Bio

Nena has a long-standing experience in impact investing in emerging markets, change management and innovative financial instruments such as blended finance. She has held several leadership positions in the World Bank Group's private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and in the World Bank. Nena recently transitioned to the humanitarian field and is now working as the Undersecretary General for Global Relationships, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization at International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva. Nena's last role in IFC until August 2020 was the Vice President of Asia and Pacific Region in IFC. In this role, Nena oversaw IFC’s portfolio and new business in all countries in Asia and Pacific, corresponding to a more than a third of corporate activities. Her previous role was the Vice President of Blended Finance, Climate and Partnerships; she was in charge of driving the principles for blended finance among MDBs and IFIs and deploying blended finance instruments, including the new IDA18 Private Sector Window in the poorest countries in the world (low income and fragile). She was also in charge of IFC's climate business strategy and was accountable for delivery of IFC's climate solutions. She oversaw IFC's Partnerships with the UN, WEF, G20/G7 and other MDBs/IFIs and was on the forefront of new joint initiatives including mobilization of private sector financing to deliver on the 2030 SDG agenda. Nena had experience in all business lines of IFC through her previous work as the VP of IFC's Operations, VP of Global Advisory Services and Director of Eastern Europe and Central Asia Department. Nena also worked in the World Bank as the VP of Global Practices and Cross Cutting Solution Areas at the time when those global practices were established. She was in charge of setting up the new operating model for the World Bank including recruitment of the leadership for the global practices. Nena has an MBA from London Business School.