Denise Odaro heads investor relations globally for IFC. She joined IFC Treasury in 2012, establishing the the investor relations function to complement IFC’s $17 billion annual funding program. She is also responsible for the management of IFC’s sustainable bonds program. 

Ms. Odaro has been a central figure in the development of the sustainable bond market since IFC’s historic benchmark green bond in 2013. She was a founding member of the Green Bond Principles Executive Committee and subsequently chaired the Social Bonds Working Group from 2016-2020. For her efforts in promoting sustainable bonds, Denise was named “Personality of the Year” in 2020 by Environmental Finance Magazine.

Presently,  Ms. Odaro is the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Green, Social and Sustainability Linked Bond Principles, the most referenced framework globally for thematic bonds. Recently, the National Institute of Investor Relations honored Denise as one its “40 Under 40” accomplished professionals.

Prior to joining IFC, she was an underwriter in the energy division at MIGA, the World Bank Group’s political risk mitigation arm. Previously, Ms. Odaro worked for Lehman Brothers as a debt portfolio manager and on loan syndications and secondary loan markets at GE Capital and Goldman Sachs, respectively.

She holds an MBA from Cornell University and qualified as a Barrister at The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn. Denise was also selected for the 2019 Emerging Leaders Program at the Kennedy School of Government.