Jim Prouty

Jim brings over 40 years of international corporate and investment banking experience, 25 of which was gained at Bank of America in Mexico City, LA, New York, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris. Jim was Head of BofA’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Financial Institutions Group overseeing 1100 banking relationships in 50 countries and later Senior Vice President and Head of Continental Europe. After BofA Jim was appointed CEO of the Heller International Group (HIG) the largest SME lender globally operating in 22 countries with 17 Joint Ventures with large international banks. After Heller was sold to GE Capital, Jim founded Eclosion Ltd., which focused on M&A integration.

12 years ago Jim decided to devote his life to using his financial and international skills to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world becoming fully immersed in Microfinance. His first assignment was in Mexico where he was appointed CEO of Microcred. Through the IFC and Accion, Jim then became Chair of Bhartiya Samruddhi Finance Limited (BSFL) in India, one of India’s largest and most successful MFIs founded by Vijay Majahan who is credited with introducing Microfinance to India. Jim also became a Director of its Holding Company BASIX Ltd., a group of 8 livelihood development businesses involved in agriculture, education, healthcare and waste.

While on the BASIX Boards, Jim met Mary Houghton, founder of ShoreBank in Chicago and also a founding member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) and currently on Pandan’s Advisory board. 6 years ago, Jim became the first CEO of GABV’s new, opened-ended Luxembourg based fund called Sustainability-Finance-Real Economies (SFRE). The fund is now operated by Triodos Bank investing globally in sustainability-focused small and medium sized banks that deliver positive social, environmental and economic outcomes in the communities they serve.

Jim has been President of the US Chamber of Commerce in Brussels; President of the American Council of European Chambers of Commerce and Chairman of the United States Trade and Investment Center. He currently holds directorship roles at the Southern Bancorp Inc. (US) and Reliance bank Ltd (London), the Salvation Army’s 130-year-old banking arm.

Jim holds a MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and a BA in Humanities from Brigham Young University