In this episode of the Beverage Report podcast, we are honored to have a conversation with Asli Demirguc-Kunt, a Turkish economist and a non-resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development. Asli is a former chief economist of the Europe and Central Asia Region of The World Bank, where she also served as the Director of Research, Director of Development Policy, and the Chief Economist of the Finance and Private Sector Development Network. She has authored more than 100 research papers and books, and is widely cited and recognized as one of the top women in economics.

We talk to Asli about her role in creating and leading the Global Findex Database, the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. The Global Findex Database provides almost 300 indicators on topics such as account ownership, payments, saving, credit, and financial resilience for 123 economies. The database is used to track progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to inform policy makers, researchers, and practitioners on how to expand access to financial services for individuals and businesses.

We also discuss her research on the impact of financial inclusion on economic development, poverty reduction, and gender equality. We explore how digital financial services, powered by fintech, can lower costs, increase speed, security, and transparency of transactions, and allow for more tailored financial services that serve the poor. We also examine the challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access finance and grow their businesses in developing countries.

This is part one of a two-part interview with Asli Demirguc-Kunt. Stay tuned for part two, where we will delve into some of her other research topics.