S2 EP4 - How Vision Fund is Building Client Resilience through Inclusive Insurance with Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director for Inclusive Insurance

In Episode 4 of the series, we meet Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director of Insurance at VisionFund International. Solène shares VFI's experience designing and scaling inclusive insurance across Africa, Asia, and Latin America — covering what they've learned about co-creating trusted products with insurers and communities, and why partnership is key to building resilience for microfinance borrowers and NGO beneficiaries alike.Key Topics DiscussedSolène's journey from public health to leading microinsurance in global marketsHow VisionFund bundles insurance with microcredit across 25 countries and 1 million borrowersWhy health remains the top priority risk, even where national health schemes existClimate and agricultural insurance products for farming communitiesCo-creation: listening to beneficiaries and field staff to design products that workStart simple, iterate fast, and don't be afraid to change the productSustainable partnerships between insurers, MFIs, and NGOsAbout Our GuestSolène Podevin Favre has been Global Director of Insurance for VisionFund International since 2019, supporting MFIs in setting up insurance operations for borrowers and families. She is also a board member of the Microinsurance Network. Before VFI, she founded and led the first microinsurance company in Cambodia (Prévoir), reaching 300,000 policies with a team of 147. She also ran a microinsurance programme for slum dwellers in Maharashtra, India, and worked on Cambodia's National Social Security design. Solène holds a postgraduate degree in Public Health from EHESP.Links for Further ReadingVisionFund Insurance: visionfund.org/our-focus/insuranceAbout Our SponsorCGAP is a global partnership of more than 40 development organizations working to advance the lives of people living in poverty through financial inclusion. Housed at the World Bank, it works at the frontier of inclusive finance to test solutions, spark innovation, generate evidence, and share insights. As a global public good, its independent research and analysis is available to all.Follow CGAP on LinkedIn or subscribe to its newsletter.Connect With UsDon't miss the remaining episodes of Series 2! Subscribe to Financial Inclusion Unlocked on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.Join the conversation on LinkedIn at Financial Inclusion Unlocked for video highlights, insights, and updates.Financial Inclusion Unlocked is produced by SIJ Media and hosted by Jack Farren.