From Safeguarding Standards to Sustainable Investing: Development Finance in the Private Sector
For the last 70 years, governments around the world have created Development Finance Institutions ("DFIs") and Multilateral Development Banks ("MDBs") to promote economic growth and support social development, either through the public sector or the private sector.
In this roundtable, we will focus on the DFIs' and MDBs' support to the private sector, where DFIs and MDBs provide credit, equity investment, E&S guidance, and technical assistance programs to SMEs and larger private corporations not sufficiently served by private banks or local capital markets. In doing so, DFIs and MDBs play a critical role in directly financing investments needed to realize the Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") and human rights and promote strategic sectors of the economy. Among these sectors are agriculture, international trade, tourism, infrastructure, and green industries.
Coming from the most significant MDB (the World Bank) and the newest and smallest DFI (FinDev Canada), the three participants in today's session will introduce their career experiences in development finance from investment transactions and sustainability and safeguarding standards.
With the participation of FinDev Canada. Reception to follow.
John G. Graham, Principal Industry Specialist – IFC/World Bank
John G. Graham is a Principal Industry Specialist with the Global Transport Group of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). As a Principal Industry Specialist, Mr. Graham leads business development efforts including the origination, structuring, negotiation and execution of debt and equity transactions in the emerging markets infrastructure space. His transaction experience includes extensive work on sectors such as roads, mass transit, ports, airports, and, more recently electric vehicle deployment. His remit with the IFC includes working with private sector clients as well as public authorities seeking to expand their transportation infrastructure networks. Previous to his work at IFC, Mr. Graham was Division Chief of Infrastructure at the Structured & Corporate Finance Department of the Inter-American Development Bank.
Mr. Graham, a United States national, is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese. Mr. Graham holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Chitralekha Deopersad, Senior Advisor, Environmental and Social Risk Management – FinDev Canada
Chitralekha Deopersad is one of FinDev Canada’s Advisor for Environmental & Social Risks, working to identify, monitor and mitigate non-financial risk throughout the lifetime of its investments. Before joining FinDev Canada, she was an environmental and social officer for IDB Invest based in the Jamaica Country Office. She worked with private sector clients in Latin America and the Caribbean on environmental protection requirements (environmental, social, health and safety) in support of project assessment and compliance with local and international standards. She was also involved in climate change mitigation and disaster risk management and adaptation to private sector projects. In her previous capacity, she supported the public sector within the IDB Climate Change and Sustainability Division in the Bahamas Country Office. Chitralekha was also an environmental/coastal scientist in Trinidad and Tobago for several years and holds a master's degree in coastal engineering and management from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.
Angel Bohorquez Colombo, Senior Investment Officer - FinDev Canada
Angel Bohorquez Colombo originates and structures debt and equity transactions throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa in sustainable infrastructure and clean energy. Angel brings over 10 years of emerging markets debt and equity investment experience.
Before joining FinDev Canada, Angel was an Associate on the Infrastructure Investment team at CDPQ, where he was part of the Latin America equity investment team and participated in equity investment transactions in the transportation sector. Previously, he worked at PSP Investments and at IDB Invest, where he participated in equity and debt transactions in renewable energies and transportation.
Angel holds a MBA from McGill University and a law degree and business degree from the University Pablo de Olavide (Spain).
