Speakers

Ashok Parameswaran is the President and Founder of the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA) and a member of the EMIA Board of Directors.  He has over 20 years of experience in emerging markets, mainly as an emerging market sovereign debt analyst. During his career, he has worked with asset managers, including Invesco, AIG Investments, and Fidelity Management and Research. Ashok was part of an Invesco team that performed in the top third of Bloomberg-listed emerging market peers for four out of five years.

Ashok also has significant experience in international economics and development.  At the US Treasury Department, he advised the US Treasury Secretaries Paul O’Neill and John Snow on economic policy towards South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. During this time, he served as the Treasury’s Coordinator for Afghan Reconstruction. Ashok helped to start the India Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he worked with CSIS Executive Vice President Doug Johnston, US Ambassador to India William Clark, and Congressman Stephen Solarz, former Chair of the House Subcommittee on Asia and Pacific Affairs.

Ashok has served on the Board of the microfinance non-profit United Prosperity and the Junior Board of Seeds of Peace. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Adriaan du Toit is a Senior Vice President and Senior Economist for Africa. He also leads AB's team of emerging-market economists. He joined AB in 2017 as a Sub-Saharan Africa economist. Prior to joining the firm, Du Toit was a Sub-Saharan Africa currency and rates strategist and director at Citigroup in Johannesburg, where he worked from 2013 to 2017. Between 2007 and 2013, he held three roles at Standard Bank in Johannesburg (rates analyst, head of Macro Research, and fixed-income strategist). Du Toit started his career in 2004 as an economist at the South African Reserve Bank. He holds a BCom (Hons) in economics and an MCom in econometrics (cum laude), both from the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and an MSc in financial economics from the University of Oxford.

Andreas is the Lead for the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM), overseeing the work of the IRM team to ensure timely and appropriate reporting for member action plans and on OGP's action framework. He holds over ten years of experience working on open government-related topics, including access to information, anti-corruption, citizen engagement and participation.

Before OGP, he worked at the UK's leading public participation charity, and previously as a transparency campaigner based in Spain. He holds a Master's degree in Contemporary European Studies from the University of Bath (as part of the European American University Consortium) and a Bachelor's degree in European Studies and Modern Languages from the University of Birmingham. He speaks English, Spanish, French, and Greek. Outside of OGP, Andreas also directs a small LGBTQ+ community group based in London.

Ashwinder Singh Bakhshi is a member of Barings’ Emerging Markets Debt Group and a research analyst for the Emerging Markets Corporate Debt Team. Ashwinder is responsible for covering the emerging markets financial sector. Ashwinder has worked in the industry since 2004. Prior to joining the firm in 2014, he worked with Friends Life as a credit analyst covering US, European, and Australian financials (banks, insurers, supranational agencies, and sovereigns). He previously worked with Fidelity International in their London and Indian offices, covering European and Indian financials and corporates, working across the spectrum of investment grade, high yield, and money market investments. Before that, Ashwinder worked with S&P in India in its risk advisory unit, working for government and corporate clients. Ashwinder holds an MBA from TAPMI in India and a Graduation degree in Commerce/Economics from Punjab University in India.

Catherine leads the ESG Development and Impact team at Telefónica. Her remit includes Digital Inclusion, DE&I, and Stakeholder Engagement. Her priority is to attract ESG-oriented capital by understanding investor demands, challenging the company to stretch its commitments, and raising awareness of Telefonica's solid sustainability credentials.

Before joining the sustainability team, Catherine worked in M&A, B2B, and Corporate Strategy. Prior to Telefonica, Catherine worked for Daimler Chrysler in Germany and the Netherlands, and with the World Bank in Washington, DC.

Catherine has a BA in European Business, a Diplom Betriebswirt (ESB Reutlingen FH), and a Master's in Finance from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. She speaks English, German, and Spanish - all with an Irish accent!

Claudia Melim-McLeod is Director at Future Horizons Institute and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Edinburgh Business School.  Claudia has previously held advisory,  management, and research roles at Rainforest Foundation Norway, KPMG, the European Union Joint Research Center, and various United Nations agencies.

Clinton joined HSBC in 2021 from Legal & General Investment Management where he worked in the Investment Stewardship team. Prior to this, Clinton worked at Capital Group where he led the Investment Information function for Europe and Asia. He holds a BA from Stellenbosch University, a LLB from University College London, and an LLM in Environmental Law from Queen Mary University of London. He is currently pursuing a PhD focused on environmental law and conservation at Queen Mary University of London, and a master's degree focused on sustainability through Harvard University. He is a fellow of the Zoological Society of London. Clinton is based in London.

Dilawer Farazi is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) in London, heading up Emerging Market corporate debt investments for the firm. He joined RLAM in 2020 from Loomis Sayles. Dilawer has 19 years of investment experience in total, starting his investment career at GIB in London, as an analyst and then a portfolio manager, helping to launch and manage the firm’s EM credit fund. Dilawer holds a Law & Economics degree from Queen Mary’s University, London, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. He is also an Executive Fellow of the Emerging Markets Investor Alliance.

Doneci Kone is Deputy Managing Director of Financing at Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Finance and Budget. In this capacity, he is actively involved in all capital raising activities from the private debt markets, the capital markets, and the multilateral and bilateral institutions. His responsibilities also span risk and treasury management. He joined the Ivorian public sector in 2021 as an advisor at the office of the President of the Republic. Doneci started his career as a Mergers & Acquisitions and Restructuring analyst at Evercore in New York, before spending a number of years in Private Equity as an Associate at Soros Fund Management, and most recently as a Principal at BC Partners. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSc in Finance and Actuarial Science from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.

Jane Heap is part of the Relationship Management Team at  Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA). She has 25 years of experience in finance, predominantly at Deutsche Bank. She started her career in Emerging Market Equity Research, spent many years in EM Institutional Sales (ultimately as co-Head of International Equity Sales in the US), and then as Managing Director, Head of US Regulatory Management. Prior to Deutsche Bank, she worked for Barings, then ING Barings, in London. She is based in New York. 

Jane has a B.A. in Economics from Skidmore College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, and an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics.

Since 2008, John has played a central role in CoST, first as Policy Adviser to the International Secretariat during the CoST pilot, then as Programme Manager, Head of Programmes, and now as Programmes Director. In his current position, John is responsible for strategic development and overseeing member programmes.

John is a specialist in UK and international procurement policy and governance in the infrastructure sector. He has extensive experience in researching the interaction between infrastructure procurement and social development and in developing transparent procurement and contract policy for infrastructure. In addition to his role in CoST, John is Head of Programmes at Engineers Against Poverty. Prior to working with CoST and Engineers Against Poverty, John was responsible for knowledge creation and transfer in civil engineering best practice at the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Kaan is the Senior Economist and Portfolio Manager for the Emerging Markets Debt team at Neuberger Berman, where he focuses on hard currency and sustainable strategies. Over the past decade, Kaan has also developed significant experience in sovereign debt restructuring, representing investors in a range of negotiations. Previously, he worked at ING Investment Management and Medley Global Advisors, where he was responsible for macro research and sovereign debt credit views. Before that, he worked as a research analyst for Eurasia Group, where he advised financial institutions on Eastern Central Europe. He played a key role in establishing the Lehman Brothers Eurasia Group Stability Index (LEGSI), a comparative political and economic stability index designed to measure stability in more than 20 emerging markets. Kaan received a Bachelor’s in International Affairs from the University of Ankara, Turkey, and earned a Master’s in International Relations from New York University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations.

Leila joined GSMA Mobile for Development in April 2022, where she leads the ClimateTech team’s advocacy and policy efforts focusing on the use of digital solutions for climate action in low- and middle-income countries. She has a particular interest in topics such as digitally enabled climate finance, natural resource management, and the blue economy, working with partners such as multilateral organisations, governments, and start-ups, mainly in the Africa and APAC regions.

Prior to working at GSMA, she spent many years as a civil servant for the Swedish government, e.g., at the Embassy of Sweden in Angola. Here, her main focus was on trade and investment, specifically engaging with the tech and telco sectors, where she established a strong relationship with the Angolan government and collaborated with international stakeholders.

Leila holds a Master’s degree in political science from Uppsala University, Sweden, and is now based in London.

Maria is a seasoned investment professional with over 20 years of experience in financial analysis and portfolio management, specializing in emerging markets. Based in New York, she has worked for prominent financial institutions such as Principal Asset Management, Citigroup Asset Management, Newgate Capital, and Deutsche Bank.

Throughout her career, Maria has developed a deep understanding of various sectors across all emerging markets. She has recently focused on financials and energy, while co-managing a substantial emerging markets equity portfolio.

A dedicated advocate for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, Maria has been actively involved in integrating ESG considerations into investment processes for the past 10 years. Her commitment to sustainable investing is evident through her participation in numerous ESG workshops and her completion of Cambridge's Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies Course.

Maria holds a Master's degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Warwick, an MBA from IESA, and a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. A native of Venezuela, Maria brings a unique perspective and global experience to her work.

Markus Schneider joined AB in 2015 as a Senior Economist, focusing on macroeconomic analysis and bond market strategy for the EEMEA region. He has 10 years of in-depth experience covering emerging markets, and a background in econometric modeling, in particular, in its application for forecasting macro variables and emerging-market (EM) asset prices.

Prior to joining AB, Schneider served as an EM economist and strategist for five years at Rogge Global Partners in London, and held similar positions at UBA Capital and Business Monitor International between 2006 and 2009. He holds a BA in economics and politics from Lancaster University and an MSc in economic development management from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Melis is the Engagement Manager for the Nature team at the World Benchmarking Alliance, and leads on partnerships, global outreach, and strategic stakeholder engagement across the nature and biodiversity ecosystem.

She sees real value in multi-stakeholder action and is particularly interested in how benchmarking can help drive transparency and accountability. She believes both public and private sector actors have an important role to play and that cross-sector collaboration and learning are integral to realising the SDGs.

Prior to her role at WBA, Melis worked at labour rights organisation Ethical Trading Initiative, where her focus was on implementing the Reporting Framework, by which corporate members report on how they are progressing on the most pressing issues in their value chains. She also worked in the Supply Chain team at Fairtrade Foundation, conducting research into Fairtrade Cotton and regenerative farming. Melis holds a BA in Fashion Design and Sustainability from The University of Leeds.

Özge Yüzbaşıoğlu is a sustainability leader with 18 years of experience in sustainable finance, ESG reporting, and strategy. At İşbank, she leads global-standard disclosures, sustainability communication, stakeholder engagement, and the bank’s net-zero transition. She is GARP SCR certified and an FSA Level II candidate.

Patrick O’Connell is a Senior Vice President and Director of Responsible Investing Portfolio Solutions and Research for public markets. In this role, he develops strategies and tools that help integrate ESG considerations into the teams’ research, engagement and investment processes across AB’s Equities and Fixed Income businesses. From 2021 to 2024, O’Connell served as director of Fixed Income Responsible Investing Research. Earlier in his career, he served as a corporate credit research analyst, focusing on emerging-market corporates in Latin American and African countries. O’Connell joined the Emerging Markets research team in 2013 after working as a credit analyst covering US high-yield energy credits at AB. Prior to joining the firm in 2012, he was a desk analyst at UBS Investment Bank, where he helped allocate capital on the trading desk. O’Connell holds a BS in accounting and finance (magna cum laude) from Villanova University and is a CFA charterholder.

Pavel Laberko is Director of Corporate Research, Director of the Extractives Industries and the Materials Programs, and Director of the Carbon Transition Initiative at the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance.

Previously, Pavel was a fund manager at Union Bancaire Privee (UBP), where he launched and managed regional and global equity portfolios focused on emerging and frontier markets. At UBP, Pavel also led and contributed to projects focused on ESG integration and impact investing, including launching global and emerging markets impact funds. Before UBP, he worked as head of research at various asset management firms, recruiting and leading teams of analysts. Earlier in his career, Pavel worked in financial planning and analysis at several multinational corporations.

Pavel earned an M.S. in Physics and an M.P.A. from the University at Albany, State University of New York. Pavel holds a a CFA UK Certificate in ESG Investing.

Pradeep has more than 21 years of experience across non-ferrous metals, cement, and consultancy sectors in environment and sustainability functions.

Ravi leads Helios Towers’ engagement with governments, international organisations, and development partners across Africa and the Middle East. He plays a central role in shaping public policy to support sustainable digital and power infrastructure, with a focus on expanding access to connectivity and energy in the company’s markets.

An experienced external affairs and sustainability leader, Ravi has a proven track record in government relations, policy advocacy, legal strategy, and ESG. He is well-versed in the social, political, and commercial dynamics of emerging and frontier markets, and has worked closely with governments, trade bodies, and multilateral institutions to foster investment-friendly environments and promote sustainable development.

Souheir Asba is a Vice President and a Portfolio Manager for Investment Grade Credit, overseeing AB’s euro investment-grade and global investment-grade credit portfolios. Asba started in the industry in 2012 and joined AB in 2024. Before AB, she worked at BlackRock as a portfolio manager in the Global Investment Grade Credit team, managing retail and institutional mandates and focusing on global sustainable accounts, both on new client pitches and existing funds. Previously, Asba worked as a European credit strategist at Bank of America, covering both investment-grade and high-yield strategies. Prior to that, she was an economist at Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking. Asba holds an MIM in financial markets and an MBA from ESSEC Business School, France, and an MEng in geospatial engineering from the Hassania School of Public Works, Morocco.

Susannah works to improve governance in the transition mineral supply chain, with a particular focus on preventing corruption, as part of NRGI’s work to accelerate the just energy transition. She conducts research on issues such as licensing and contracting corruption, corruption’s intersection with broader socioenvironmental harms, and mining sector standards and certification schemes, and advocates to governments in major market jurisdictions and international and multilateral bodies. Prior to joining NRGI, she worked for Transparency International UK and the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition.

Swenja is a leading international expert on climate risk management, adaptation, and sustainability, with expertise spanning across research, practice, and policy. She is the Managing Director Climate and Sustainability at Marsh McLennan (MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the area of risk, people, and strategy, where she is working on climate solutions across sectors, industries and geographies. As a professor in practice at the Grantham Research Institute at the LSE, she currently leads a project that assesses physical climate risks and adaptation for the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action and oversees the EU’s Naturance project. She has developed the Triple Resilience Dividend concept with the World Bank and run several projects on corporate climate risk management. In 2022, Swenja was appointed by the UK Government to the UK Committee on Climate Change - serving on the adaptation committee and, since 2024, on both mitigation and adaptation committees.  She is also the elected chair of the not-for-profit Munich Climate Insurance Initiative. Swenja has published widely on these topics, and is a contributing author to the IPCC and the EU Science for Disaster Risk Management Report, and lead author of the UK's Climate Change Risk Assessment II and III.

Sylvan is a Policy Officer at the Transition Pathway Initiative Centre (TPI Centre), at the London School of Economics, researching national emissions trends, climate finance, renewable energy, and automated data analysis for the Assessing Sovereign Climate Opportunities and Risks (ASCOR) team. He currently focuses on leveraging emerging digital technologies to advance climate research and on understanding their environmental impacts.

Viktor Szabó is an Investment Director on the Emerging Markets Debt team at Aberdeen. Viktor joined the company in 2009 via the acquisition of Credit Suisse Asset Management Hungary, where he worked as country Chief Investment Officer. Prior to that, Viktor worked for the National Bank of Hungary as the Head of the Market Analysis team. Viktor graduated with an MSc in Economics from the Corvinus University of Budapest. Viktor is a CFA Charterholder and has a Certificate in ESG Investing.

Viviane is a sustainable finance and corporate governance professional with 20 years of experience in risk management, control, compliance, and valuation in the public and private sectors, in Brazil, and abroad. On top of that, Ph.D. focused on sustainable finance. Since March 2022, she has been essential in constructing a transversal intelligence for sustainability in the Banco Central Do Brasil.

Throughout her career, Viviane has held roles in sustainable finance, risk management, compliance, internal and external audit, M&A, due diligence, and controllership domestically and abroad. She is a Co-Chair, Guest Professor, and/or Panelist for Sustainable Finance at leading local and international academic institutions, including the Global Business School Network (GBSN, US), Oxford SSEE (UK), Cambridge Judge (UK), FDC (BR), FIA (BR), ENAP (BR) and GOA (India).