About the blog

Andrés García Bernal

Andres is an Investment Consultant at BID Invest's Tourism team since 2021. His role involves analyzing new business opportunities and the portfolio structuring processes within the tourism sector. Previously, he worked as a Senior Investment Analyst at Finance in Motion, focusing on sustainable businesses in Latin America's agricultural and tourism sectors. He has additional experience working on a private equity real estate fund, and investment banking. Andres holds dual bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Los Andes (Colombia). Additionally, he has diplomas in Risk Management and Finance for Agriculture from the Frankfurt School of Finance.

Angela Miller

Angela Miller, Principal Environmental and Social Specialist is the Head of Agribusiness/FIs/Social/Climate Risk/Policy Sectors in the Environmental, Social and Governance Division at IDB Invest. Angela, who has dual US and Colombian citizenship, has more than 20 years of experience in environmental and social management. In 1999 she joined IDB Invest, where she worked to assess the environmental and social impact of the proposed investments and supervised implementation of risk prevention and mitigation measures. Later she managed the Development Effectiveness and SEG teams as Division Chief. She has also led several IDB Invest Sustainability Policy Updates. Angela developed and led over a decade of training programs for financial entities on managing environmental and social risk in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to her arrival to IDB Invest, she worked as an environmental specialist for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC now DFC) and several environmental consulting firms focused on the private sector, including URS and Ecology & Environment. Angela holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and a Master of Science from the University of Edinburgh

Ángela Pinzón Cortés

Ángela Pinzón Cortés is an economic and financial consultant for the Connectivity and Financial Markets division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Where she has focused on technical support for thematic and/or sustainability-linked issuances to promote the development of sustainable markets in the Latin America and the Caribbean. She provides technical support throughout the origination cycle of sustainable financial instruments for the public sector. Additionally, she supports the implementation of sustainable financial solutions, the integration of regulatory considerations, and best practices to the market for sustainable financial instruments. Previously, she was an IDB consultant for the Deputy Directorate of External Financing of the Colombian Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, working on initiatives related to sovereign sustainable instruments, and the development of the country's sustainable agenda, related to debt management and financing.

Anna Halliday

Anna is an Associate at Finance Earth leading on a range of blue economy-focused projects, including work with the Inter-American Development Bank to assess business models for marine conservation, supporting WWF in the Southwest Indian Ocean on business models to support seascape restoration and conservation, and working with UK Overseas Territories on behalf of the UK Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to identify sustainable financing options and impact frameworks. Prior to joining Finance Earth, Anna was a senior associate at OC&C Strategy Consultants with experience across the UK, Europe and the US. She has wide-ranging experience advising C/executive-level clients from blue-chip corporates, NGOs and private equity-backed companies on corporate strategy, sustainability and impact assessment, M&A (buy-side and sell-side), and operational transformation & optimisation. Anna holds a first-class BSc (Hons) in Economics via Engineering from the University of Bristol, where she specialised in the economics of developing countries and corporate finance.

Annie Smith

Annie Smith es oficial de la División de Efectividad en el Desarrollo de BID Invest en Panamá. Apoya el diseño, monitoreo y evaluación de proyectos con el objetivo de maximizar su impacto en el desarrollo económico, social y ambiental. Colabora también en la generación y difusión de conocimientos vinculados a la experiencia operativa de BID Invest, sus clientes y el sector privado. Antes de incorporarse a BID Invest, Annie se desempeñó como consultora de la División de Salud y Protección Social del BID, y como investigadora en Innovations for Poverty Action in Tamale, Ghana. Estudió biología y ciencias políticas en Wellesley College, y tiene una maestría en economía de la School for Oriental and African Studies de Londres.

Armando Simón Múgica

Lead Investment Officer – Financial Sector (México y Central America). In his role as Lead Investment Officer, is responsible for IDBI’s investment and origination efforts for Financial Intermediaries in Mexico and Central America (currently based in Mexico City). Prior to his current position at IDB Invest, he served as Investments Director for Latin America at MicroVest (DAI Capital) - impact fund based in Washington, DC. During his tenure, Mr. Simón was responsible for the regional management of the fund and project development, subscription, transaction execution, and relationship management for MicroVest's Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) portfolio. He held a similar role for several years at a US-based financial institution with a global portfolio.  Originally from Mexico, Mr. Simon holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana and an MBA from Babson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French.

Augusto Bonzi

Autor invitado

Avinash Marajh

Avinash is an Investment Management Officer, within the Financial Institutions (FLI) Division at IDB Invest. He previously held the role of Investment Operations Consultant since joining the Bank in 2020. Based in Trinidad, Avinash is responsible for originating and structuring solutions that expand access to financial services for financial institutions throughout the Caribbean. Before joining the IDB Group, Avinash was employed with the First Citizens Group in Trinidad for more than five years. During his tenure, he was an investment analyst at First Citizens Asset Management and later at First Citizens Investment Services. He is experienced in investment analysis, economic research, portfolio management and risk analysis. Avinash earned a master’s degree in finance from Florida International University and an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of South Florida.

Barbara Oldani

Barbara Oldani is Sovereign Decarbonization Program Director and Labeled Bonds Lead at EMIA

Beatriz Navarro

Beatriz Navarro es consultora en comunicación estratégica para la Oficina de Integridad Institucional. Fue representante del Ministerio de Hacienda en la Embajada de México en EE.UU. y consultora en el Banco Mundial. Es abogada del Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México y cuenta con un magister en derecho y diplomacia de The Fletcher School, Tufts University (EE.UU.) y una especialidad en business communications en Harvard.

Benigno López

Benigno López Benítez, a Paraguayan citizen, was appointed IDB's Vice President for Sectors and Knowledge as of November 16, 2020. Prior to joining the IDB, he served as Minister of Finance of Paraguay since August 2018. In that role, he led a comprehensive tax-reform initiative aimed at improving the progressive capacity of the tax system, increasing government revenue to finance health and education reforms, and incentivizing labor formalization. He also coordinated efforts to restructure the pension system, reform public expenditure and the civil service, implement a results-based budgeting system, and promote e-government reform to improve public-sector functions and foster private-sector innovation. As Minister, Mr. López led Paraguay’s emergency economic planning in response to the COVID-19 crisis. He also directed efforts to implement systemic education reform, improve human capital and promote research. Among his transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, he led work to ensure his country’s compliance with the updated standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). From 2014 to 2018, Mr. López served as Chairman of the Social Security Institute, Paraguay’s employer-based health insurance and pensions system. During his tenure, he worked with board members to restructure the institution’s debt, professionalize its administration and – in collaboration with IDB Invest – structure and diversify its investment portfolio. In 2013, Mr. López was appointed Executive Legal Director and member of the board of Itaipú Binacional, which administers the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, on the Paraguay-Brazil border. His efforts centered on increasing operational efficiency, consolidating the company’s governance structure and developing a strategy to increase funding for corporate social responsibility. From 2012 to 2013, Mr. López served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. Previously, he worked for more than two decades at the Central Bank of Paraguay. As Board Director from 2007 to 2012, he provided strategic vision for initiatives on inflation targets and financial inclusion. Efforts to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing resulted in the country’s removal from the FATF blacklist. As head of the legal department, he helped produce the framework to ensure the Bank’s institutional strength and independence. Mr. López holds a law degree from Paraguay’s Catholic University and a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University.