UNEP FI Global Roundtable 2022

Inger Andersen
Executive Director, UN Environment Programme

Inger Andersen was appointed Executive Director of the UNEP by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in February 2019.

Between 2015 and 2019, Ms. Andersen was the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Ms Andersen brings a passion for conservation and sustainable development with more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability and policy-making, as well as in designing and implementing projects and generating on-the-ground impact. She has played a key role in supporting riparian countries on international water management and hydro diplomacy.

Prior to joining IUCN, Ms Andersen held various leadership roles at the World Bank and United Nations. Most recently, she was Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, and previous to that Vice President for Sustainable Development and Head of the CGIAR Fund Council. Throughout Ms Andersen’s 15-year career at the World Bank, her managerial roles focused on water, environment, and sustainable development with special emphasis on Africa and the Middle East. Previous to the World Bank, Ms. Andersen worked at the United Nations for 12 years, starting in the UN Sudano-Sahelian Office working on drought and desertification issues, and was then appointed UNDP’s Water and Environment Coordinator for the Arab Region.

Ms Andersen’s educational background includes a BA from London Metropolitan University North and a MA degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London with specialisation in development economics.

Oliver Bäte
CEO, Allianz SE

Thomas Buberl
CEO of AXA Group

Mr. Thomas Buberl holds a Master of Economics degree from WHU Koblenz (Germany), a MBA from Lancaster University (UK) and a PhD in Economics from the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland). In 2008 he was nominated as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Thomas Buberl worked at the Boston Consulting Group as a consultant for the banking & insurance sector in Germany and abroad. From 2005 to 2008, he had worked for the Winterthur Group as member of the Management Board of Winterthur in Switzerland, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as Chief Marketing and Distribution Officer. Then, he joined Zurich Financial Services where he had been Chief Executive Officer for Switzerland. From 2012 to April 2016, he was Chief Executive Officer of AXA Konzern AG (Germany). In 2012, he has been member of the AXA Executive Committee. In March 2015, he became Chief Executive Officer of the Global Business Line for the Health Business and joined the AXA Management Committee. In January 2016, Mr. Thomas Buberl was also appointed Chief Executive Officer of the global business line Life & Savings. From March 21, 2016 to August 31, 2016, Mr. Thomas Buberl was Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Directeur Général Adjoint) of AXA. Since September 1, 2016, Mr. Thomas Buberl has been Chief Executive Officer and director of AXA.

Mark Carney
Special Envoy on Climate Change & Finance, United Nations

Mark Carney is UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Prime Minister Johnson’s Finance Adviser for COP26. Mark was previously Governor of the Bank of England (from 2013 to 2020), and before that Governor of the Bank of Canada (from 2008 to 2013). Internationally, Mark was Chair of the Financial Stability Board (from 2011 to 2018), Chaired the Global Economy Meeting and Economic Consultative Committee of the Bank for International Settlements, and was First Vice- Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board. He is a member of the Group of Thirty and the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum. Mark was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada in 1965. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard and a master’s and doctorate in Economics from Oxford. After a thirteen-year career with Goldman Sachs, Mark was appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2003. In 2004, he became Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Finance. He held this position until his appointment as Governor of the Bank of Canada in February 2008.

Sola David-Borha
CEO, Africa Regions, Standard Bank Group

Christiana Figueres
Convenor, Mission 2020

Christiana Figueres is a world authority on global climate change and was the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC from 2010-2016. Ms. Figueres is currently Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ClimateWorks Board Member, World Bank Climate Leader and Mission-2020 Convenor.

During her tenure at the UNFCCC Ms. Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, corporations and activists, financial institutions and communities of faith, think tanks and technology providers, NGOs and parliamentarians, to jointly deliver the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, in which 195 sovereign nations agreed on a collaborative path forward to limit future global warming to below 2C. The agreement entered into force in less than a year, breaking the record of the UN. For this achievement Ms. Figueres has been credited with forging a new brand of collaborative diplomacy.

In addition to her remarkable diplomatic achievements over the past 20 years, she served as Director of Renewable Energy in the Americas (REIA) and in 1995 founded the non-profit Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas (CSDA), which she directed for eight years.

Kristalina Georgieva
Managing Director, IMF

Kristalina Georgieva was selected Managing Director of the IMF on September 25, 2019. She assumed her position on October 1, 2019.

Before joining the Fund, Ms. Georgieva was CEO of the World Bank from January 2017 to September 2019, during which time she also served as Interim President of the World Bank Group for three months.

Previously, Ms. Georgieva helped shape the agenda of the European Union. She served as European Commission Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, overseeing the EU’s €161 billion (US $175bn) budget and 33,000 staff. In that capacity, she was deeply involved in efforts to address the Euro Area debt crisis and the 2015 refugee crisis. Before that, she was Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, managing one of the world’s largest humanitarian aid budgets.

Prior to joining the European Commission, Ms. Georgieva worked for 17 years at the World Bank, culminating in her appointment as Vice President and Corporate Secretary in 2008. In this role, she served as the interlocutor between the World Bank Group’s senior management, its Board of Directors, and its shareholder countries.

Ms. Georgieva serves on many international panels including as co-Chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation to climate change, and as co-chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing. She has authored and co-authored over 100 publications on environmental and economic policy topics, including textbooks on macro- and microeconomics.

Shu Gu
President, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)

Ma Jun
Director of the Center for Finance and Development, Tsinghua National Institute of Financial Research

Dr. MA Jun is the UN Environment’s Special Advisor on Sustainable Finance. He is also Special Advisor to the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Chairman of Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking, and Co-chair of G20 Green Finance Study Group. Before joining Tsinghua University, he was the Chief Economist at the Research Bureau of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) from 2014-17. Prior to that, he worked for 13 years at Deutsche Bank, where he was Managing Director, Chief Economist for Greater China, and Head of China and Hong Kong Strategy. From 1992-2000, he worked as public policy specialist, economist and senior economist at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. From 1988-1990, he was a research fellow at the Development Research Center of China’s State Council. Dr. Ma received his Ph.D. in Economics from Georgetown University in 1994, and his master’s degree in Management Science from Fudan University in 1988.

Christine Lagarde
President, European Central Bank

Born in Paris in 1956, Christine Lagarde completed high school in Le Havre and attended Holton Arms School in Bethesda (Md, USA). She then graduated from law school at University Paris X, and obtained a Master’s degree from the Political Science Institute in Aix-en-Provence. After being admitted as a lawyer to the Paris Bar, Christine Lagarde joined the international law firm Baker & McKenzie as an associate, specialising in labour, anti-trust, and mergers and acquisitions. A member of the Executive Committee of the Firm in 1995, Christine Lagarde became the Chairman of the Global Executive Committee of Baker & McKenzie in 1999.

Christine Lagarde joined the French government in June 2005 as Minister for Trade. After a brief stint as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in June 2007 she became the first woman to hold the post of Finance and Economy Minister of a G7 country. From July to December 2008 she also chaired the ECOFIN Council, which brings together Economics and Finance Ministers of the European Union.

As a member of the G20, Christine Lagarde was involved in the Group’s management of the financial crisis, helping to foster international policies related to financial supervision and regulation and to strengthen global economic governance. As Chair of the G20 when France took over its presidency for the year 2011, she launched a wide-ranging work agenda on the reform of the international monetary system. In July 2011 Christine Lagarde was elected the 11th Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the first woman to hold that position. In February 2016 she was selected to serve a second five-year term. She resigned from the IMF on 12 September 2019 following her nomination as the first woman to be appointed President of the European Central Bank.

In 2019 Christine Lagarde was ranked the second most influential woman in the world by Forbes magazine. She has often been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Christine Lagarde was named Officier in the Légion d’honneur in April 2012. A former member of the French national team for synchronised swimming, Christine Lagarde is the mother of two sons.

Jean Lemierre
President, BNP Paribas

EDUCATION
Jean Lemierre graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Paris) and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration. He also holds a degree in Law.

CAREER
Jean Lemierre has a long and recognised career in international finance.
In the 1980s he held various posts within the French Tax Administration, including Head of Tax Legislation and Director General of Taxes.
In May 1995, he was appointed Chief of Cabinet of the French Ministry of Economy and Finances and become Head of Treasury in October later that year.
Before being appointed at the helm of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in 2000, he was a member of the European Monetary Committee (1995-1998), President of the European Economic and Financial Committee (1999-2000) and Chairman of the Paris Club (1999-2000). He served as President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development until 2008.
En 2009, Jean Lemierre became a member of the International Advisory Council of the China Investment Corporation (CIC) and the International Advisory Council of the China Development Bank (CDB). He is member of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) for the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
He was Senior Advisor to the Chairman of BNP Paribas between 1 September 2008 and 30 November 2014.

TODAY
On 1 December 2014, Jean Lemierre became Chairman of BNP Paribas.
He is also Chairman of the main French institute for research into international economics (CEPII), a member of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and in May 2016, he was elected Member of the Board of Directors of TOTAL.

Bruno Le Maire
Minister of Economy and Finance, France

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
Executive Secretary, UN CBD Secretariat

Since December 2019, Ms. Mrema has been the Acting Executive Secretary of the CBD Secretariat.  Prior to that, Ms. Mrema served as Director of the Law Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya.  With over two decades of experience at the United Nations, Ms. Mrema brings to the position extensive experience in global environmental law and policymaking, implementation of environmental and sustainable development programmes, and a deep knowledge of multilateral processes.  From 2009 to 2012, she served as the Executive Secretary of the UNEP/Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals as well as served as the Acting Executive Secretary of the UNEP/ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas) as well as Interim Executive Secretary of the UNEP/Gorilla Agreement, all based in Bonn, Germany.

Before joining UNEP, Ms. Mrema worked with United Republic of Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. During her time with the Ministry, she also lectured in Public International Law and Conference Diplomacy at Tanzania’s Centre for Foreign Relations and Diplomacy.

Ms. Mrema holds a Master of Law degree from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Centre of Foreign Relations and Diplomacy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Amina J. Mohammed
Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations

Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.

Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to three successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.

Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has two grandchildren.

Frédéric Oudéa
CEO of Société Générale

Frédéric Oudéa is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and the École Nationale d’Administration. From 1987 to 1995, he held a number of posts in the French senior civil service, Audit Department of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Economy and Finance, Budget Ministry and Cabinet of the Ministry of the Treasury and Communication. He joined Societe Generale in 1995 and went from being Deputy Head to Head of the Corporate Banking arm in London. In 1998, he became Head of Global Supervision and Development of Equities. Appointed Deputy Chief Financial Officer of the Societe Generale Group in May 2002. Appointed Chief Financial Officer in January 2003. Appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Group in 2008. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale from May 2009 to May 2015. In May 2015, the Board of Directors separated the offices of Chairman of the Board of Directors and of Chief Executive Officer, and appointed Frédéric Oudéa Chief Executive Officer.

Bill Winters
CEO, Standard Chartered

Bill was appointed Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered PLC in June 2015 and Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank in April 2019.

Bill is a career banker with significant frontline global banking experience and a proven track record of leadership and financial success. He has extensive experience of working in emerging markets and a proven record in spotting and nurturing talent.

Bill began his career with JP Morgan, where he went on to become one of its top five most senior executives and later co-chief executive officer at the investment bank from 2004 until he stepped down in 2009. Bill was invited to be a committee member of the Independent Commission on Banking, established in 2010, to recommend ways to improve competition and financial stability in banking. Subsequently, he served as an advisor to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and was asked by the Court of the Bank of England to complete an independent review of the bank’s liquidity operations. In 2011, Bill founded Renshaw Bay, an alternative asset management firm, where he was chairman and CEO. He stepped down on appointment to the Standard Chartered PLC Board. Bill was previously a non-executive director of Pension Insurance Corporation plc and RIT Capital Partners plc. He received a CBE in 2013.