Washington D.C, March 26, 2025 – The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), which enhances market transparency and combats financial crime through the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) has joined the SME Finance Forum as the global membership network’s latest affiliate. The 300+ members/affiliates of the Forum are SME financing experts operating in 190 countries who share the common goal of expanding access to finance to small businesses worldwide through knowledge exchange and innovation.
"SME Finance Forum proudly welcomes the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), which enhances market transparency and combats financial crime through the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier. It is with great pleasure I welcome GLEIF to SME Finance Forum, as their efforts will help SMEs gain access to reliable legal entity data, improve their credibility, and facilitate easier access to global markets and financial services," said Qamar Saleem, Head of SME Finance Forum.
GLEIF is being established by the Financial Stability Board of G20 as a non-for-profit Swiss foundation to manage the Global LEI System. The system is being overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC), a group of more than 65 financial markets regulators and other public authorities and 19 observers from more than 50 countries.
“Our vision is One Global Identity Behind Every Business, and our mission are Empowering global trust and transparency through open, digital and reliable organizational identity services. By partnering with the SME Finance Forum, we aim to leverage our expertise to support SMEs in achieving greater transparency and trust, ultimately enhancing their ability to thrive in the global economy,” said Alexandre Kech, CEO of the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation.
SME Finance Forum: Innovation & Partnership for MSMEs Growth
The SME Finance Forum, backed by G20 and IFC/World Bank, is the leading global network of 300+ members/affiliates operating in 190 countries. Network comprises of SME focused institutions providing and enabling finance and services- banks, non-banks financial institutions, fintech, payment platforms, development institutions, credit guarantee companies, insurers, investment funds, supply chain linked players, banking and SME associations, policy advocates, regulators, academia, consulting houses, knowledge aggregators.
Our member, affiliates, and associated stakeholders benefit from learning/replicating best practices from across the world, innovating new products for business growth, acquiring risk mitigation tools, establishing partnerships, attracting investors, and being recognized amongst a peer group of global innovators. Our products consist of “members only” solutions (like innovation hubs, solutions clinics, peer group networks, study tours, specialized tools and trainings, member portal repository, partnered initiatives) as well as public good services (200+ publications library, 500+ videos, webinars, newsletters, trainings, annual awards, annual event etc.)
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About Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF)
Established by the Financial Stability Board in June 2014, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) is a not-for-profit organization created to support the implementation and use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and its digital counterpart the verifiable LEI (vLEI). GLEIF is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
GLEIF’s mission is to manage a network of global partners to provide trusted services and open, reliable data for unique legal entity identification worldwide. GLEIF makes available the technical infrastructure to provide, via an open data license, online access to the full global LEI database free of charge to users. GLEIF is overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee, which is made up of representatives of public authorities from across the globe.
Diversity and inclusion underpin GLEIF’s values. This is reflected in its workforce of approximately 60 staff from over 20 nations, its operational excellence, and its commitment to open, global participation in the Global LEI System.
For more information, visit the GLEIF website at https://www.gleif.org/en.
Source:
Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation, St. Alban-Vorstadt 12, 4052 Basel, Switzerland
Chair of the Board: Teresa Glasser, CEO: Alexandre Kech
Commercial-Register-No.: CHE-200.595.965, VAT-No.: CHE-200.595.965MWST
LEI: 506700GE1G29325QX363
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