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I first learned of IFC while working for a small investment services firm in Ghana. At the time, I had a strong interest in business and finance as well as international development but did not know how I could marry the two. After meeting several people from multilateral organizations such as IFC and seeing the potential for a career in development finance, I decided that I would pursue a dual master's degree in business and international development.
I joined IFC after graduate school in 1999, and since then my work at IFC continues to offer me a challenge: how can IFC demonstrate that the benefits of private sector development can be shared with even the poorest of the countries in which we do business? I am confident that IFC is well positioned to do this. And as an Investment Officer in the Oil, Gas, Chemicals and Mining Department, I feel that I can have an impact in meeting this challenge.
I am often asked to describe what I do as an investment officer. The best way for me to describe it is project management. As an investment officer, I am responsible for managing a process that involves a disparate team of lawyers, engineers, specialists in insurance, environmental and social matters, regional managers, and so on. The process is akin to creating a product that a team develops from the conceptual stage to booking of an asset in the IFC portfolio. It is an exciting process that relies heavily on the contribution of each team member. And while it can be time consuming and frustrating, it is incredibly challenging and rewarding. We see our projects come to fruition and often have a direct role in improving the potential for a positive developmental impact on environment, community relations, corporate governance, and any other number of areas.
Our stakeholders, the communities in which our projects operate, governments, NGOs, clients, and others, take a keen and often critical interest in our activities. From my perspective, this attention ensures that we continue to improve the way we do business, and I am proud to be a part of that process. | 