Marguerite Robinson, Independent Consultant & Author

Marguerite S. Robinson received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University and served as Professor of Anthropology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Brandeis University before joining the Harvard Institute for International Development (1978-2000). She is now an independent consultant and author. Dr. Robinson has worked extensively in Asia, in rural and tribal areas and among the urban poor. She served for many years as adviser to the Indonesian Ministry of Finance and to Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) on the development of BRI’s microbanking system—now the largest financially self-sufficient microfinance system in the world. She also works in other countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, advising governments, banks, donors, and others, and is the author of many papers and books on development and microfinance. Her most recent books are the first two volumes of a multi-volume book, The Microfinance Revolution, published by the World Bank and Open Society Institute; two additional volumes are in progress. These volumes explore and analyze the demand for microfinance and the history, theories, controversies, practices, and future of the emerging commercial microfinance industry in countries and institutions around the world.