H.M. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), received the 2021 Financial Health Visionary Award at today’s EMERGE Financial Health conference. Financial Health Network presents the award annually to individuals demonstrating leadership in building a more accessible and inclusive financial system, and who seek to inspire and encourage the next generation of leaders to innovate new solutions for the financially underserved.
Queen Máxima was chosen for her work as the Special Advocate promoting inclusive financial systems and raising awareness for the responsible development and usage of financial services—notably among underserved groups such as the poor, women, smallholder farmers and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. The UNSGSA has a history of highlighting the importance of financial health in her advocacy.
This includes starting a cross-industry working group examining how to scale up financial health efforts globally. It aims to establish a shared vision and direction for developing financial health to ensure people are able to meet day-to-day needs, be resilient against shocks, make plans for the future and feel confident about their finances. The Financial Health Working Group was launched in December 2020.
Jennifer Tescher, President and CEO of Financial Health Network, presented the award to Queen Máxima. She was joined by Dan Schulman, President and CEO of PayPal, who was the recipient of the inaugural award in 2018, for a fireside Q&A with the UNSGSA.
Watch the full session here on YouTube.