Pete Power

Pete Power (1969 - 2018) was the CEO of Angkor Mikroheranhvatho (Kampuchea) Co. (AMK), the largest microfinance institution in Cambodia in terms of borrower numbers.^[1] AMK currently provides credit to about 300,000 customers or 10% of the households in Cambodia. Power successfully led AMK and its 1,000 staff through the Great Recession and subsequently embarked on a strategic transformation process to change AMK from a rural credit-only organization to a provider of a broad range of financial services, including savings, credit, money transfers, mobile banking, and various other innovative financial services.^[2]

Biography

Power grew up on a dairy farm in Rathgormack, County Waterford, Ireland and attended Rockwell College high school. He was award the first Dermot Harris Memorial Scholarship to the University of Scranton.^[3] Power earned a Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Philosophy from the University of Scranton, followed by an MA in European Integration from the University of Limerick.

In 2002, Power co-founded a speciality consulting and software company, Claritee Group.^[4] Claritee focused on corporate performance management solutions. After building the company to over $3 million in revenue, Power left Claritee in 2005 and joined the NGO sector.^{[citation needed]}

Power worked as the Financial Systems Manager for Concern Worldwide until 2009 when he became Chief Operating Officer at Prosperity Initiative, a private sector development NGO based in Hanoi, Vietnam.^[5] In 2010, Power joined AMK as CEO.^{[citation needed]}

Power was a longtime rugby player, having been associated with Blackthorn Rugby Club for over 20 years.^[6]

Power was a regular conference speaker and media commentator on topics such as Microfinance, Business Technology, Globalization, and Project Management.^{[citation needed]}

Power was Chief Executive Officer of Gorta, where he led their merger with Self Help Africa in 2014.^{[citation needed]}

He died in 2018.^[7]