology ventures in financial inclusion, by providing a quantitative, data-driven methodology. He is viewed as an expert in Fintech and financial inclusion, and continues to work closely with Fintech startups, serving as a mentor, evaluating potential Fintech startup investment opportunities, and advising startups in financial inclusion that want to expand in emerging markets. Prior to moving to Singapore, Miguel worked in Wall Street for 12 years – first three years in Treasury at Merrill Lynch, and the remainder of the time in investment banking at Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, giving him a in-depth perspective of both the back office and front office operations of global banks. He has a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from New York University (NYU) and an MBA in Finance and International Business from NYU Stern School of Business.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Singapore Management University (2015 — 2018)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) New York University - Leonard N. Stern School of Business (1999 — 2002)
• Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) / Bachelor of Science New York University (1989 — 1994)

Companies

• Senior Upstream Officer, Financial Institutions Group - East Asia Pacific Region IFC - International Finance Corporation (2020)
• Research Affiliate Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, Cambridge Judge Business School (2018)
• Senior Digital Finance & Energy Specialist IFC - International Finance Corporation (2019 — 2020)
• Adjunct Professor Georgetown University McDonough School of Business (2018 — 2020)
• Senior Fintech Specialist, FCI World Bank Group (2018 — 2020)
• Digital Financial Services Specialist - Financial Institutions Group (FIG), Latin America IFC - International Finance Corporation (2018 — 2019)
• Advisor, Infrastructure and Urban Hub World Bank Group (2018 — 2018)
• Adjunct Faculty Member - Mergers & Acquisitions and Valuation Analysis, NUS Business School National University of Singapore (2016 — 2018)
• PhD in Business (General Management) SMU - Singapore Management University (2015 — 2018)

Skills

• SAP R/3
• SAP FICO
• Valuation

Other

SAP BW, FinTech, Financial Planning, High Yield Bonds, Strategic Financial Planning, Bloomberg Terminal, Chartered Financial Analyst, Spanish-speaking, Portfolio Management, Treasury, Series 7, LBO, Cross-border M&A, Competitive Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Valuation Modeling, Equities, IPO, Project Management, M&A execution, Strategic Planning, Corporate Development, Strategy, Investments, Business Development, Business Strategy, Capital Markets, Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Modeling, Finance, Corporate Finance