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

Since June 2013, Barry has been collaborating with Cenfri on its retail payments thematic area and has been part of the Making Access Possible (MAP) diagnostic team in Swaziland, Mozambique and Malawi, among others. In the process, he has gained detailed knowledge of the financial, regulatory and supply-side landscapes, national payments systems and emerging payment-related initiatives in the different jurisdictions.

He also involved in the focus group on digital financial services at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva, tasked with formulating international guidelines for digital financial services, including interoperability, financial ecosystems, consumer protection and technology, innovation and competition.

Barry started his career in the insurance industry and moved on to the banking industry – with significant exposure to payment systems, wholesale and consumer banking (as head of consumer banking operations in South Africa, for an international bank). He has a particular interest in the development and regulation of digital payment instruments and currencies, with an emphasis on the human rights impact of financial regulation. He is also a legal adviser by profession.