NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Anton Simanowitz is director of Social Performance Solutions. He has been influential since the late 1990s as a practitioner and thought leader in the field of microfinance and social enterprise. He works globally with practitioners, investors, donors, technical assistance providers and policy makers to improve the effectiveness of microfinance and social enterprises in delivering positive social outcomes.

As Director of the Imp-Act Consortium, Simanowitz was instrumental in the development of the Universal Standards in Social Performance management – industry standards widely used in social due diligence, rating, technical assistance and reporting. Most recently he led the design and roll-out to ten countries of a social performance diagnostic and capacity building approach for Dutch social investor Oikocredit. Simanowitz’s in-depth practical experience was gained as Chief Development Officer for the Small Enterprise Foundation, a globally recognised poverty-focused microfinance organization in South Africa, where he spearheaded efforts to re-engineer products and services and develop operational performance and quality control systems that integrate the organization’s social and financial priorities.