MicroVest, a global impact investing asset management firm with USD368 AUM, has appointed Sonya Sbar as Managing Director of Business Development, effective 2 October 2018.
Sbar brings a wealth of industry knowledge and extensive business development experience to MicroVest. She will be responsible for leading strategic growth efforts for the firm.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sonya to our team at a very exciting time,” says MicroVest CEO Gil Crawford. “Sonya’s breadth of experience, particularly in product management and strategy, will play a crucial role in helping us meet our ambitious growth goals. She has worked across the spectrum of business development and is the ideal person to foster synergies between our sales, marketing, and product development functions.”
Sbar will manage MicroVest’s business development team and provide strategic direction for the planning and execution of all business development activities. She will oversee capital raising, product development, investor relations and marketing. Sbar comes to MicroVest with a long track record in impact investing, which will enable her team to effectively design products that will resonate with investors. This experience, along with her background in corporate strategy, will be key to the firm’s continued long-term growth.
As leader of the business development team, Sbar will report directly to MicroVest CEO Gil Crawford. She will also be a member of the senior management team and provide input on firm-wide strategy and planning, connecting investor demand with investment opportunities.
“I am excited to join MicroVest at a time when private capital is becoming increasingly important to support the creation of solutions that address social challenges,” says Sbar. “MicroVest has a strong reputation as a leader in impact investing in emerging and frontier markets and a focus on innovation and smart, thoughtful product evolution. This focus has served them well by meeting market needs and creating opportunities for investors. I look forward to working with the team to help advance the strategic vision and grow the company.”
Sbar comes to MicroVest from Solomon Hess Capital Management, where she was Chief Strategy Officer and led efforts to build awareness and increase market share among institutional social impact investors. She focused on diversifying the firm’s client base and revenue streams to accelerate growth. Before that, Sbar spent 13 years at Calvert Investments, one of the early movers in the responsible investing space, first as a Manager/Director and later as Vice President, Product Positioning and Client Support. At Calvert Investments she handled a variety of responsibilities across business, marketing, and product management. She also previously held positions at Capital One and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Sbar holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington University and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
