Island Finance Forum 2021

Meet our Speakers

Hon. Frank Bainimarama

Prime Minister of Fiji

Frank Bainimarama has been the Fijian Prime Minister since 2007. Under his leadership, Fiji has undergone a broad program of social, economic, electoral and constitutional reforms, leading up to the establishment of Fiji’s first genuine parliamentary democracy of equal votes of equal value in 2014.

The Prime Minister is one of the leading global voices calling on the international community to commit to more ambitious targets to curb the carbon emissions that are warming our planet. Joining his fellow leaders from the Pacific, he is committed to drawing global attention to the impact climate change is having on vulnerable communities, including Pacific Islanders and the residents of other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying areas of the world.

Hon. Frank Bainimarama

Prime Minister of Fiji

Hon. Gaston Browne

Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

During the past eleven years, Browne served as s a senior bank manager with the Swiss American Banking Group managing in excess of $400 million in assets, as Minister of Planning and Trade and Member of Parliament. He is presently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a company involved in construction and land development. Mr. Browne also served as director of several companies including LIAT (1974) Ltd (Aviation), Antigua Pier Group Ltd. Infrastructural Development) and Community Motors Ltd.

Mr. Browne’s motto is “to serve and empower,” a creed by which he lives. This can be seen in his contributions to the empowerment of the people of Point & Villa. He believes in empowerment and is passionately oppose to poverty. MP Browne frequently refers to poverty as the greatest scourge on the planet. Among his achievements at the constituency level are: An EC$30 million Fishery Development Centre, The establishment of a sporting, entertainment and leisure facility at Dredge Bay, An Information Communication Technology Centre in the Point, a Library, Computer Centre at the Villa Primary School and an affordable housing project at Dredge Bay. His achievements during a time of fiscal crisis are remarkable, were as a result of his resolve to succeed and his commitment to serve.

Led by Browne, the ABLP was returned to office in the 12 June 2014 general election after 10 years in opposition, winning 14 out of 17 seats. Browne was sworn in as Prime Minister on 13 June 2014.

Browne successfully led the ABLP to a second consecutive election victory on 21 March 2018. He was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second term on 22 March 2018.

Hon. Gaston Browne

Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

Hon. Bob Loughman Weibur

Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu

A member of the Vanua'aku Pati, he was first elected to Parliament as MP for Tanna in the general election on 6 July 2004. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2012. In March 2013, following a change in government, new Prime Minister Moana Carcasses appointed him Minister for Education.Like other members of the Vanua'aku Pati, he crossed the floor on 15 May 2014 to help bring down the Carcasses government. New Prime Minister Joe Natuman maintained Loughman at his post as Minister for Education. He lost office on 11 June 2015 when the Natuman government was ousted in a motion of no confidence.
Since 2018 he is the leader of the Vanua'aku Pati.
Since 20 April 2020, Loughman has been in office as Prime Minister of Vanuatu.
Hon. Bob Loughman Weibur

Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu

Hon. Curtis Dickinson

Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

Mr. Curtis L. Dickinson was elected to the House of Assembly on June 7, 2018 to represent Constituency 25 – Warwick North East. He is currently employed as the Group Head of Private Banking at Butterfield Bank. He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance. He furthered his studies at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Prior to his return to Bermuda in 2006, Mr. Dickinson worked in the United States and the United Kingdom as an investment banker raising capital for companies in the media & telecommunications and consumer & retail industries with Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation and Wells Fargo Securities. Mr. Dickinson currently serves as the chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board and is a trustee of the Montessori Education Trust. Previously he served as chairman of the Board of Education, deputy chairman of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation and director of the Bermuda Land Development Company.
Hon. Curtis Dickinson

Minister of Finance, Government of Bermuda

Hon. Rui Augusto Gomes

Minister of Finance, Government of Timor-Leste

H.E. Rui A.Gomes was recently appointed asthe Minister of Finance of the VIII Constitutional Government. Minister Gomes was also the Minister of Planning and Finance during the VII Constitutional Government. Prior to this, Minister Gomes was the ChiefofStaff andEconomic Advisor to the then President of Republic, who is the current PM of the VIII Government H.E. General Taur Matan Ruak. Minister Gomes was the Economic Advisor to the current President of Republic H.E. Dr. Francisco Guterres “Lu-Olo” from 2018-2020. Minister Gomes was the Economic Specialist at UNDP Resource Center based in Bangkok and Assistant Country Director ofUNDP Timor-Leste. Most recently, Minister Gomes was the President of the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) Commission within the realm of Covid-19 pandemic upon nomination by H.E. Prime Minister and the ERP was approved by the Council of Ministers. Minister Gomes has over 25 years of experience in working and researching in the areas of economic development, poverty reduction and human development. Minister Gomes earned his PhD in Development Economics from the London South Bank University in London, England, UK.
Hon. Rui Augusto Gomes

Minister of Finance, Government of Timor-Leste

Hon Minister Pearnel Charles

Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Jamaica

Pearnel P. Charles Jr. serves the people of Jamaica as a Senator and the Minister Without Portfolio at the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Charles has specific responsibility for Housing and Water.

He served as the Jamaica Labour Party Deputy Spokesperson for National Security in 2014, advocating for progressive policies to effect sustainable reduction in crime and violence as well as the introduction of innovative technology to support and advance the efforts of the security forces.

Senator Charles is an Attorney-at-Law with qualification to practice law in Jamaica and the United States of America (New York Bar). Throughout his professional career he has served with distinction as a Judicial Clerk, Senior Clerk of Court and Crown Counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Most recently, he served as the Lead Counsel and Managing Attorney of The Law Offices of Pearnel P. Charles Jr., P.A.

Minister Charles earned two honours degrees from the University of the West Indies; a Bachelor of Science (double major in Biochemistry and Zoology) and a Bachelor of Laws.

As a student he distinguished himself as a bold and active leader. Consequently he was elected to several representative positions including President of the Law Society and President of the Guild of Students; the chief voice for the student population and representative to the University Council. For his service he received awards for excellence in leadership and was nominated to the renowned Global Leadership Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders, 2001, US Virgin Islands.

More than a decade ago Senator Charles completed his legal training at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, where he received the Certificate of Legal Education and was awarded the Hon. Mr. Justice Kenneth Smith, O.J. Prize, the Hon. Mrs. Justice Madge Morgan Prize and the Norman Manley Law School prize for Community Service.

He went on to pursue a Master of Laws degree at The George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. where he was awarded the Thomas Buergenthal Scholarship for academic performance.

The son of a politician and registered nurse, Pearnel Charles Jr. was born to serve. His passion for community service is a demonstration of his character as he has participated in several workshops, outreach programs and community development drives geared towards uplifting underserved communities and protecting the most vulnerable. His spirit of volunteerism motivated him to form Impact Productions, a company used to raise funds for sports development projects. He has continued, through other outlets, to serve the interest and welfare of students and his community as a Mooting court judge, motivational speaker and volunteer to voting rights campaigns and immigration clinics.

In his leisure time Senator Charles enjoys music, soccer and reading. He is married with three children and continues to actively participate in community activities.

Hon Minister Pearnel Charles

Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Jamaica

Angella Rainford

CEO and Founder, Soleco Energy

Angella is the founder of Soleco and Rekamniar Frontier Ventures (“Rekamniar”). Rekamniar co-developed one of the largest solar plants in the Caribbean and the largest in Jamaica (51 MWp). Prior to this, Angella worked at Goldman Sachs in the Merchant Banking division (Principal Investment Area) in London and New York.

Prior to joining Goldman, she worked as part of the portfolio team at Sterling Stamos, a private investment management firm specialized in alternative and multi-asset investment solutions. She began her career as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company in New York.

Angella has served as an advisor to Helios Investment Partners, a $3.0 billion private equity fund based in London focused on investments in Africa. She is also served on the Board of Directors for GK Capital Management, the financial advisory and investment arm of the GraceKennedy Group, and currently is a Director of PanJam Investment Limited, GK UK Foods, and JN Money Services, a subsidiary of the Jamaica National Building Society.

Angella holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. She also graduated with a BA (magna cum laude) in Government from Harvard College.

Angella has travelled to >70 countries and lived on 3 continents. She is a keen motorcyclist, classical pianist, and has her private pilot license. She has also climbed 3 of the 7 summits.

Angella Rainford

CEO and Founder, Soleco Energy

Hon Steven Myers

Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Government of Prince Edward Island

Steven Myers was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019. In May 2019, he was appointed Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy.
Steven has served as Leader of the Opposition, Opposition House Leader and as Opposition Critic for Education, Economic Development and Tourism, Transportation, and Rural Development. As Opposition Education Critic, he was instrumental in helping prevent the closure of several schools across Prince Edward, including Georgetown Elementary.
Steven’s community involvement includes Past President of Cardigan Minor Ball and Montague Minor Hockey, Chair of the Cardigan Ball Field Renovations Committee and the 2011 Midget Female Atlantics Host Committee, as well as Board Member of the Cardigan Communities Development Association and the PEI Minor Hockey Council.
Steven has four children, Brad, Luke and twins Mila and Arthur, and lives with his partner Sheryl in Burnt Point.
Hon Steven Myers

Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Government of Prince Edward Island

Sandra Uwantege Hart

Blockchain Innovations & Cash Transfer Lead, Oxfam

Sandra is Rwandan-American and has 10+ of experience in natural disaster response and humanitarian work across the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, West Africa and Southeast Asia, including in microfinance, the UN and INGOs. She is currently the creator and lead of Oxfam’s award-winning UnBlocked Cash Project, the world’s first crypto-enabled digital cash assistance programme, involving and 19 organisations serving over 16,000 people across 3 countries. Sandra is also a panel expert for the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum and a Regional Ambassador to the Pacific for the Global Blockchain Business Council. She is also the co-founder of Emerging Impact, a blockchain for social impact advisory firm.
Sandra Uwantege Hart

Blockchain Innovations & Cash Transfer Lead, Oxfam

Ambassador Solo Mara

Secretary General, Pacific Islands Development Forum

As the Secretary General, Ambassador Mara has overall responsibility for the management and administration of the Pacific Island Development Forum Secretariat to support members through regional leadership, genuine partnerships and innovative mechanisms, reporting to the Governing Council.
Ambassador Solo Mara

Secretary General, Pacific Islands Development Forum

Sharmyn Powell

Chief Risk Officer, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB)

Ms Sharmyn Powell has been employed at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank for the past 24 years and currently holds the position of Chief Risk Officer. She leads the Office of Corporate Strategy and Risk Management with responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, Strategic Plan development and monitoring and Business Continuity Management. Prior to assuming this role, she served in various capacities at the Bank including, Deputy Director, Accounting Department, Director, Currency Management Department and Director, Support Services Management Department. She is the Chairperson of the Bank’s internal Fintech Working Group, which is leading the implementation of the pilot project for the issuance of a block-chain based digital version of the EC Currency.

Ms Powell is a Certified Accountant (ACCA), and also carries the designations of Chartered Director (C. Dir) and Audit Committee Certified (A.C.C).

Sharmyn Powell

Chief Risk Officer, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB)

George Siosi Samuels

Managing Director, Faiā

George Siosi Samuels is the Managing Director of Faia, a consultancy for high-growth startups and communities. He helps entrepreneurs and professionals get back on path by building productive communities. Having been named one of Australia's Top Community Builders by Pause Fast, and featured by the likes of Adobe, Slack, and Foundr, he constantly looks for ways to build communities that last.
Thanks to his diverse career, unique upbringing, and Polynesian roots, George understands the concept of community as a part of his culture. With time, he extended his understanding into a strong concept-driven approach to community building for various startups including Draper Startup House (previously Tribe Theory Startup Hostels), co-working spaces such as Dimension⁵ and Hub Australia, and legal tech firms such as LawAdvisor.
With more than 7 years of experience across SEA and Australia as a community builder, George is a true expert at building communities for ventures and loves motivating people into action.
George Siosi Samuels

Managing Director, Faiā

Jackie Marati

Senior Vice President, Bank of Guam

Jacqueline (“Jackie”) A. Marati is the eldest of the eight children of former Speaker Joaquin C. Arriola and former Senator Elizabeth P. Arriola. She attended Cathedral Grade School and graduated salutatorian from the Academy of Our Lady of Guam in 1972. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Vassar College in 1976, where she was student government secretary from 1975-1976 and class president from 1977-1986.

Marati began her career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City as a Credit Officer and Management Trainee. She moved to San Francisco and after four years became Vice President of the Retail Banking Group at Wells Fargo Bank. She then co-founded EM & T Corporation, a telecommunications and office systems company in which she was director of Administration and Finance, Operations and Sales.

Jackie Marati

Senior Vice President, Bank of Guam

Yabanex Batista

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Caribbean Biodiversity Fund

Yabanex Batista is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund where he oversees operations and development of new initiatives. With over 20 years of experience he has focused his career on international financing institutions and sustainable financing for conservation and development, government relations and policy, and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). He has extensive experience on environmental negotiations, establishment of conservation trust funds and other financial mechanisms, fundraising and resources mobilization, and climate change adaptation and mitigation in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa.

Prior to joining the CBF he worked for GITEC/GIZ (German Government Technical Cooperation Agency) in Mexico, The Nature Conservancy’s International Government Relations Department and Europe Office, the World Bank-GEF Unit, the United States Geological Survey, and IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) in Brazil. He holds an MA in International Relations and Environmental Policy from Boston University.

Yabanex Batista

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Caribbean Biodiversity Fund

Angelique Pouponneau

CEO, Seychelles Conservation & Climate Adaptation Trust

Angelique Pouponneau is CEO of Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, barrister and attorney at law. She is a legal expert in climate change, oceans and global commons. She is a speaker on youth, Blue Economy, Islanders' rights in the face of rising sea levels, climate change, and legal barriers to gender equality.
Angelique Pouponneau

CEO, Seychelles Conservation & Climate Adaptation Trust

Adam Borison

Senior Vice President, Nathan Associates

Dr. Borison, Nathan Senior Vice President, is an internationally recognized consultant, academic, and entrepreneur. He has deep academic qualifications and professional experience in economics, engineering, and mathematics, and more than 30 years of experience applying advanced methods to planning and operations in power, fuels, and transport. He has broad experience across a wide range of geographies, technologies, and applications, with a particular focus on renewable generation and transportation electrification. In recent work, Dr. Borison supported independent wind/solar/battery development; analyzed renewable energy market entry strategies; evaluated EV incentive programs, designed custom transportation electrification rates, and developed country-level electric mobility strategies and roadmaps. His work is described further on Nathan’s transportation electrification webpage: https://www.nathaninc.com/transportation-electrification/
Adam Borison

Senior Vice President, Nathan Associates

Chantal Dagnaud

President, Institutions & Strategies SAS

Chantal Dagnaud is a lawyer in European public law and a consulting engineer in international affairs. She specializes in international project management, public-private co-financing, European grants, and lobbying.
Chantal Dagnaud

President, Institutions & Strategies SAS

Johannes Zutt

Director of the Strategy, Risk, Results and Learning Department at The World Bank

Johannes Zutt became the Director for Strategy, Results, and Risk in the World Bank’s Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS) vice presidency in January 2019.

In this role, Zutt focuses on strengthening the results focus and managing the risks of World Bank operations as well as the overall staff learning program. He also plays a key role in various strategic engagements, including for IDA.

Before joining OPCS, Zutt served as the World Bank’s Country Director for Turkey. Previously, he held several other Country Director positions for: Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles and Somalia; and also for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

In 2008, he served as the acting head of the Department of Integrity (INT), the anti-corruption unit of the World Bank Group, and prior to that, as the Adviser to one of the Bank’s two Managing Directors.

From 2000 to 2006, he worked as the Country Program Coordinator for Angola, China, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, and Zambia, as well as the team leader for numerous country strategies and projects.

A Dutch national, Zutt joined the World Bank in 1999. He has a J.D. from Harvard University and a D.Phil. (in philosophy) from the University of Oxford.

Johannes Zutt

Director of the Strategy, Risk, Results and Learning Department at The World Bank

Kaye-Anne Brathwaite

CEO, Invest Barbados

Kaye-Anne Brathwaite holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting, as well as a Master of Science in Business and Financial Economics. An Economist by training, she worked as a Senior Economist in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs until 2007. Desirous of learning all aspects of Business and Finance, she then entered the world of banking and credit.

During her twelve year stint in banking, the former executive banker managed an extensive portfolio, providing financial and investment solutions to players in a wide range of industries.

In September 2019, Kaye assumed the role of CEO of Invest Barbados, the national investment promotion agency.

Kaye has a love for teaching and this aspect of her life began in 1995. She is currently a certified online lecturer/ facilitator with the Cave Hill School of Business, University of the West Indies. She believes that knowledge should be shared and the greatest satisfaction one can have, is knowing that the knowledge imparted has charted the course of success for the recipient.

Kaye-Anne Brathwaite

CEO, Invest Barbados

John Miller

President, Board Director, & Co-Founder, Mana Pacific

John has 20 years of energy & microgrid industry experience in the Pacific, in isolated, and in high-risk regions. John is skilled in strategic planning, transformative business models, international business & logistics, entrepreneurship, and utility RE project development and financing. John was mentored by Utu Abe Malae who was Executive Director of the American Samoa Power Authority, working to combat critical environmental challenges in American Samoa and greater Polynesia.
John Miller

President, Board Director, & Co-Founder, Mana Pacific

Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu

High Representative, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, UN-OHRLLS

Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu is the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. She assumed her role in May 2017.

Ms. ‘Utoikamanu is responsible for monitoring and following up on the implementation of all three Programmes of Action under the purview of UN-OHRLLS. She is also called on to advocate for the issues and concerns of these vulnerable countries as well as to ensure their integration into and coherence with global processes, including those related to the 2030 Agenda and other global development frameworks. Ms. ‘Utoikamanu also coordinates advocacy work related to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in forums and platforms outside the United Nations.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu was Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Tourism, Tonga; Acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2015); Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2009-2016); Deputy Director General and Director of Education, Training and Human Development of the Secretariat of Pacific Community (2009-2015); Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the Government of Tonga to the United Nations, United States of America, Cuba and Venezuela and High Commissioner to Canada (2005-2009); and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and European Commission’s National Authorizing Officer for Tonga (2002-2005).

A Tongan national, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu speaks Tongan and English. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics (1980) and a Masters in Commerce in Economics (1983) from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu

High Representative, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, UN-OHRLLS

Geoff Sinclair

Managing Director, Camco Clean Energy

Geoff Sinclair is Camco’s Managing Director and has 25 years’ experience in clean energy and climate finance. He joined Camco in 2015 after 10 years working for Standard Bank, during which time he built and led the bank’s multi-award-winning international climate finance business. Geoff has completed transactions on over 1GW of renewable energy and efficiency projects across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, and has experience across a wide range of technologies and financing structures in both the primary and secondary markets.
Geoff Sinclair

Managing Director, Camco Clean Energy

Vanessa Hartman

Portfolio Manager in the Natural Resources & Agriculture Division for Latin American & the Caribbean (LAC), KfW

Vanessa Hartman is a Portfolio Manager in the Natural Resources & Agriculture Division for Latin American & the Caribbean (LAC) at the German Development Bank KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau). In this role she manages KfW’s marine conservation projects in LAC with a strong focus on working with regional conservation trust funds and promoting sustainable conservation financing.
Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in International Economics & Public Policy with a concentration in Development Economics from the University of Mainz, Germany. Before joining KfW in 2019, she has been working for the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) as well as in the private sector.
Vanessa Hartman

Portfolio Manager in the Natural Resources & Agriculture Division for Latin American & the Caribbean (LAC), KfW

Simon Chantry

Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer, Bitt

Simon has a background in nuclear commissioning engineering, and discovered Bitcoin in 2012. Simon co-founded Bitt in 2013, and has been working within the digital currency space for over 8 years. He sits on the OECD Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board, and the WEFs Digital Currency Governance Consortium.
Simon Chantry

Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer, Bitt

Karen Panton

Executive Director, Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF)

Karen Panton is the Executive Director of Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF). Karen began as an auditor at Deloitte, subsequently moving into financial and accounting support to quasi-government corporations and non-profits in Nassau, The Bahamas and Jamaica. Prior to her new role with BPAF, she was the Director of Finance and Operations at the Bahamas National Trust, also serving as the Trust’s appointed director to the BPAF Board. Karen was also the Director of Finance for the Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean Program (supporting country programs within the Caribbean as well as program offices in Latin America). She also served as the Financial Representative for the Caribbean Challenge Initiative. Karen studied Accounting at the then College of the Bahamas and the University of Miami. More recently, she attended the University of Liverpool, securing an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Accounting.
Karen Panton

Executive Director, Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF)

Dr Martin Kimmig

Chief Risk Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Kimmig heads AIIB’s Risk Management Department. His main responsibilities are to ensure the stability and financial continuity of AIIB. He oversees risk capital allocation and utilization, manages financial and non-financial risks, including reputational consequences, as well as fosters a strong risk culture throughout the Bank. He further oversees the Bank’s compliance and integrity function assuring KYC/AML/Financial Crime and sanction compliance. Before joining AIIB in September 2016, he was with the Rock Creek Group where he served as Managing Director covering emerging market equities. Previously, he spent 24 years at the World Bank, primarily at the International Finance Corporation, where he held leadership positions in both investment operations and risk management. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Freiburg, Germany. Kimmig is from Germany.
Dr Martin Kimmig

Chief Risk Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Vanessa Toré

Director Foreign Economic Cooperation at Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao

Vanessa Toré was born and raised in Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean. She is the Director of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao. She was also the acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Development until May 2014. She has held both positions since respectively July and August of 2011. In June 2015 she assumed a new challenge by becoming a Policy Advisor to the Minister of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning. From November 1994 till June 2011 she worked at the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (17 years). She was the manager of the Investment, Trade Promotion and Business Services department where she designed and implemented various programs and services for entrepreneurs, SME’s, Investors and Exporters. She holds an MBA degree and has followed training in Management, International trade and Investment promotion in Geneva, Netherlands, USA and Canada. She participated in various trade related committees internationally and recently she served a two year term on the board of the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA). She speaks Papiamentu (mother language), Dutch, English and Spanish fluently and communicates at an intermediate level in Brazilian Portuguese. In her spare time she dedicates time voluntarily to Culture where she is active in the Jazz Scene of Curaçao promoting local Jazz musicians internationally.
Vanessa Toré

Director Foreign Economic Cooperation at Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao

Aholotu Palu

CEO, Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC)

Aholotu has 25 years of experience in the economic management, finance and development sectors as reflected by his various roles in the region and nationally. Prior to PCRIC, Aholotu was the GIZ Climate Finance and Public Finance Management Advisor at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, providing strategic advice in the area of the nexus between Public Finance Management and Climate Change Finance for Pacific islands. He was also the former Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet (contracted) for the Government of Tonga, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Head of Aid Management for Tonga Ministry of Finance and National Planning in Nuku’alofa. Aholotu is committed to enhancing accessible and affordable climate and disaster-related financial solutions for Pacific Island countries.
Aholotu Palu

CEO, Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC)

Astrid Zwick

Head of InsuResilience Secretariat

Since January 2017 Head of InsuResilience Secretariat supporting the V20-G20 led InsuResilience Global Partnership in its goal to foster climate and disaster risk fi-nance and insurance.
From 2010 to 2016 Head of Department “Corporate Responsibility” of Munich Re Group in charge of set up and implementation of the Corporate Responsibility Strat-egy. She also chaired the UN Environment Finance Initiative’s Principles for Sustain-able Insurance Working Group (2010 to 2012). Among several other tasks Astrid Zwick was Member of the Board of the University Society of the Munich Ludwig Max-imilians University and Member of the Board of a Foundation promoting voluntary social engagement. From 2000 to 2010 she headed the Allianz Group Sustainability Office. She was chairing the Steering Committee “Research for Sustainability” of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2005 to 2008).
From 1994 to 1999 she joined the European Commission Institute for Technological Prospective Studies in charge of policy advice on climate change to the Commission Services and among others to WHO.
Holding a doctoral degree in climate change research (Institute for Ecological Chem-istry/GSF, Helmholtz Center, Munich and Technical University, Munich-Weihenstephan) and a diploma in Geology/Paleontology (Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich).
Astrid Zwick

Head of InsuResilience Secretariat

Mark Lewis

Chief Sustainability Strategist, BNP Paribas Asset Management

Mark Lewis joined in January 2019. Previously, he was Managing Director and Head of Research at the Carbon Tracker Initiative (April-December 2018), Managing Director and Head of European Utilities Research at Barclays (2015-18), Chief Energy Economist at Kepler Cheuvreux (2014-15), and Managing Director and Global Head of Energy Research at Deutsche Bank (2005-13). He has also been a member of the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures since May 2016.
Mark Lewis

Chief Sustainability Strategist, BNP Paribas Asset Management

Kalsey Belle

Coverage Officer, Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank

Upon graduating as a mechanical engineer from University College London in 2015, Kalsey commenced her professional career in the utilities sector in Seychelles, striving towards making utility services more energy efficient, affordable and accessible to all. Having gained experience working in a multilateral environment at the European Commission, Kalsey has recently joined the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank as a Coverage Officer, structuring Trade Finance and Project Infrastructure Finance facilities.
Alongside her professional career, Kalsey is determined to tackle global challenges and contribute towards the empowerment of youth. She is an active volunteer of the youth-led NGO, SYAH-Seychelles, which promotes sustainable development. Alongside her role as President of SYAH-Seychelles, she has coordinated 4 successful editions of the Blue Economy Internship Programme and pioneered the Seychellois Youth in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (SySTEM) Programme. To give Seychellois youth a voice, Kalsey also started a nationwide TV programme ‘Zenn Koze’ that provided a platform for youth to discuss and debate national policies, topical issues and challenges. In 2019, she undertook a 5-week expedition on the remote island of Aldabra where she and 11 other volunteers collected 25tons of marine debris and raised awareness on its impact on the environment.
Kalsey has been recognized as an Associate Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth Society and has served on the Blue Grants Fund Committee and the national Committee for Seychelles Vision 2033.
Kalsey Belle

Coverage Officer, Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank

James Ellsmoor

Founder & CEO, Island Innovation

James Ellsmoor is the Founder & CEO of Island Innovation, a communications agency focused on the need of island communities. He has a passion for sustainable development and renewable energy, particularly applications for rural and isolated communities. Last year he ran the inaugural Virtual Island Summit, which brought together 4,000 participants from Scotland to Samoa to share stories about their communities. James has always used technology to advance his mission, allowing him to live and work anywhere and manage a team spread over 4 continents. Island Innovation focuses on bringing together NGOs, the private sector, universities and government with projects covering topics including lithium extraction, climate change and public policy.
James Ellsmoor

Founder & CEO, Island Innovation

Alexandra Almeida

Senior Officer, Lending Operations in Latin America and Caribbean, European Investment Bank

Alexandra Almeida is a Senior Officer responsible for public sector operations in the Caribbean and Latin America at the European Investment Bank’s headquarters in Luxembourg. The EIB is the bank of the European Union, owned by the 27 EU Member States. As the world's largest multilateral lender, it has become the EU Climate Bank, aligning all of its activities with the objectives outlined in the Paris agreement. Among other things, the EIB has committed to support €1 trillion of investments in climate action and environmental sustainability in the next
decade.

Having previously worked on macroeconomic research in a unit of rating agency Standard & Poor’s in New York City and London and in corporate banking in Portugal, financing EIB projects was a natural progression for Alexandra. Before her present role, Alexandra worked as Senior Officer for operations in Central and South Eastern Europe, Senior Transaction Manager in EIB’s Project Finance/PPPs Department and was the Head of EIB’s Representation in Portugal.

Her proudest achievements include financing initiatives to accelerate the green transition, improve mobility, modernise schools and support access to finance to Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. She also contributes to a pioneering work programme to increase access to finance for women-owned, women-led and women-supporting enterprises.

She graduated in Economics in 1997 from the Faculty of Economics of Porto and holds a Post-Graduation in Finance from the Faculty of Economics of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, which she complemented with executive programs from Harvard and INSEAD. Portuguese is her native language but she speaks fluently English, French and Spanish and has good knowledge of Italian.

Alexandra Almeida

Senior Officer, Lending Operations in Latin America and Caribbean, European Investment Bank

Exsley Taloiburi

Climate Change Finance Advisor & Team Leader for Climate Change and Resilience, The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

A passionate, dedicated, good team player, client-oriented and strategic planner with more than 15 years of relevant experience. This includes 10 years of specific regional experience in climate finance analysis (using the Pacific Climate Change Finance Assessment Framework) and policy advice to Forum Leaders and Economic Ministers in the Pacific region and internationally (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties - UNFCCC COP negotiations on climate finance since COP18). Exsley has strong experience and familiarity with bilateral and multilateral climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Climate Investment Fund. I have led multi-agency teams to undertake national climate finance assessments/reviews in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati and TA secondment on climate finance to the Government of Papua New Guinea. I also participated in similar assessments in Nauru and Tonga. Exsley completed leadership trainings in Fiji and Australia, and presented in a number of regional and international meetings on the climate finance context and trends in the Pacific. As Team Leader for the PIFS Climate Change and Resilience team, I oversee a team of 14 staff and a range of short-term consultants as well as a total budget of F$14 million. My scope of oversight include the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) and Pacific Resilience Partnership (PRP), private sector engagement in climate finance, disaster risk finance and governance, climate finance-public financial management and climate finance negotiations in the COP.
Exsley Taloiburi

Climate Change Finance Advisor & Team Leader for Climate Change and Resilience, The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago

Regional Director for Polynesia, Pacific Community (SPC)

Ms Toelupe Tago – Elisara is a graduate of the University of New South Wales, where she graduated with a Masters in International Social Development in 2002. She is also a graduate of Massey University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work in 1997. Later in her career she also completed further qualifications through distance learning including an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from the University of New England through the UNE Partnerships (Armidale, New South Wales) delivered under the Executive Development Programme for senior public servants in Samoa (coordinated through the Public Service Commission –Samoa); and a Diploma in Government and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from Victoria University (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia).

Before joining SPC, Ms Toelupe Tago-Elisara was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) in Samoa where she worked for 7 years before she was appointed CEO. She held the position of CEO for 5 years before she resigned to take up her role in SPC. As CEO for MWCSD, Ms Toelupe Tago-Elisara’s portfolio covered village governance and village development; advancing gender equality; youth development; child protection and disability; including work on human rights, more specifically on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). As CEO for MWCSD, she also served on several Government Boards and National Committees providing oversight and strategic direction across different sectors of Government, some of which included Health, Education, Agriculture, Water and Sanitation, Environment and Law and Justice. She was also Chairperson of the national partnership committees for CEDAW and CRC, and the National Disability Taskforce. These Forums brought together both government and civil society organisations working on the promotion of gender equality, child development and disability in Samoa. Ms Toelupe Tago – Elisara in her role as CEO represented the Government of Samoa on various regional and international fora including regional Ministerial and High Level forums; and international forums such as the Commission on the Status of Women; the Universal Periodic Review and the reporting at the UN on Human Rights Conventions the Government of Samoa is a State Party to.

Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago

Regional Director for Polynesia, Pacific Community (SPC)

Deodat Maharaj

Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency

Mr. Maharaj, a national of Trinidad and Tobago has extensive experience in international trade, working with the private sector, governments, and multi-lateral institutions in a career spanning more than 25 years.
He previously served as Deputy Secretary General of the 54-nation Commonwealth where he led its work in economic and social development. He spearheaded the trade and investment agenda for the Commonwealth across its developing country membership in the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa, and Asia. Mr. Maharaj understands the vital role of the private sector as a key driver and partner in development and in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement in partnership with government. He also recognises the importance of creating an enabling environment for business to succeed and the imperative of attracting foreign direct investment in regions such as ours.
Mr. Maharaj supported the establishment of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council and sat on its Advisory Board for three years. Mr. Maharaj also served with the United Nations in senior roles in the field and at headquarters. He has also lived and worked in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Tanzania and Mozambique.
A graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mr. Maharaj’s academic qualifications include a BSc; Government; Postgraduate Diploma, International Relations; MSc., International Affairs; Bachelor of Laws; and Postgraduate Legal Practice Certificate.
Deodat Maharaj

Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency

Alicia D. Nicholls

Trade Researcher at Shridath Ramphal Centre, UWI

Alicia Nicholls is an international trade specialist and consultant whose research interests include foreign investment law and policy, financing for development, investment migration programmes, as well as international tax and anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) issues.
She is currently part of the research team of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy & Services of The University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus where she also lectures part-time in the SRC’s Masters of International Trade Policy (MITP) programme.
Alicia is a frequent presenter on contemporary trade matters at academic and industry conferences and events and is the founder of one of the Caribbean’s leading blogs on trade matters: www.caribbeantradelaw.com. She also contributes articles to a variety of international and regional publications including IFC Review, AfronomicsLaw Blog, Caribbean Export Outlook, the Barbados Business Authority, among others.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science (First Class Honours), a Master of Science in International Trade Policy (with distinction) and a Bachelor of Laws (Upper Second Class honours) from The University of the West Indies. She also holds the FITT Diploma in International Trade from the prestigious Ottawa-based Forum for International Trade Training (FITT), of which she is also a general member.
She is an Advisory Board member of the Caribbean-ASEAN Council, a member of the Network of Experts of the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe (CCCE) and a member of the Academy of International Business (AIB). In her spare time, Alicia enjoys volunteering and is a proud member of the Lions Club of Bridgetown.
Alicia D. Nicholls

Trade Researcher at Shridath Ramphal Centre, UWI

Dr Ratnakar Adhikari

Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework Secretariat at the WTO

Dr Ratnakar Adhikari has been serving the Executive Secretariat for the EIF at the WTO as its Executive Director since October 2013. Previously, he was the Chief Executive Director of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, a Kathmandu-based regional think-tank. In the past, he also served, among others, as a Senior Adviser to the National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal; as Trade Programme Specialist for UNDP, Asia Pacific Regional Centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka; and as Credit Manager at Nepal Indosuez Bank Ltd.

Dr Adhikari has conducted extensive research as well as published in the areas of international trade, foreign direct investment and Aid for Trade. He obtained his PhD from the University of Warwick, UK; his Masters of International Law and Economics from the World Trade Institute, Switzerland; and his Masters of Commerce from the University of Delhi, India.

Dr Ratnakar Adhikari

Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework Secretariat at the WTO

Fiona Wilson

Senior Program Manager, Clinton Climate Initiative, Clinton Foundation

Fiona Wilson serves as the Senior Program Manager for the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Climate Initiative, overseeing the Foundation’s renewable energy projects in the Africa and Indian Ocean region. Her work focuses on implementing innovative models for renewable energy solutions in an island context, supporting island governments to achieve their renewable energy goals and access financing for energy development. She has over a decade of experience in renewable energy, with a particular focus on project finance and IPP development, supporting public sector stakeholders in de-risking energy projects and ensuring project bankability.
Fiona is skilled at coordinating diverse groups of stakeholders in assessing policy and project visions as well as implementing complex projects that require public-private cooperation. She has significant experience in developing and executing energy projects across a range of technologies, including land-mounted and rooftop solar PV, floating solar PV, biogas, and biomass.
Prior to joining the Clinton Foundation, she worked in environmental finance, specializing in industrial energy systems and renewable energy IPP projects in the Southeast Asia and Southern Africa markets. Fiona is a graduate of Princeton University, where her research centered on renewable energy development in South Africa.
Fiona Wilson

Senior Program Manager, Clinton Climate Initiative, Clinton Foundation

Francesco Sindico

Reader in International Environmental Law, University of Strathclyde Law School

Francesco Sindico is the Founder and Co-Director of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance (SCELG) at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. There he heads EILEAN, an initiative that explores how island communities engage with legal and political processes to promote resilience and sustainability. Francesco has collaborated with Scottish Government in the implementation of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 and has contributed to the first ever National Islands Plan in 2019. In 2020 he has coordinated with Island Innovation a global survey on Islands and COVID-19 with responses from islands in 52 countries worldwide. Francesco leads Island Explorers, an education programme for primary schools that introduces sustainability using islands as a geographical context. Building on Island Explorers, Francesco leads the youth and school component of the One Ocean Hub, a five-year multi partner research for development project focused on global ocean governance.
Francesco Sindico

Reader in International Environmental Law, University of Strathclyde Law School

Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson

Editor, Pacific Environment Weekly

Climate crisis journalist and scholar with a focus on small islands, gender, environmental negotiations and human rights.
Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson

Editor, Pacific Environment Weekly

Marcelino Madrigal

Principal Energy Specialist, Energy Division, Inter-American Development Bank

Dr. Marcelino Madrigal, has twenty years of experience on government, academia, and international development banking on the areas of electricity markets and power systems planning, operations, and regulation.

At the Mexican government he has served in several leadership positions, including a solid carrier with the Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) including as a Commissioners during the implementation of the groundbreaking 2013 energy reforms. At the commission he led many aspects of regulatory design in the oil, gas, and specially the electricity sector which transformed the energy industry in Mexico. He served also as the International Committee Chairman of the World Forum on Energy Regulation 2018, Vice president of the Ibero-American Association of Energy Regulators, and Chairman of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators’ working group on electricity.

He has worked over ten years on international development at the Interamerican Development Bank and the World Bank, where he served supporting government agencies, utilities and operators on policy, regulatory, market, project design, and knowledge dissemination on the electricity sector and across all continents. He has designed projects above US$6 billion dollars in value in the areas of renewable energy generation, cross border interconnections, control and market operator’s modernization.

Currently he a Principal Energy Specialist at the Interamerican Development Bank in Washington DC as its principal Energy Sector Specialists supporting regulatory modernization of Latin-American energy sectors and the electrification of transport.

Dr. Madrigal graduated from the Morelia Technology Institute and received the degrees of Master of Science and PhD by the University of Waterloo, Canada. He has received several awards, among them, the Outstanding Young Power Engineering Award by the IEEE Power and Energy Society in 2006, and the membership of the Mexico National Researchers System. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE PES.

Marcelino Madrigal

Principal Energy Specialist, Energy Division, Inter-American Development Bank

Kavita Desai

Advisor on Sustainable Development and Global Policy, United Nations Foundation

Ms. Kavita Desai was Adviser to the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, from 2010 to 2016. Her duties at the Mission covered a range of topics including climate change, human rights, and legal issues, with a particular focus on sustainable development. She negotiated the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, advocating for the inclusion of SDG 16 on peaceful societies and working closely with the Pacific Small Island Developing States on SDG 13 on climate action. She also represented the Group of 77 and China during negotiations on 'Women in Development' between 2012 and 2016. Since joining the UN Foundation's Global Policy Team she focuses on supporting SDG initiatives and UN processes. Leading engagement at the regional and global level across development and human rights issues, including work around SDG implementation and reporting.
Kavita Desai

Advisor on Sustainable Development and Global Policy, United Nations Foundation

Christian Peter

Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy's Global Platform Unit, World Bank

Christian Peter is the Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy`s Global Platform Unit at the World Bank. He has more than 25 years of experience working on environmental, natural resource and community forest management issues. Since joining the World Bank in 1998, he has held various headquarter and field-based operational positions as Environmental and Natural Resources Management Specialist in the Africa and Latin America and Caribbean Regions. Prior to his current position, he was the Coordinator of ENB’s China Program in the East Asia and Pacific Region.
Christian holds a MSc in Forest Science and Management from the Georg-August University Göttingen/Germany.
Christian Peter

Practice Manager for the Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy’s Global Platform Unit, World Bank

Simone Hudson

CFA, AVP Alternatives and Fund Management

Simone Hudson, CFA, AVP Alternatives and Fund Management
Simone Hudson holds the position of Assistant Vice President- Alternatives and Fund Management. She is charged with the responsibility of expanding the company’s off balance sheet product offerings which includes its Unit Trust portfolios, Structured Products Solutions and the build out of its Alternative Investments platform.
Ms. Hudson has over 13 years’ experience in the financial services industry both in Jamaica and Canada. In her previous roles in Research and Investment Banking at NCBCM, she coached three winners of the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s Market Research competition, spearheaded the development of the company’s first Structured products offering as well as structured and arranged one of the largest infrastructure bond offer in the region.
Ms. Hudson has won several awards in the area of Research in Jamaica and placed first in the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners Case Competition in 2018.
She holds a BSc. in Economics and Statistics from the University of the West Indies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from Centennial College and is a CFA Charterholder.
Simone Hudson

CFA, AVP Alternatives and Fund Management

Thomas Jacobs

IFC Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, International Finance Corporation

Tom Jacobs is IFC’s Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. IFC is part of the World Bank Group and focusses exclusively on private sector development. IFC facilitates sustainable private sector development in the Pacific by financing private sector investment, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments.

Tom’s responsibilities include overseeing IFC’s investment and advisory programs as well as maintaining key government and private sector partners in the region. He joined IFC in 2003 to manage a regional microfinance advisory project in Central Asia where he was based in Tajikistan. In 2004, Tom moved to Cairo where he spent the next 4 years helping to launch and manage IFC’s Access to Finance advisory practice in MENA focusing on leasing, credit reporting and microfinance, among others. Since 2008, Tom has led IFC’s activities in Lebanon and Syria while coordinating IFC’s climate business across the MENA region.

Before IFC, Tom helped launch a corporate finance group in London specialized in early-stage companies, and from 1996-1999, he led the operations of a developmental investment fund in Kyrgyzstan where he managed SME lending and equity portfolios. He has also worked in manufacturing and commercial banking in the United States.

Tom’s educational background includes a Masters of Arts in International Relations from The Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies and an MBA in International Business from Rutgers University.

Thomas Jacobs

IFC Country Manager for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, International Finance Corporation

Michelle Klassen (“MK”) Merrigan

Co-Founder, Mana Pacific

Michelle Klassen (“MK”) Merrigan began her career in humanitarian aid, working frequently in the developing world. For the past decade, MK led the development of advanced energy solutions that meet the mission of US military, security and peacekeeping forces operating beyond secure supply lines. Opening up new markets with creative capital, this work quickly led to border security in support of national security interests; economic development efforts through small business models at the last kilometer; and in developing regions and markets. MK led a diverse team from an agile prototype shop in Ferndale, Michigan.

MK ADVISORS (formerly LkM Solutions) facilitates the progress and adoption of strategic solutions for resource equity needs, while driving policy in support of smart, affordable technologies and creating economic models. MK Advisors emerged from years of integrating distinct components into cohesive and reliable solutions that are more than the sum of their parts. As it is with our technological approach, so it is with our collective skill and drive.

Michelle Klassen (“MK”) Merrigan

Co-Founder, Mana Pacific

Henk B. Rogers

President, Blue Planet Alliance

Henk Rogers is a Dutch-born entrepreneur and clean energy visionary who has dedicated the past decade of his career to the research, development, advocacy and implementation of renewable energy sources in his adopted home of Hawaii. As the principal and visionary philanthropist of Blue Planet Foundation, Rogers’ efforts led to Hawaii becoming the first state in the nation with a policy requiring that 100% of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2045.

Rogers is now focusing beyond Hawaii to help others enact mandates for 100% renewable energy in their regions. He has spoken at three Inter-Parliamentary Union assemblies, where he collaborated with the 178 member countries to draft an emergency climate change resolution.

His newest initiative, Blue Planet Alliance, takes a “mandate first” approach to initiate global climate change action by creating measurable and scalable results among individuals, organizations, cities, states, countries and eventually, the world. The Alliance’s mission is to regenerate the environment and become 100% sustainable by 2045. The vision is to create a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony.

He is also the founder of Blue Planet Energy, one of the leading providers of energy storage systems that power homes, business and critical infrastructure. The company’s innovative Blue Ion technology has allowed Henk to take his own residences off-grid.

Rogers is also renowned as a global leader in the gaming industry, when he created Japan’s first Role-Playing Game. One of his software companies holds the exclusive intellectual property rights to Tetris, the world’s most popular video game (over 125 million units sold). Rogers revolutionized the industry when he brought the now legendary game to U.S. and world markets more than three decades ago.

Henk B. Rogers

President, Blue Planet Alliance

Catherine Sumpter

Vice-Chair of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council

Catherine is a French-born New Zealander and of French West Indian (Martinique) descent. She moved to New Zealand in 2002 after spending 15 years in the United Kingdom and one year in Sydney working as a teacher of modern languages.
Catherine graduated from the University of Auckland in New Zealand with a Law Degree and was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 2007. She also holds a Degree in English Literature and Linguistics and a Postgraduate Degree in French Linguistics from the University of Tours in France.
She has been one of two approved Legal Counsels to the French Embassy in Wellington. From 2011 to 2014, she was appointed Foreign Trade Adviser to the French Embassy in Wellington on legal issues by ministerial decree.
She was President of the West Indian & Caribbean Society of New Zealand and Vice-President of the French New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Inc. from 2014 to 2017.
She has been Vice-Chair of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council (NZPBC) since 2017. NZPBC aims to promote and facilitate bilateral trade relations between NZ and the 26 Pacific Island nations of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.
She is also a member as emerging leader of the NZ Super Diverse Women lobbying group which aims to promote diversity in the business world.
Since 2018, she has been running her legal practice, Sumpter Law, advising many clients from the Pacific region and practises in the areas of Commercial Law, Estates, Property Law, Trusts and relationship property. She has a special interest in advising foreign investors (private or corporate) on how to do business in New Zealand.
She has travelled extensively in the Pacific region and is passionate about promoting Pacific Women entrepreneurship and mentoring young people.
In her spare time, Catherine enjoys world cooking, archaeology, scuba diving and travelling.
Catherine Sumpter

Vice-Chair of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council

Pierre Bardoux-Chesneau

Head of Global Team - Grant, Global Fund for Coral Reefs

Pierre Bardoux is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the United Nations Multi Partner Trust Fund office. Based in New York, he designs Multi-Partner innovative financing instruments bringing together the United Nations, Governmental institutions, development actors and responsible private companies. As a UN Trustee, he manages an active portfolio of Climate & Environmental Trust Funds over $1bn including a flagship forest protection initiative in Central Africa and a blended finance fund for ocean protection. Having worked more than a decade in UN Crisis/Peace Keeping Operations, Mr. Bardoux has developed deep knowledge of the challenges faced when financing and implementing political, social and environmental impact actions to address unprecedented climate and biodiversity crises. Mr. Bardoux was recently appointed the Head of Global Team for the grant window of the newly establish Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR).
Pierre Bardoux-Chesneau

Head of Global Team – Grant, Global Fund for Coral Reefs

Gözde Kurusoy

Director of Banking and Finance, MPC Capital

Gözde Kurusoy is Director of Banking and Finance at MPC Renewable Energies, subsidiary of MPC Capital, a German asset and investment manager in the fields of real estate, shipping and infrastructure, which manages over €6.0bn in alternative investments.
Gözde has over 10 years’ experience in banking sector and project finance and 4 years of that has been specifically in debt financing of large-scale renewable energy projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Gözde holds a Bachelor degree in Economics and Administrative Sciences from Middle East Technical University in Turkey.
Gözde Kurusoy

Director of Banking and Finance, MPC Capital

Fernando Zúñiga

Managing Director for Central America and the Caribbean, MPC Renewable Energies

Fernando Zúñiga is Managing Director for Central America and the Caribbean at MPC Renewable Energies, subsidiary of MPC Capital a German asset and investment manager in the fields of real estate, shipping and infrastructure, which manages over €6.0bn in alternative investments.

Fernando has over 12 years of international experience as technical & financial advisor as well asproject & business developer of large-scale renewable energy projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Fernando holds a Master of Science in Renewable Energies from Oldenburg University in Germany and a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.

Fernando Zúñiga

Managing Director for Central America and the Caribbean, MPC Renewable Energies

Ife Badejo

Co-founder / Executive Producer, Islandpreneur Network

Ife is an internationally recognized award winning business expert focused on increasing visibility, effectivity, and profitability for her clients. Committed to equipping 'islandpreneurs' to build smarter, digital, and global businesses, Ife is the Founder & CXO of Produce Wealth Revolution (PWR) Agency.

Ife has a passion for capacity building and networking. Known for her signature and dynamic experiences that incorporate both local and global experts, Ife is gifted in connecting people to the right resources.

During the lockdown, Ife and her team h sted more than 25 virtual experiences to inspire and empower entrepreneurs. The most notable being Islandpreneur Live 2020 which attracted 650 registrants from more than 35countries.

A media enthusiast, currently Ife is developing The Islandpreneur Podcast with her business partner Dwayne Griffith. This podcast is designed to empower 'islandpreneurs' to go global while highlighting them for their innovation and resilience.

Ife Badejo

Co-founder / Executive Producer, Islandpreneur Network

Stefen Deleveaux

President, Caribbean Blockchain Alliance

Stefen is a Bahamian economist and an authority on blockchain and fintech in the Caribbean. He is President/CEO of the Caribbean Blockchain Alliance (CBA), which is a regional NGO formed to advocate for blockchain technology and to foster its adoption through awareness and education. CBA is supported by major Caribbean blockchain companies. Stefen has led the blockchain education of software developers and has facilitated various hackathons. He continues to push to build cohorts of blockchain developers in the region.
Stefen has worked in multi-lateral financial institutions and in grantmaking foundations. He is also a co-founder of the Shift the Culture startup advocacy group, and the Arrowlynk Ventures business incubator, both based in The Bahamas.
Stefen Deleveaux

President, Caribbean Blockchain Alliance

Ahmed Badr

Acting Director, Project Facilitation & Support, IRENA

Resourceful project executive with more than 20 years of success leading and executing infrastructure and environmental projects across three continents Africa, Asia and Europe. Highly successful background of contributing to over 78 major projects in more than 20 countries in a 14-year period.

Proven track record of environmental engineering, developing financial structures, and demonstrating expertise in environmental and social due diligence research for major global financial institutions. I have built a reputation as a specialist in contributing to solid policies and strategies for Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Change at international, regional, and country levels. Most importantly, my colleagues tell me I am uniquely gifted with a talent for negotiating, nurturing, and managing productive partnerships with international institutions and investors to fund these action plans.

Ahmed Badr

Acting Director, Project Facilitation & Support, IRENA

William Kostka

Executive Director, Micronesia Conservation Trust

William has served as the Executive Director of MCT since 2006. Prior to joining MCT Management he served as one of the founding members of the MCT Board of Directors, holding the offices of Chairman and Vice-Chairman. During that time, he served as the founding Executive Director of the Conservation Society of Pohnpei, building the organization from the ground in 1998 into the leading conservation NGO in the FSM at the time of his departure. He earned an A.A. from Santa Rosa Junior College in 1990 and has attended numerous training courses and professional enhancement programs. Notably, he was named a fellow by the Pew Foundation for Ocean Science in 2005 and has been active in the development and promotion of the Micronesia Challenge. He is active in community organizations and Boards including the Micronesians in Conservation, President's Council on Sustainable Development, Pohnpei Resource Management Committee, Pohnpei Utilities Corporation, and the Xavier High School Board. Mr. Kostka completed a training course on "Economic Tools for Conservation" at the Conservation Strategy Fund at Stanford University in August 2010.
William Kostka

Executive Director, Micronesia Conservation Trust

Roger Todd

Director of the Department of Public Transportation, Government of Bermuda

Roger Todd

Director of the Department of Public Transportation, Government of Bermuda

Steve Weinstein

Chair, Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA); Former Chief Legal Officer, RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd; Chair, RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation

Stephen was elected BDA Chair in 2020 and has been a member of the board since 2016. He currently serves as an advisor to RenaissanceRe having retired after two decades from his role as Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. During his time with RenaissanceRe, Stephen was Chair of the Risk Sciences Foundation, the company’s charitable vehicle committed to researching and developing risk-mitigation techniques and raising awareness through conferences and outreach events, including the award-winning Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum series, and served as a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to RenaissanceRe, Stephen worked for Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, a leading international law firm.
Stephen serves on the boards of several industry and charitable groups including Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), an independent U.S. non-profit scientific research and educational organisation based in Bermuda, and the R Street Institute, a leading U.S. non-partisan policy organisation. He also serves on the President’s Advisory Counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest non-profit conservation organisation, and is a member of Bermuda’s COVID-19 Economic Advisory Committee. Stephen is a graduate of Columbia College, NY, and Harvard Law School.
Steve Weinstein

Chair, Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA); Former Chief Legal Officer, RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd; Chair, RenaissanceRe Risk Sciences Foundation

Dr. Angus Friday

Blue Economy Director, Waitt Institute

Dr. Angus Friday leads the Waitt Institute’s work in helping nations design sustainable blue economies to support long-term ocean and community health and wellbeing. He is an accomplished blue economy leader and practitioner, having served as the World Bank’s Ocean Representative and having worked with the Dutch Government and FAO in establishing the Global Blue Growth Network. Dr. Friday also played a leading role in developing the Blue Grenada Program which included the development of a Blue Growth Master Plan and the establishment of the Blue Innovation Institute; all of which contributed to the World Bank’s “First Fiscal Resilience and Blue Growth Development Policy Credit” with $30 million in concessional financing for Grenada under IDA-18.
As a diplomat, he served as Grenada’s Ambassador to the United States, Mexico and Canada and also as Grenada’s Ambassador to the United Nations. A qualified medical doctor with an MBA, Dr. Friday brings a wide perspective on the interconnected nature of business, health, and international economic policy.
Dr. Angus Friday

Blue Economy Director, Waitt Institute

Joe Reed

Board Director & Chief Executive Officer, Mana Pacific

Joe joins Mana Pacific having spent the last five years leading global M&A activities for Canadian Solar, a top-tier global renewable energy company. He brings to the team decades of leadership experience in roles including Vice President of IT, VP of Operations, VP of Sales, COO, and CEO. With various roles taking him from Europe to Southwest Asia, and from Korea to Latin America he contributes a breadth of international experience to our team. With a broad technological background, combined with extensive team-building experience, Joe is excited to work with the founders of Mana Pacific and the remainder of the team to accelerate Pacific Island resiliency and energy independence.
Joe Reed

Board Director & Chief Executive Officer, Mana Pacific

Timar Jackson

Manager, Origination and Structuring, NCB Capital Markets

Timar is a well-rounded financial professional who has over six years’ experience in the financial
sector with experience spanning insurance, public sector, business analysis, research, structuring
and investment banking. In his current role Timar advises on and lead the execution of all
Capital Markets transactions from origination to completion; Lead negotiations with local,
regional, and overseas clients and partners in the structuring of transactions; and monitor and
analyse trends in the financial services industry for territories/ countries covered. As a graduate
of Vauxhall High School, Timar became the first student from a Non-Traditional High School to
be awarded the coveted Jamaica Scholarship, Prime Minter’s Youth Award for Excellence in
Academics and the 2014 Jamaica Rhodes Scholarship. He holds a BSc. in Actuarial Science from
the University of the West Indies and completed his MSc in Applied Statistics and MBA at the
University of Oxford. Timar is passionate about national progress and takes a keen interest in
Education and Youth development. He currently serves as the President of the Vauxhall Past
Students’ Association and is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers
Community in Kingston.
Timar Jackson

Manager, Origination and Structuring, NCB Capital Markets

Kenneth Green

Managing Partner, Advance Global Partners

Kenneth Green is the Immediate Past President of the Chamber of Commerce in Dominica and Managing Partner of management and immigration consultancy - Advance Global Partners and a Director in a number of private sector companies in Dominica. He is an experienced professional with engagement experience in the Caribbean, Europe, UK and Asia.
Kenneth Green

Managing Partner, Advance Global Partners

Angus Young

CEO, NCB Global Finance

Angus P. Young joined the NCB Financial Group (‘NCBFG’) in 2014 as Chief Executive Officer of NCB Global Finance Ltd. In 2018, Angus was also appointed Regional Head of Investment Banking at NCB Capital Markets Ltd and maintains dual roles within the NCBFG. Angus is also a Director of both NCB Global Finance Ltd and NCB Capital Markets (Barbados) Ltd. Prior to joining the NCBFG, Angus served as the Managing Director of BDO Financial Advisory Services Ltd., which represents BDO’s corporate finance and transaction advisory interest in Trinidad & Tobago.
Before joining BDO, Angus was Vice President of Business Development at First Global (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd. where he was charged with the responsibility of Corporate Finance and Capital Market origination in T&T and Jamaica. Prior to FGTT, Angus spent four years at RBTT Merchant Bank Ltd. in leadership roles including Assistant Vice President and Regional Manager of Capital Market Origination where he covered the OECS territories and Guyana. In the past, Angus has served as a Director of the Securities Dealers Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
Angus holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Administrative and Commercial Studies (Financial and Economic Studies) from the University of Western Ontario and a Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University, School of Business and Economics, Ontario.
Angus Young

CEO, NCB Global Finance

Jerome Phelps

Head of Advocacy, Jubilee Debt Campaign

Jerome Phelps has been Head of Advocacy at Jubilee Debt Campaign since February 2021. His work includes scoping just solutions to address the sovereign debt crisis facing many countries in the Global South, including debt restructuring and new finance. A particular area of focus is the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States to unsustainable debt as a result of their exposure to climate disasters and their ineligibility for much concessional finance and debt restructuring initiatives due to their income status.
He is an experienced NGO leader, with 16 years of management experience in the migration and economic justice sectors. Between 2016 and 2018 he led the International Detention Coalition, a global civil society network focused on developing person-centred and non-coercive solutions to migration management challenges through constructive multi-stakeholder collaboration. He has also worked on several occasions as a consultant for the Council of Europe.
He has worked at the national and global levels and in every region, with partners from grassroots activists to intergovernmental bodies and UN agencies. He has a track record of developing successful strategies for change, involving a wide range of activities and processes, including innovative policy development, research, parliamentary advocacy and media campaigning.
Jerome Phelps

Head of Advocacy, Jubilee Debt Campaign

Island Finance Forum 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should attend the Island Finance Forum?

The forum is the first of its kind, and totally free! You can learn from world-leading experts from diverse backgrounds about the latest projects being deployed in island communities, with applications far beyond. Each session will be interactive with opportunities to ask questions and make connections. This year we are expanding to have even more features!

How do I participate?

All are welcome to participate in the summit – feel free to invite friends and colleagues. Participants can take part in every session, or simply choose the sessions most relevant to them and are all encouraged to join the social media conversation.

Will the forum be recorded?

The forum will be broadcast LIVE, taking place over multiple days in various timezones. Ideally, we want guests to join live as there will be opportunities to ask questions and interact with fellow attendees. However, all sessions will be recorded and made available online a few weeks after the forum.

Can I speak or recommend a topic?

We are continually adding more speakers and sessions! If you would like to nominate a speaker click here.

Can I sponsor the event?

We have limited opportunities for sponsors of specific sessions or the event as a whole. If you are interested in sponsoring the event please get in touch.

Can we organize a local streaming?

We are exploring opportunities to screen parts of the summits on islands around the world to ensure local communities can take part. If you would like to organize a screening on your island please get in touch.