The new country manager for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) will focus on developing new opportunities for private sector investment to drive jobs and growth, helping nations recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle climate change.
Judith Green has been appointed as the IFC’s new country manager for the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand.
In a statement yesterday, IFC regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, Kim-See Lim said Ms Green brought a unique and valuable combination of private and public sector experience to its work in the Pacific.
“Despite their distance from each other, the Pacific and Caribbean islands face similar challenges, so Judith’s background and experience will be invaluable in driving IFC’s work in the region,” she said.
Ms Green said climate change was clearly the most profound challenge facing Pacific Islands nations so mobilising capital to help build resilience and spur sustainable development was vital to its people and the region’s future.
“Developing the blue economy, boosting renewable energy, forging ahead with affordable housing, and ensuring gender issues are taken fully into account will be areas of focus for me in taking on this position. I look forward to redoubling IFC’s efforts to help the region forge a sustainable path ahead, addressing its challenges and seizing opportunities that create conditions for business and people to thrive,” she said.
Ms Green will be based in Sydney and will oversee IFC’s operations in the 13 member countries in the region, in addition to managing IFC’s relationships with regional governments, private sector stakeholders and development partners, including the governments of Australia and New Zealand.
She holds a BSc in Accounting from the University of the West Indies and is a Fellow of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (United Kingdom) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica.
A Jamaican national, Green most recently worked as IFC’s Country Manager for the Caribbean overseeing IFC’s operations in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the English-speaking Caribbean.
She takes over as country manager from Thomas J. Jacobs, who managed IFC’s operations in the region successfully for the past five-and-a-half years.
Mr Jacobs was recently appointed as Country Manager for the Mekong region covering Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR, based in Hanoi.
