ACCION Names Cathy Quense Chief Deputy and Chief Administrative Officer

Microfinance Pioneer Creates New Position to Facilitate Global Growth; Names Former CFO to Role BOSTON, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- ACCION(R) International, a pioneer andleader in microfinance, today announced that it has appointed CatherineQuense to the newly-created position of Chief Deputy and ChiefAdministrative Officer. Ms. Quense, a senior vice president of thenonprofit organization, formerly served as ACCION's chief financialofficer, a position she held since 1996. The creation of the Chief Deputy position reflects the growing demandsof ACCION's rapid expansion, whose partner network now operates in 25countries, providing three million active clients with microfinance --small working capital loans and other financial services to assist the poorin working their way out of poverty. As Chief Administrative Officer, Cathywill be responsible for business and support services for operations. "ACCION's ambitious new strategic plan and expanding operations in WestAfrica, India and China demand a larger and deeper executive team, andsomeone to serve as the right hand of the organization," said Maria Otero,ACCION president and CEO. "Cathy is just that person." Ms. Quense joined ACCION in 1985, and holds a Master of PublicAdministration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School ofGovernment and a B.A. in Latin American studies from Yale University. Bridgestar, an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, a nonprofitconsulting arm of Bain & Co., is conducting the search for the ACCION CFOposition. About ACCION ACCION International is a private, nonprofit organization with themission of giving people the financial tools they need -- microenterpriseloans, business training and other financial services -- to work their wayout of poverty. A world pioneer in microfinance, ACCION was founded in 1961and issued its first microloan in 1973 in Brazil. ACCION International'spartner microfinance institutions today are providing loans as low as $100to poor men and women entrepreneurs in 25 countries in Latin America, Asia,Africa and the United States. In the last decade alone, ACCION partnershave disbursed more than 17.9 million loans totaling more than $12.3billion; 97 percent of the loans have been repaid. Selected for the fifthconsecutive year for its pioneering approaches to poverty alleviation,ACCION was among 45 organizations awarded the 2008 Social Capitalist Awardby Fast Company Magazine/Monitor Group. ACCION has also been awardedCharity Navigator's highest rating -- four stars -- for efficiency andsound fiscal management. For more information, visit http://www.accion.org. ACCION(R) is a registered trademark of ACCION International.