Indian-origin Preeti Sinha to lead UN Capital Development Fund
The UN Capital Development Fund has appointed Indian-origin investment and development banker Preeti Sinha as its Executive Secretary, whose focus will be on providing micro-finance assistance to women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises in under-served communities. Sinha commenced her tenure as the Executive Secretary in the New York-headquartered organization, the highest leadership rank in the institution, on Monday.
What does the UNCDF do?
Established in 1966, it provides micro-finance access to Least Developed Countries, with the mandate to unlock the full potential of public and private finance. Sinha's goal is to make 'C' in UNCDF to be "highly catalytic in mobilizing manifold the public and private finance for the LDCs it serves and in developing a new era of engagement with capital markets in 2021 and onwards."
What is on agenda for Sinha after taking over?
She will oversee the organization's efforts to deliver scalable impact in order to make the international financial architecture work for the world's frontier and pre-frontier markets; with a specific emphasis on supporting sustainable development for women, youth, small and medium-sized enterprises, smallholder farmers, and other traditionally under-served communities. Sinha succeeds Judith Karl, who retired in February after concluding her 30-year career in the UN.
Sinha will lead UNCDF's efforts to harness potential of LDCs
Sinha will lead UNCDF's work to harness the untapped growth potential of the LDCs, to enable and empower communities, local governments, and small businesses to address the economic impacts of COVID-19 while building more resilient and inclusive economies. She will oversee UNCDF's last-mile finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.
Sinha's past experience across financial platforms
She has three decades of global experience across investment and development finance during which she managed institutional public and private development capital. Sinha served as CEO and President of FFD Financing for Development LLC, a specialist development finance firm, focusing on resource mobilization, donor relations, innovative capital markets, partnerships, strategy, business development, and impact investment advisory to finance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
She also managed YES Global Institute in New Delhi
Previously, she managed the YES Global Institute, a practicing private sector think-tank for socio-economic development in New Delhi, building the impact investment ecosystem in India, the agency said, adding that she also served in senior resource mobilization roles at the African Development Bank.
Sinha's impressive educational background
Sinha graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Education program in Public Financial Management. She holds a Master's in Global Leadership from the World Economic Forum and a Master's in Public and Private Management (MPPM)/MBA from the Yale School of Management. She is an alumnus of Dartmouth College, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Science.
