Dr Leon Perlman is an expert consultant and researcher on Digital Financial Services, emerging payments, payment systems, telecommunications, big data, and the blockchain, crypto currencies, concentrating on commercial, technical, legal and regulatory aspects of these ecosystems.
His experience is in developed and developing markets, and consults widely to amongst others, central banks, DFS service providers, payment service providers, MNOs, regulators, the World Bank, CGAP, ITU, UNCDF, CGAP, IFC and major donors.
He currently chairs the ITU DFS Focus Group’s Workgroup on Technology, Innovation and Competition, and is also the founder and director of the new DFS Observatory at Columbia University Business School funded
by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, exploring the policy, regulatory, technical, disruptive and commercial aspects of DFS, emerging payments, big data, and the crypto-economy.
A former scientist and successful entrepreneur, he has been in the telecommunications, payments and micro-payments industry for over 25 years. His experience is in over 20 countries.
He was founder and elected chairman of the mobile industry association, WASPA, in South Africa for 10 years.
He holds the degrees BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc, BProc, LLB (JD), and LLD (PhD), and is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships. His doctorate in DFS commercialization and regulation was the world’s first on the subject.
