The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has appointed Amena Arif as its new Country Manager for East Africa and Malawi.
In her new role, Arif will help IFC strengthen the private sector, create jobs and opportunities, and help businesses and economies in the region recover from the effects of COVID-19. She will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Arif joined IFC in 2012 after building a career in commercial banking with Citibank and ABN AMRO Bank. She led IFC’s debt and equity investment transactions working with financial institutions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. Most recently, Arif served as IFC’s Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where she helped grow IFC’s portfolio and deepen its impact.
Commenting on her appointment, Amena Arif said, “I am excited to take up this new position at IFC and look forward to working in such a dynamic region. East Africa’s private sector has proved resilient, including through the COVID-19 crisis, but it can be an even more powerful engine of growth going forward, delivering equitable and sustainable growth. IFC and its partners are well positioned to support the private sector through the challenges together.”
Arif holds an MBA from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. She succeeds Manuel Moses, who moved to a new role outside IFC after successfully serving as IFC East Africa Country Manager for five years.
“On behalf of IFC, I welcome Amena to her new role in East Africa and Malawi. Her combination of skills and experience will prove invaluable in a region that has made excellent progress strengthening its private sector, but that today faces numerous challenges, including from COVID-19 and climate change,” said Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
IFC’s focus in East Africa includes bridging infrastructure gap in housing, healthcare, transport and energy, boosting agricultural productivity, and supporting businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.