Simone Dettling
Banking Team Lead (Simone is currently on maternity leave and Puleng Ndjwili-Potele replaces Simone as Interim Team Lead)

Simone leads the Banking Team of the UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), a global partnership between the UN and more than 200 banks, investors and insurers. As such she manages leadership initiatives with banks from over 60 countries around climate-aligned, sustainable finance. Formerly, Simone managed the German Government’s Emerging Markets Dialogue on Green Finance, under which she and her team worked with financial institutions from G20 Emerging Markets and Europe to integrate environmental costs into financial decision making and product development. As expert on green finance at the German International Cooperation (GIZ), she furthermore advised projects in emerging economies worldwide on renewable energy and energy efficiency financing, incorporation of natural capital considerations in financial decision making, as well as innovative approaches for green economic development. Simone holds an MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and during her career has lived and worked in various developing countries, such as Bangladesh, Lebanon, Syria and Malawi. Before joining UNEP FI she completed a half-year cycling trip from Germany to Iran.

Puleng Tumelo Ndjwili-Potele
Interim Banking Team Lead

Puleng is the Interim Banking Team Lead at UNEP FI. She was involved in developing the Principles for Responsible Banking, and currently leads the team that works closely with Signatory Banks and various stakeholders to support and drive implementation of the Principles for Responsible Banking, focusing on impact and driving alignment of bank portfolios with sustainable development objectives.
She started her career as a commercial law attorney. She left practice to work in the legal departments of Investec and then Standard Bank. She spent four years in Standard Bank’s corporate and investment banking department, working on property development transactions. Thereafter, she moved to Standard Bank’s Regulatory Advocacy team, where she worked with a broad range of stakeholders on policy issues, engaging with policy makers and regulators on emerging policies and legislation, including financial technology.
Puleng has obtained a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Masters degree in Public Policy from Wits University. She is passionate about sustainable development, and working towards achieving the objectives of the SDGs in order to realise an equitable and sustainable future for all.

tumelo.ndjwili-potele@un.org

Alice Anders
Climate Commitment & Banking Team

alice.anders@un.org

Karine Bueno
Sustainable Banking Expert & PRB Implementation Programme Manager

Recognized as the 2021 UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer for Sustainable Finance and Development and as the 2020 Brazilian UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer.

Experienced sustainability professional leading ESG Business and Philanthropic initiatives with 20 years of experience within the private sector and NGOs. Karine Bueno joined the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) to lead the feedback and review process for signatory banks of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (UN PRB) supporting the advancement of the principles´ implementation in the banking system.

Karine is the former Head of Sustainability at Santander Brasil where she led the integration of ESG within the business including the expansion of the Sustainable Finance portfolio, the excellence of Santander´s own ESG performance and the growth of social and volunteering initiatives.

She is also a former Director of the Sustainability Committee at FEBRABAN – Brazilian Federation of Banks and a former Board Member of UN Global Compact and CEBDS – the Brazilian Chapter of World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Her educational background includes certifications on Strategies for Sustainable Business (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Early Childhood Development (Harvard University), Specialization in Social Projects (USP – FIA / CEATS), Administration for NGOs (Getulio Vargas Foundation), Human Resources Management (Getulio Vargas Foundation) and a Bachelor’s degree of Psychology (Mackenzie Presbyterian University).

karine.siqueirabueno@un.org

Johanna Dichtl
Sustainability Expert & PRB Implementation Support Manager, UNEP FI

Johanna supports banks in implementing the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB), such as analyzing impact and target setting in the identified areas of most significant impact, and in meeting their commitments as signatories. Prior to joining UNEP FI, she used to be in charge of ESG integration as a CSR manager at a cooperative bank, and has several years of experience in sustainability management in both banking and insurance.

Johanna studied Economic Geography at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich/Germany and Lund University/Sweden, and holds a PhD in Sustainable Finance.

johanna.dichtl@un.org

Rachael Mpashi-Marx
Financial Health & Inclusion, Impact Analysis and Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy

Rachael is motivated by a deep commitment to equality, justice and sustainability for people and the planet. As a strategist, she prioritises the pursuit of rigorous, authentic approaches to purpose, impact and value for her clients. She emphasises collaboration and consultation, alongside structured, evidence-based iterative development and implementation.

As an innovator, Rachael is open and dynamic in her thinking, and diverse in the sources of inspiration and information she draws on. She is irrepressibly entrepreneurial, and is the co-founder of a justice tech startup. She has experience of product and programme development, and is skilled at understanding and integrating customer needs.

A seasoned writer and story-teller, Rachael has a well honed appreciation of the importance of delivering the right message in the most effective way. She has worked in a variety of communication roles, both agency and in-house, specialising in thought leadership and strategy.

She started her career campaigning for the arts, before becoming a project manager and researcher with a Department for Education quango, where she was responsible for, among other things, the national training of Educational Psychologists. She worked for a number of years in human rights and justice, including corporate legal pro bono and CSR. Immediately prior to joining Junxion, she worked with the hospitality industry on a circular economy model that put their empty rooms to use providing breaks for unpaid carers.

rachael.mpashi-marx@un.org

Oualid Rokneddine
Banking Governance & Membership

oualid.rokneddine@un.org

Ruediger Senft
Sustainable Banking Expert, PRB

ruediger.senft@un.org

Maria Eugenia Sosa Taborda
Latin America and Caribbean Network Coordinator

Maria Eugenia Sosa Taborda is Latin America and Caribbean Network Coordinator for UNEP-Financial Initiative. She has more than 15 years’ experience with the dissemination and consolidation of corporate social responsibility strategy in large companies, sustainable finance and developing innovative projects with positive impacts. She worked for 11 years in the financial sector with different subjects: Financial Education and Social, Entrepreneurship and Environmental Risks and Opportunities, working directly with different Business Units: Investments, Credit and Insurance. Maria Eugenia is graduated in business administration at PUCCAMP and she is currently studying a Masters at USP (São Paulo University) with a focus on social impact.

maria.sosataborda@un.org

Arielle Wat
Junior Communications Consultant, Banking & Nature

arielle.wat@un.org

Cara Wilson
Communications Lead, Banking & Nature

cara.wilson@un.org