Michael Smedley, Vice President of Corporate Development for GMS Industries, Specialist in East African Microfinance and Community Development
Michael Smedley currently serves as a consultant in economic development and as Vice President of Corporate Development for GMS Industries. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame business school in Finance and Business Economics. Michael began his finance career in private equity and venture capital. He transitioned to wealth management for endowments, foundations and several National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) of the US Olympic Committee while working for Salomon Smith Barney. During this time he trained for two US Olympic trials (2000 & 2004) in the sport of Triathlon, finishing with the bronze medal in the Sydney Trials and 4th in the Athens Trials held in Hawaii. He has served as President of the US Olympic Athletes Advisory Council and on the Board of Directors for USA Triathlon. He also worked on the Gold Ribbon Task Force for the Olympic Committee in 2004.
Michael began work in the field of international microfinance with HOPE International in 2004 serving as Deputy Director in China and promoted to Regional Director for Asia. He eventually transitioned to Regional Director for HOPE International Operations in Africa. Michael’s work included initiating savings led community development and microfinance banking startups in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. During his tenure in East Africa, he served on the Board of Directors for Urwego Development Bank in Rwanda and oversaw the management of HOPE’s programming in Africa. Michael, his wife Cynthia and young son currently live in South Bend, Indiana, where Cynthia is a program director at the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame.
