Peter Zetterli is CGAP’s Green Lead, spearheading the organization’s work on the intersection of financial inclusion and environmental concerns. This critical body of work focuses on using inclusive finance to support sustainability by developing more environmentally relevant solutions for underserved clients and the financial institutions that serve them. As extreme weather and natural disasters increase the risks and costs of serving people living in poverty, CGAP's aim is to ensure that progress on financial inclusion isn't lost. Additionally, we seek to make global sustainability finance more inclusive and accessible, empowering vulnerable communities to develop their own strategies for how to respond and build resilience.
Peter previously led CGAP’s work on the future of financial services, including focused on understanding what new business models are emerging thanks to technology innovation and how to harness it for broader and better financial access. He and his team has published extensively on the transformative potential of fintech, platforms, and digital banking models as well as the unbundling and embedding of financial services at cgap.org/fintech.
Before that, Peter managed CGAP’s work on inclusive payment ecosystems in Africa, where he lived for a decade. This included working with regulators to create enabling environments and with providers to find commercially viable business models that meet the needs of the poor. He had a particular focus on mobile money regulation, rural agent networks, and merchant payments, around which Peter created a digital handbook with practical guidance for providers.
Before joining CGAP, Peter spent seven years with the United Nations promoting financial inclusion and private sector development in Sierra Leone and China, where he managed the UNDP microfinance program and tried to jumpstart Chinese mobile financial services through a high-level partnership with Ericsson as early as 2008.
Peter has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Development Economics from Lund University in Sweden. He speaks four languages, including French and Mandarin.