Chief Operating Officer

Stefan Grundmann is responsible for the performance and operations of all departments and subsidiaries within FINCA International, including BrightLife.

He has a strong track record of innovation and entrepreneurship in the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. Prior to becoming COO, Stefan served as the President and CEO of BrightLife, a social enterprise in Uganda that provides last-mile distribution and end-user financing for basic service products, including solar home systems, improved cookstoves and productive use assets. Before that, he worked closely with the FINCA International President and CEO on organizational strategy and planning, FINCA Ventures and BrightLife.

Earlier in his career, Stefan worked for Population Services International (PSI), managing a ~$40M portfolio of projects funded by USAID, DFID, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Global Fund, among others. In 2010, Stefan co-founded a sustainable waste management company in Washington, DC that specialized in turning organic “waste” into high-grade nitrogen-rich compost. While in graduate school, Stefan was a Summer Associate for BIMA Mobile in Indonesia, a graduate intern for Omidyar Network’s Financial Inclusion team in Washington, DC, and consulted with The World Cocoa Foundation.

Stefan holds a master’s degree in Global Human Development from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with a focus on private sector development and social enterprises. He also holds a BA in African Studies from Dartmouth College.