Mr. Thomas Gibson
President
Institute for SME Finance
1717 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 503
Washington, DC 20036
USA

Tom Gibson has been both a pioneer and a leader in the area of non-asset-based investment for SMEs. Mr. Gibson is former chairman and a current director of the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF), formerly the CARE Small Business Assistance Corporation (CARESBAC). As founding president of SEAF, he had primary responsibility for SEAF's design, development, and formation. SEAF is a Washington-based, international development finance organization which manages locally operating SME investment funds in more than a dozen countries. SEAF provides equity and quasi-equity financing to SMEs in the range of USD 100,000 to USD 1,000,000, complemented by intensive business assistance. At the time of his departure from operational responsibilities at SEAF, SEAF was managing 12 funds, had capital commitments of approximately US $120 million under management, and had made more than 150 SME equity investments.

Mr. Gibson is a frequent speaker at international forums, seminars, and business schools on SME development and venture capital for developing countries. During the past year, on behalf of the Institute, he has been active as an advisor in assisting the establishment or operations of SME funds worldwide in diverse venues including India, Oman, Armenia, Central Asia, and Haiti. He has worked in more than 50 countries, on 5 continents, and has performed in-depth interviews and/or preliminary investment analysis on more than 500 SMEs.

Mr. Gibson has served as chairman of the Bulgaria-America Society, on the advisory boards of Development Finance Services Inc., EcoVentures, Inc., and the Environmental Enterprises Assistance Fund, as well as on the executive committees of the Virginia Discovery Museum and the Bandit Theater Company in New York. He holds a B.A. from the University of the South; an M.A. from the University of Virginia.