US Team

Greg is a serial social entrepreneur and founder of SPBD microfinance network, the leading microfinance institution in south pacific. In this Venture, he has financed over $165 million to micro-enterprises and provided training over 80000 women entrepreneurs in countries like Samoa, Tonga, FIJI, the Soloman island, and Vanuatu. He is also the founder of MicroDreams, a microfinance acceleration fund and Transformative Ventures LLC, a Microfinance advisory company.

He was named “Person of the Year” in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa for his work in empowering poor families in that country; was honoured to be a United Nations Global Advisor for its International Year of Microfinance, and was awarded the “Singapore Global Social Entrepreneur” Prize and the first-ever “Colgate Impact Award” by his alma mater Colgate University.

Greg also served as a director on several impact-industry boards including the International Association of Microfinance Investors (of NY), Microfinance Pasifika (of Fiji), Planet Finance (of Paris), and Plebys (of Irvine, CA) a “Base of the Pyramid” investment fund. Before these ventures, he recorded significant achievements with Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Company in product development, manufacturing, and financial management positions. He led teams in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, and while with Mazda was honoured to be the youngest-ever Buchou (Division General Manager) of any major Japanese company. Greg began his professional career as an external public auditor with Coopers and Lybrand in New York City.

He speaks extensively at conferences and universities around the world on the topics of microfinance, social entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and impact investing. He is the author of five business case studies about the work of SPBD (Harvard Business School, Kennedy School of Government, and Kelley School of Business at Indiana University). He also promotes hi-tech entrepreneurship and was a founding director of the Ice Angels, Australasia’s largest angel investor group, and serves as Chairman/Director of three New Zealand software firms: Biomatters Ltd, Cumulo9 Ltd and English-To-Go Ltd.

Greg has an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg School at North western University, an MS in Accounting from NYU Stern, and a BA with Honours in Economics from Colgate University. Greg is also a CPA and a member of MENSA.

In James’ words, “When we start to work with you, it’s all about foundations. We’re putting the essentials in place, in your mind and in your business, so you’re equipped to pursue ambitious targets for growth.”

James started his career in 1999, at the peak of the internet bubble with Montgomery Securities – an investment bank in San Francisco known as a tech and banking powerhouse. He was soon generating millions for clients through institutional equity sales, by spotting opportunities and reviewing the advice of
over 60 analysts. Post that James had switched coasts to join the new Wall Street office of Banc Of America Securities as Vice president. Here, he generated $8 Million in annual sales, much of it through his relationships with hedge and mutual funds. He also leveraged primary and secondary capital markets, selling IPOs to a client base of Wall Street investors.

In 2008, James moved into consultancy – specializing in private equity with Grassroots Capital, then asset management with BlueOrchard Finance. He was responsible for raising capital, as well as building portfolios and holding company models – with a strong focus on microfinance.

In 2009, he made the switch from investments to the corporate world holding a position of CFO for SPBD – a microfinance network in the South Pacific. He launched and operated micro-finance banks in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. He also created a holding company based in
Singapore, delivering 600% growth.

In 2014, he set up Vanreusel Ventures: a team of CFO consultants and financial analysts, working with forprofit and non-profit clients headquartered in the US with extensive international operations.The result is a framework to see the business through the early years, in readiness for its first full-time CFO

James is a graduate in Mathematics and accounting from University of Kent and MBA in finance & Marketing from Rice University Business school Texas

Boyu comes to us from an analyst background, after a 3-year career with Lion Raisins Corp. He spent this time developing models for valuing stock on behalf of investors – drawing on income comparisons, revenue trends, profit analysis and more.

Now he brings all these talents to bear as part of the Vanreusel team. Through trend analysis, modelling and data management, he keeps our financial models aligned with movement in the markets. Then for clients, he builds sales and revenue forecasts to factor risk and reward into the decision process

Boyu studied for a BA in Economics at Syracuse University, then a Master of Science in Finance at University of Maryland College Park.