Accion Promotes Kevin Saunders to General Counsel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Accion announced today the appointment of Kevin Saunders as General Counsel. Saunders had previously served as Accion's Deputy General Counsel and interim General Counsel.

"I've had the chance to work closely with Kevin on a number of complex issues over several years and I have a very high regard for his thoughtful advice and judgment," said Accion President and CEO Michael Schlein. "Kevin has a deep understanding of our work and the complex environments in which we operate.  I'm excited to work with Kevin in his new role."

Kevin joined Accion in 2007 and was promoted to Deputy General Counsel in 2013. Throughout his tenure with Accion, he has provided essential guidance on many different aspects of the organization's work advancing inclusive finance. He has served as the primary counsel for the more than 30 Accion Venture Lab and Frontier transactions and investments in bold, disruptive fintech startups; helped close Accion Investments in Microfinance, SPC; coordinated the capital raise and restructuring that improved and expanded Accion's microfinance work in China; led Accion's investment in Myanmar's DAWN; and served as the Secretary to Accion's Board of Directors.

Outside of Accion, Kevin has taught a class on financial inclusion at Boston University School of Law since 2010, and is a founding member of the Impact Investing Legal Working Group. He serves on InsideNGO's Legal Advisory Council and is active in the NGO Counsel Forum. Most recently, Kevin has been invited to participate in a United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Working Group. 

Prior to joining Accion, Kevin served as a law clerk with Boston University's Office of General Counsel, a private law firm, the international health non-profit Partners in Health, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services. He had also provided legal services to veterans and homeless individuals and conducted research with the International Consortium for Law and Development. Kevin holds a B.A. and M.A. from Arkansas State University, and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.  He is a member of the bar of the state of Massachusetts. 

About Accion

Accion is a global nonprofit dedicated to building a financially inclusive world with economic opportunity for all, by giving people the financial tools they need to improve their lives. We are building the next generation of top-tier microfinance institutions, and over more than 50 years have helped build 65 such institutions in 32 countries on four continents that today reach millions of clients. Our impact investing initiatives are pushing beyond microfinance to catalyze more than 30 innovative start-ups dedicated to improving the efficiency, reach, and scope of financial services for the poor. And our Center for Financial Inclusion is helping to build a stronger industry with high standards and broad engagement. Currently, our work spans nearly two dozen countries, including the U.S., where we are the nation's largest nonprofit microfinance network. For further information, visit http://www.accion.org.

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