Tariye Gbadegesin, a Nigerian-US national, has been appointed as the first African CEO of Climate Investment Funds (CIF), effective March 2024. She replaces Mafalda Duarte, who left in July 2023 to lead the Green Climate Fund.
Tariye Gbadegesin, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, brings to Climate Investment Funds (CIF), over 20 years in investing in developing economies, she will be ruling one of the world’s largest multilateral climate funds with over $11 illion pledged, pioneering clean energy transitions, nature-based solutions and resilience in over 70 developing countries.
BRIEF PROFILE OF TARIYE GBADEGESIN
Tariye Gbadegesin is currently the Chief Executive of ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Ltd, a leading Pan-African infrastructure fund investing in energy transition and climate resilient infrastructure.
She is an investment professional with over 20 years’ experience in finance, principal investments, and infrastructure, Tariye has global experience spanning roles at the Africa Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund, the Boston Consulting Group, & Price Waterhouse Coopers.
Tariye is the co-chair of the steering committee for the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) launched by the UK Government and the Children’s International Investment Fund (CIFF) and is also a member of the African Advisory Committee of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Tariye serves as the Chair of the Board of Twin City Energy, a large-scale utility power company in Ghana. She is a member of the Advisory Committee on Infrastructure for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI) and is a board member of the African Infrastructure Developers Association (AFIDA). Tariye is a Non-Executive Director for Guinness Nigeria PLC, a member of the Diageo Group and a publicly listed company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Amherst College, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Gbadegesin expressed her profound gratitude and pledged to do her part to increase climate funding for underdeveloped nations in her response.
“I am deeply honored to join the Climate Investment Funds to accelerate collective climate action. Developing countries are at the forefront of the climate crisis, and we will only meet this decisive moment by working together to scale climate finance where it is needed most,” Gbadegesin said. “This is an exciting time for the global community, as we seek to build a multilateral system fit for purpose to keep 1.5C alive while lifting millions out of poverty. With six multilateral development bank partners and 15 years of experience delivering pioneering climate finance, CIF is uniquely placed to deliver in this new era.”
Gbadegesin was chosen after a rigorous worldwide search that included exceptional world climate leaders, according to Bob Natifu and Edward Webber, co-chairs of the CIF Trust Fund committee. Webber and Natifu both agreed that she will be the catalyst for the change in global climate policy that is desperately required.
“Tariye is a trailblazer, a strategic thinker and relationship-builder with deep expertise, knowledge and experience in climate finance. We have no time to lose, and she brings the drive and vision needed to deliver now for our planet,” they said.
Mafalda Duarte exited CIF in July to take the helm of the Green Climate Fund; Gbadegesin succeeds her. Luis Tineo, interim CEO, will lead CIF until March, 2024.
