Ed Siegel, Fund Advisor joined SBI in 1996 when he went to Romania to help start up the Small and Medium Loan Program of the Romanian-American Enterprise Fund (RAEF). After RAEF bought a controlling interest in one of the partner banks in the loan program, Mr. Siegel was assigned to head up a new Planning and Development Group at the bank.

As Senior Advisor to bank management on behalf of RAEF he helped to design and implement a new business strategy and major organizational restructuring. From 2000-2002, Mr. Siegel started-up and oversaw three new SME lending programs through Romanian banks financed by the EBRD and the EU. Under SBI management, these programs disbursed over $75 million in small business loans.

Under a grant from USAID, Mr. Siegel conceived and helped to start-up and manage Romania's first mortgage finance company, Domenia Credit.