Max Niño Zarazua is a highly accomplished and seasoned consultant with over 20 years of experience in financial inclusion. Max offers a unique combination of academic excellence having a PhD in Economics and International Development by a British university, with microfinance grass roots delivery and industry insight from starting an MFI from scratch and co-founding his own FinTech startup.
Max worked with DAI Global as Programme Director leading the implementation of the Mexico Financial Services Prosperity Programme funded by the UK government achieving outstanding results in FinTech regulation, FinTech adoption and digital financial education. He has conducted consulting activities including programme design & implementation, product & business development, institutional assessments and impact evaluations for international donors, microfinance institutions, banks, FinTechs, Think Thanks and INGOs, such as UK-FCDO, Mibanco-Peru, AFIRME Bank-Mexico, ECLOF International, Habitat for Humanity International, C&A Foundation and the UNDP.
Max is an excellent communicator with strong inter-personal skills as well as proven experience in staff development adds critical value to projects. Max is a creative and strategic thinker, enjoying bringing new ideas and creating opportunities to maximise the impact of projects. Max is currently an independent financial inclusion and international development consultant and Co-Head of the European Microfinance Platform’s Action Group “From Research to Practice”. Max is a visiting fellow at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Bath and member of the board of trustees at Deki Microfinance Organisation in Bristol, UK. He speaks Spanish and English.