Maria Hermida

April 2022 - Bridge Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria Hermida as General Counsel at Accion.

Accion is a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world, with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing, catalyzing financial service providers to deliver high-quality, affordable solutions at scale for the three billion people who are left out of - or poorly served by - the financial sector.

As General Counsel, Maria will oversee all legal areas of Accion’s work, spanning investments, partnerships, and operations.

“Maria brings valuable experience in compliance, legal risk management, and investments, which will be crucial to Accion as we identify and grow new ways to reach the underserved in emerging markets,” said Michael Schlein, CEO and President of Accion. “I’m thrilled that Maria will bring her passion for financial inclusion to the team as we navigate new initiatives to empower vulnerable people, helping them to create a more resilient future.”

Prior to joining Accion, Maria served as Chief Compliance Officer for anti-bribery and corruption, legal, conduct risk and regulatory remediation programs for the United Services Automobile Association (USAA. Previously, she was the Global Chief Ethics Officer for Citigroup and the General Counsel for Citigroup Women & Co., a multi-channel platform that served the financial planning needs of women. She also served as Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Royal Alliance Associates, the AIG wealth management network.

She holds a bachelor’s in finance from the New York University Stern School of Business and a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law.