New York-based Irish businessman Michael Madden updated us this week on his investments around the world.

Microfinance is Madden's speciality, via a Dublin company called Ronoc, but he has interests in other sectors. The Tipperaryman had success in Russia as founding chief executive of Renaissance Capital.

His other claim to fame is having registered the American Express name in Russia with a certain Vladimir Putin, head of foreign business registrations of St Petersburg at the time.

There was good news for Madden and Ronoc recently in Mongolia, where TenGer Financial Group secured a new investor, Orix Corporation of Japan. TenGer is 10.15 per cent owned by Ronoc and comprises a number of entities including XacBank, a microfinance group that Madden hopes will become a "fully-fledged" commercial bank.

In the UK, Madden has taken 100 per cent ownership of executive search firm Wrightson Wood, having previously held a quarter share. He plans to offer a “broader service”, targeting the banking, cards and payment sectors, particularly for emerging markets.

Ronoc set up a base in Burma in January to offer advisory services to investors. It is also got an investment in a business in Dubai and a minority shareholding in a firm he compares to Moneysupermarket.com.

When does he sleep?