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 Head of Emerging Markets Sovereign Research and Corporate Credit Research (ex-Asia). He is also responsible for coverage of frontier markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Prior to joining the firm in 2017, Du Toit was a director at Citigroup, where he served as a currency and rates strategist covering Sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier in his career, Du Toit was an economist and fixed-income strategist at Standard Bank in Johannesburg. He started his career in 2004 at the South African Reserve Bank. Du Toit 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. Location: London

Gavin is honored to be the Executive Director of Open Contracting Partnership, a silo-busting collaboration across government, business and civil society to open up and transform public contracting and procurement. Gavin plans to reinvent one of the largest markets in the world – covering 1 in every 3 dollars spent by government – as a smart, user-centered digital service, improving trust, inclusion and sustainability.

Before joining the Open Contracting Partnership, Gavin was Director of Campaigns and then Executive Director of Global Witness. He oversaw the organization’s groundbreaking and award-winning investigative, campaigning and advocacy work uncovering secret deals, corruption and conflict around the world. He helped create the international Publish What You Pay campaign and negotiated the intergovernmental Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to improve disclosure and oversight of over trillion dollars of oil and mining money paid around the world.

He is also an expert on illicit financial flows and helped lead global efforts to end the abuse of anonymous shell companies for money laundering and financial crime, including at the G8 and Open Government Partnership.

He has a Doctorate from the University of Reading and has worked with Chatham House in London and the United National Environmental Programme in the past on analyzing and investigating global environmental crime. Gavin is a 2021 Fellow of World Commerce & Contracting for his work on improving trust and the emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jesse Baver is the Director and Head of Innovative Finance for Mobilization at British International Investment (BII). In this role, he manages the deployment of BII's £100 million Mobilization Facility, utilizing concessional finance to unlock commercial investment at scale for climate-friendly and inclusive economic growth. He is also responsible for driving product innovation and building strategic partnerships to support private capital mobilization.

Prior to BII, Jesse served as an Associate Partner and London Office Director at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, where he led strategy consulting engagements focused on innovative finance, renewable energy, and agricultural development for impact investors and development finance institutions. His background across international development and risk management includes leadership roles at the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, developing credit risk models at First Access in Tanzania, and advising commercial financial institutions at Oliver Wyman.

Jesse holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.

Patrick O’Connell is a Senior Vice President and Director of Responsible Investing Portfolio Solutions and Research. In this role, he develops strategies and tools that help integrate ESG considerations into the teams’ research, engagement and investment processes across AB’s investment teams. 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. Location: New York

Claire Meier Underhill is an expert and advisor specializing in emerging markets, sovereign debt, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) integration. She currently serves as Investor Director at ASCOR (Assessing Sovereign Climate-related Opportunities and Risks), raising the organization's profile across the sovereign debt ecosystem to facilitate meaningful engagement and investment in both developed and emerging sovereign debt.  Claire previously served as Head of Investment Managers at the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and held senior leadership roles, including Managing Director, at the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA). Her background as a sovereign analyst includes institutional asset management experience at Northern Trust Asset Management and Allstate Investment Group.

Antonina is a Senior Policy Fellow and Deputy Director for Policy at the TPI Global Climate Transition Centre (TPI Centre). She led the methodological development of the Assessing Sovereign Climate-Related Opportunities and Risks (ASCOR) tool and currently leads research at the intersection of national and corporate transition planning.

Antonina has authored a range of policy-oriented publications including on corporate climate action, national climate policy, labelled bonds and the just transition challenges in extractive sectors. She is an active collaborator with the International Transition Plan Network, the Just Transition Finance Lab and the Centre for Economic Transition Expertise (CETEx).

Prior to joining the TPI Centre, she worked at the Climate Bonds Initiative, the International Renewable Energy Agency, an aquatic ecology research lab at McGill University, a Panamanian environmental non-profit organisation, and the housing facilities department of McGill University. Antonina holds an Honours BSc in Environmental Sciences from McGill University and graduated with Distinction from the MSc in Environmental Change and Management at the University of Oxford.

Rashad Abelson is the Technology Sector Lead in the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct. Rashad works on developing and promoting the implementation of standards on responsible business conduct (RBC) with a specific focus on applying international due diligence standards in the technology sector (AI, online platforms, innovation and emerging technology, and electronics and vehicle manufacturing). Additionally, he supports the OECD’s broader RBC activities, including providing training for companies, monitoring government implementation of OECD legal instruments,  and providing input on legislative developments linked to RBC.

Audrey Mocle is the Executive Director of Open MIC, a nonprofit that works with investors to ensure the responsible development of digital and emerging technologies.  An attorney with a wealth of experience in human rights and corporate responsibility, Audrey has advised leading global businesses, international organizations, and civil society groups on all aspects of human rights governance. Prior to joining Open MIC as its Deputy Director, Audrey led the human rights program at the Royal Bank of Canada. She holds degrees in management and law from McGill University and a Master’s in Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Lizzy leads Standard Chartered’s Social Sustainability and Sustainable Finance Products and Frameworks team. In this role she is responsible for maximising social impact in the Bank’s financing activities, and ideation, development, launch, management and strategic direction of the suite of over 40 sustainable finance products across both the Corporate and Investment Bank and Wealth and Retail Bank, working in collaboration with product partners. Her team also delivers the Bank’s sustainable finance frameworks, setting the standards for Green and Sustainable Finance as well as Transition Finance within the organisation. Lizzy is an experienced sustainable finance professional and previously qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Andrew Sutton is a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Martin School AI Governance Initiative (AIGI), where he develops AIGI’s work on AI governance and the financial system.

His research focuses on the financial system both as an AI risk vector and risk mitigant. This covers ways frontier AI may cause aspects of the financial system to fail, as well as ways finance can serve as a force for good in reducing societal AI risks, such as by shaping incentives or offering useful risk management lessons or tools.

Andrew is a banker by background, with expertise in technology innovation, risk management and government engagement. He has worked in Brazil, Hong Kong, Taipei, New York, Shanghai and London. He is an affiliate of the Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI) and a trustee of the London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA).

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.

Anna is a Doctor of veterinary medicine with expertise in animal welfare and poultry science. She has worked with Humane World for Animals for 5 years, supporting producers, companies, financial institutions and policymakers in developing and implementing animal welfare policies for poultry and pigs. Anna is a PhD student focusing on the social aspects of improving farm animal welfare.

Mr. Ivanov is the IFC’s Global Lead for Advisory Skills and Knowledge, in the Farming and Agribusiness Department, where he oversees all technical assistance to IFC’s sustainable protein, aquaculture and seaweed clients, a portfolio of 70 companies with an investment value of over $1 billion. Mr. Ivanov has more than 25 years of experience setting up, managing, investing in, and advising private businesses. In IFC he has worked as Country Head, Regional Advisory Manager, and Global Agribusiness Lead. Prior to IFC, he has managed several successful private ventures in distribution and food processing in Eastern Europe.

Lawyer with expertise in the intersection between international trade rules and domestic regulations addressing animal health and welfare. Carolina has over 15 years of professional experience, combining academic research with consultancy work for governments, NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, including the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Dirk Verdonk is director of the Dutch office of World Animal Protection. He is also chair of the Dutch Fair Finance Guide and board member of Eurogroup for Animals. Verdonk is one of the founders of the FARMS Initiative, aimed at guiding financial institutions to take animal welfare into account and has worked the past ten years with institutional investors on animal welfare and the protein transition. In addition, Verdonk is a historian specializing in the history of human-animal relations. His dissertation received the Erasmus study award in 2009. His most recent book is a history of the meat chicken (2023).

Roger is a long-time sovereign and country risk analyst and manager with broad experience in making advance calls on country risk in emerging markets. As the Global Head of Country Risk at G.E. Capital, Roger developed a country risk scorecard to rank countries in order to assess risk appetite and support leadership decision-making. He led the Americas Sovereign Ratings Group at Fitch Ratings as a Managing Director. Also during his career, he was posted as a Foreign Service Officer to the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and was the Country Risk Manager for the Americas at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. 

Roger is also a writer and educator. He is co-author of the white paper, Ten Point Plan: Strategic Planning for the United States. Roger teaches in the Master’s program at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, having rolled out a course called Country Risk Analysis and Management. Roger was the faculty's choice to head up the Global Economy concentration. Roger also taught full-time at the School of Diplomacy, Seton Hall University, and lectured at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Dr. Gautam Jain is a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. His research focuses on the role of financial markets and instruments—including thematic bonds, blended finance structures, and carbon markets—in advancing the energy transition, with an emphasis on emerging economies.
Dr. Jain has an extensive background in the financial industry, where he covered emerging markets as a portfolio manager and strategist. He holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Columbia University. He is a CFA September and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Owain Johnson is the Global Head of Research and Product Development at the CME Group, which is the world's largest exchange. 
Owain's research and product development team develops new risk management products as well as producing original research into financial and commodity markets.
Owain chairs the World Federation of Exchanges’ Sustainability Working Group. He is a member of the International Regulatory Strategy Group’s Sustainability Workstream and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s  Sustainability Steering Committee.
Johnson co-chaired the Working Group of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative that published the first report on ‘How Derivatives Exchanges can Promote Sustainable Development’.
Johnson is the author of “40 Classic Trades in the Environmental Markets: Real-Life Examples of Innovative Trading”, among other books. He earned his master’s degree from Cambridge University.

Audrey Goldstein joined Standard Chartered in 2018. She is part of the Carbon Market Development team, leveraging the bank’s wide connectivity to drive innovation in the carbon market space.
Audrey has over 15 years experience working in commodities & carbon markets for Commerzbank and Standard Chartered. Her experience spans across structuring, supporting complex commodity hedging and investment transaction, client analytics, providing clients with bespoke analysis on commodity risk management strategy and carbon market development & origination. 
In her current role, Audrey has been building trading and financing capabilities related to carbon markets for the bank and drive thought leadership efforts globally. She supported the delivery of landmark transactions such as the first public carbon offtake financing by an investment bank in 2024 and the first Article 6-related outcome bond with World Bank. She also co-chairs IETA’s International Working Group, focusing on developments related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. 
Audrey holds a Master degree in Risk & Asset Management from EDHEC Business School, France.

Jan Ahrens is a seasoned climate markets professional with extensive experience in global carbon markets. He worked at utilities, trading houses and analytics providers covering both mandatory and voluntary carbon markets. For most of his career Jan has worked to develop carbon analytics, supporting major emitters, traders and governments to understand carbon markets and predict future price dynamics.
Jan engages with associations and universities to research how carbon markets interact with investment solutions, and together with the Transition Metrics team, creates unique datasets, and advises on carbon related investment strategies. He frequently lectures at Imperial College London, is a Special Advisor to the Monash University, and a member of the Real Carbon Index board.

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.

Tallie Hausser is an Associate Director on Barings’ Emerging Markets team. She covers frontier issuers, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is the head ESG specialist for the Global Sovereign Debt platform. Tallie holds Master’s degrees from Columbia University and the Paris School of International Affairs, with specializations in International Development and Political Economy. Her prior experience includes stints at the World Bank and United Nations, where she focused on energy policy, climate metrics in sovereign creditworthiness, and migration economics. She is fluent in French and conversational in Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic.

Mr. Raphael Owino Otieno is the Director General of the Public Debt Management Office, bringing with him nearly three decades of extensive experience in economics, public debt management, and fiscal policy. Prior to his current role, he was the Head of the Monetary Policy Division at the Central Bank of Kenya, where he made significant contributions to Kenya’s economic stability.
Mr. Otieno holds a master’s Degree in Economic Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi. His distinguished career includes key roles such as Acting Director of Research at the Central Bank of Kenya and Director of the Debt Management Programme at the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI), an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe, serving 14 member countries.
His expertise in public debt management, macroeconomic analysis, and research has been honed through various roles in Kenya’s public service, including positions within the Ministries of Finance and Planning. Additionally, he has served as a Policy Analyst at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) and as a Senior Researcher at the Central Bank of Kenya. Mr. Otieno began his professional journey at the National Treasury, where he rose to the position of Advisor to both the Economic Secretary and the Minister for Planning before transitioning to KIPPRA and later the Central Bank of Kenya.
Mr. Otieno has also made substantial contributions on the global stage, serving in advisory capacities or as a member of various task forces and committees under the World Bank, IMF, United Nations, and the East African Community (EAC). He is a published author, with contributions to significant works such as “Kenya: Policies for Prosperity” published by Oxford University Press in 2010, and as an editor for “Economic Management in a Hyperinflationary Environment: The Political Economy of Zimbabwe, 1980-2008,” also published by Oxford University Press.
Mr. Otieno’s leadership at the Public Debt Management Office is marked by his commitment to strengthening Kenya’s fiscal framework and ensuring sustainable debt management practices.

Jane Heap is part of the Relationship Management Team at  Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA). She has 25 years 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 B.A. in Economics from Skidmore College where she graduated phi beta kappa and magna cum laude and a M.Sc from the London School of Economics.