Fullerton Myanmar: Delivering financial inclusion through social impact and technology

• Main Authors: THOMAS, Howard, SORIANO, Miguel
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
• Subjects: microfinance institution; Myanmar; scaling up; social impact; financial inclusion; technological innovation; Asian Studies; Finance; Finance and Financial Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/213; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/3541
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This case is set in 2017, three years after Fullerton Myanmar (FFMCL), a microfinance institution (MFI) in Myanmar, was founded by Fullerton Financial Holdings, a Singapore-based firm that invests and operates financial institutions in Asian emerging markets. Since its inception, FFMCL has been able to establish itself as one of the top five MFIs in Myanmar in terms of loans outstanding, despite numerous challenges related to the country's limited infrastructure, competition from other MFIs, the dispersion of the population and the difficulty in reaching rural communities. To achieve its mission of "Enabling Success, Enriching Lives", FFMCL has demonstrated tremendous growth in providing loans to microenterprises in Myanmar through the use of technology. The company has established an ambitious growth plan of expanding coverage fivefold in the next five years, and its leadership is pondering what is the best strategy it should follow to achieve this plan. Given the advances in technology as it relates to mobile financial services and big data analytics, what role does technology play in FFCML's plan, and what strategy should the company follow to achieve its plan? This case offers students the chance to explore the underlying dynamics of the microfinance sector in Myanmar, and understand the process of planning and setting up a new microfinance business in Myanmar. In addition, they can study the strategy that MFIs could follow in order to scale their operations in a competitive market, and recommend ways for MFIs to scale while helping the poor. Finally, it would also provide an opportunity to explore the role of technology in the microfinance sector.