Michael Schlein

Michael Schlein (b. March 10, 1961) is the President and CEO of Accion, a global microfinance organization. Prior to working at Accion, Schlein served as President of Citigroup’s International Franchise Management.

Education
Schlein holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master’s degree in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1984.

Career
Schlein begin his career in public finance investment banking at Smith Barney, serving as the Chief of Staff to the New York City Deputy Mayor for Finance and Economic Development from 1989-1993. From 1994-1997, Schlein served as Chief of Staff under Chairman Arthur Levitt at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Clinton Administration. Schlein returned to Smith Barney in 1997, working directly for then-CEO Jamie Dimon.

As President of Citigroup’s International Franchise Management from 2007-2009, Schlein supervised the bank’s network of 100 Chief Country Officers.

Schlein joined Accion’s Board of Directors in 2007 and was a member of its Executive Committee. In 2009, following Maria Otero’s departure, Schlein was appointed President and CEO of Accion in September 2009. In addition to his role as President and CEO of Accion, Schlein serves on the Board of Directors for BancoSol in Bolivia and MiBanco in Peru.

Accion
Under Schlein’s leadership, the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion announced a new certification process in February 2011. In April 2012, Schlein initiated the launch of Accion’s Venture Lab, a program that provides seed capital and management support to financial inclusion start-ups. Schlein coordinated the Colombia-based launch of the Avanza pilot program, which aims to increase the efficiency of the microlending process and improve client protection. He also supervised the 2013 launch of Bridge, a financial services company with a focus on provincial banking and social impact in the Philippines.

Awards
In 1995, Mr. Schlein received the Chairman's Award for Excellence.

Personal
Schlein is married to Lisa Jordan Tamagni and resides with his family in Brooklyn, New York.