Robert Annibale is a leading figure in the world of microcredit. As Citigroup’s top microfinance expert, he represents the global bank at gatherings around the world.
Annibale joined Citibank in 1982 and since then has held a number of senior treasury, risk and corporate positions around the globe. In 2005, he was named global director of Citi Microfinance division, which focuses on developing commercial relationships with microfinance institutions, networks and investors around the globe. This department is active in more than 40 countries and works with more than 100 microfinance institutions worldwide.
Born and raised in New York, Annibale earned a degree in history and political science from Vassar College as well as a master’s in African history from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. In addition to his financial expertise, Annibale also has experience in academic and governmental circles, serving on the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Africa Policy Group, and the boards of the University of London, Institute of Commonwealth Studies and St. Anthony’s College Center for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University.
In September 2009, Annibale spoke at the Encuentro Centroamericano de Microfinanzas in San Salvador, El Salvador. Devex caught up with Annibale at the conference, and he discussed Citibank’s role in the microfinance world, the impact of the recession on microfinance globally, and trends in Citibank’s collaboration with local microfinance institutions.
