IFC appoints Ines Rocha as new Regional Director for Europe

IFC has appointed Ines Rocha as Regional Director for Europe. Based in Vienna, she will play a key role in boosting private sector investment and creating jobs in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on bolstering green growth, digital technology, and financial inclusion, and leading IFC’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She will also spearhead IFC’s business development efforts in Western Europe to mobilize capital and knowledge to foster sustainable economic growth in emerging markets.

Rocha, a Portuguese and British national, has over 20 years of experience in development finance, most recently at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Her roles there included financial institutions where she covered European Union banks and structured finance, and supporting smaller businesses across Central and Eastern Europe.

More recently, Rocha, as head of Impact and Partnerships, was at the forefront of the EBRD’s crisis response in Ukraine, mobilizing a record amount of support from key shareholders and donors for Ukraine’s economy and private sector. In that role, she collaborated closely with development finance institutions and multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and IFC. Previously, she worked at UBS Investment Bank and the Central Bank of Portugal.

“Ines’ vast experience makes her an exceptionally good fit for this role—in particular, as we continue to navigate the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Alfonso Garcia Mora, IFC’s Vice President for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. I am confident she will be able to steer IFC’s program to even greater heights, helping to accelerate green, resilient, and inclusive growth and mobilize more investment from Western Europe towards emerging markets.”

As Regional Director, Rocha will focus on leading IFC’s regional teams in Western, Central and Eastern European country offices, and managing key client, government, and stakeholder relationships. She will also shape and direct the implementation of IFC’s strategy in the region, working closely with the World Bank and MIGA, lead business development, and oversee IFC’s operations across sectors.

Rocha holds an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2023, IFC committed a record $43.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity as economies grapple with the impacts of global compounding crises.