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What I didn’t expect was how closely my next chapter would mirror the Bank’s evolving priorities. Consultancy work gave me the freedom to explore new sectors and geographies, and almost immediately my work took me to East Africa – a region that is well outside the EBRD’s traditional footprint but which is grappling with challenges that felt familiar.
My focus there quickly turned to affordable housing – an area where the need is urgent and solutions complex.
I worked on projects designed to increase access to housing for growing urban populations, balancing commercial viability with social impact. Only later did I reflect on the irony: as the EBRD now sharpens its focus on affordable housing in its 2025-29 strategy and enters sub-Saharan Africa, I realise this work is more relevant to the Bank’s mission than ever.
That East Africa chapter was memorable for other reasons too. On my first trip, I became so absorbed in understanding the market and meeting stakeholders that I forgot to look up and appreciate where I was. It wasn’t until my last day, with bags packed and almost ready to check out of the hotel, that I confessed I hadn’t seen any of the region’s famed wildlife. The local team rallied, arranging a whirlwind visit to Nairobi National Park, where I spotted everything except the lion. They even orchestrated a photo opportunity with members of the Maasai – a generous gesture that left me with lasting memories and one of my favourite photos.
Just as I was settling into this new rhythm, the EBRD came calling. Would I consider returning, this time to head the Bank’s North American Representative Office?
It was an unexpected full-circle moment and a chance to represent the EBRD on the other side of the Atlantic.
Explaining the Bank’s unique model (“no, we’re not the World Bank”) became a regular part of my elevator pitch. But the role also provided a unique vantage point to engage with investors, partners and policymakers in ways I hadn’t before.
What struck me most was how central capital markets had become to the EBRD’s work – a thread that continues in my current role.
Since completing that assignment in 2021, I’ve embraced a portfolio career of board roles, advisory work and exploring how private capital can drive development. As part of this new portfolio, I’m a Technical Director to MOBILIST, a UK government funded initiative focused on mobilising private investment into public markets – a mission not far from the EBRD’s own emphasis on deepening capital markets as a path to sustainable growth.
If there’s a theme to this journey, it’s that careers, like institutions, evolve in ways we rarely predict. The issues that defined the EBRD’s early years in real estate now take new shape in affordable housing. The Bank’s historic focus on building markets now extends to global conversations about mobilising private capital into public markets. Not to mention the fact that the Bank is now embarking on its own sub-Saharan adventure.
I never did spot that lion. But, as with any good journey, it’s the chase that keeps things interesting – and the reminder that there’s always more to do.