Boulder Institute of Microfinance

Cerstin Sander is based at KfW Entwicklungsbank with senior responsibilities for financial and private sector initiatives. She manages transactions and projects primarily in Southeastern Europe as well as global deals or projects aimed at financial sector development. This includes securitisations, fund investments or debt transactions, deposit insurance, housing finance, and related institution building to strengthen access to financing and financial services for microentrepreneurs and SMEs. 

Cerstin has worked extensively on money transfer and migrant remittances. Studies include global and Africa regional scoping studies as well as country studies for Moldova, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Her publications on the topic include journal articles (Small Enterprise Development Journal), monographs, chapters, and working papers (World Bank, ILO, and IFAD publications). She was the founding editor of the Migrant Remittances newsletter and served as its editor until 2005. She teaches a module on the subject at the Boulder Microfinance Training in Turin. 

Cerstin has spent her professional career of nearly 20 years working in international development - previously for the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Austrian Development Cooperation in East Africa, the Canadian International Development Research Centre, and as a consultant. She served as the Team Leader of the Private Sector Development Group, OECD/DAC POVNET, in 2005, and as a member of the Private Sector Group in the Uganda budget process, MTEF, in 2001, among other special tasks. Cerstin's assignments in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean & Latin America, and the former Soviet Union have covered microfinance and financial & private sector development, institutional assessment, performance management, and evaluation. Cerstin studied administrative and social sciences and law in Germany and Canada. She holds an M.A. in International Relations from Queen’s University, Canada.