Faisel has worked in the field of financial exclusion for 20 years. Initially with the Grameen Bank and World Bank in Bangladesh, for the last 17 years he has focused his work in the UK and Europe.

In 2000 he set up one of the UK’s first microcredit programs in London’s East End, and in 2005 launched Fair Finance: a social enterprise tackling financial exclusion in the UK. During this time Faisel has been the elected President of the European Microfinance Network (2010-15) and a columnist at the Guardian Newspaper on issues of financial exclusion. In 2007 he was made an Ashoka Fellow and in 2009 was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

He received an OBE from the Queen for services to Community Finance in 2014, and in 2015 was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East London for his work in helping thousands of families escape the poverty trap. In 2019 was made an Honorary Fellow of Social Enterprise UK for his contribution to shaping, guiding and championing the UK’s social enterprise sector.