Karin Finkelston
VICE PRESIDENT
Kosmo Science
San Marino
Biography
Karin Finkelston is IFC’s Vice President of Communications and Outreach. Ms. Finkelston’s career at the World Bank Group includes a series of leadership positions at IFC and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in which she grew investment and guarantee businesses, and managed relationships with key clients and partners across the world. She was based in Asia for more than 17 years Ms. Finkelston rejoined IFC in July 2017, after serving as MIGA’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for two years. At MIGA—the political-risk insurance and credit-enhancement arm of the World Bank Group—she helped the agency deliver record performance, with the guarantee business growing over 70 percent. Her leadership contributed to an increase in energy and infrastructure investments in Africa and Asia, and to the creation of innovative structures to mobilize institutional investors into emerging markets in Europe and Latin America. Ms. Finkelston was also key to the growth of MIGA's role within the World Bank Group, including the structuring of the IDA18 Private Sector Window, which mobilizes private investment into fragile and conflict-affected markets. Ms. Finkelston spent much of her career leading IFC’s investment and advisory business in Asia, most recently as IFC’s first Vice President for Asia Pacific, from 2011 to 2013. Previously, she was Director/Associate Director for East Asia Pacific from 2006 to 2011, and Country Manager for China and Mongolia from 2000 to 2006. She grew IFC’s China business—investing with local entrepreneurs and banks—and led IFC’s expansion in Asia's frontier countries. Ms. Finkelston also served as IFC’s first Vice President for Global Partnerships in 2014. She joined IFC as an Investment Officer in 1996. Prior to that, Ms. Finkelston was a Vice President at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in Hong Kong after starting her career in New York. As a manager at Barents Group, she led a team in Hanoi, advising and implementing Vietnam's first privatization transactions. Ms. Finkelston has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.
Research Interest
Karin Finkelston is IFC’s Vice President of Communications and Outreach. Ms. Finkelston’s career at the World Bank Group includes a series of leadership positions at IFC and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in which she grew investment and guarantee businesses, and managed relationships with key clients and partners across the world. She was based in Asia for more than 17 years Ms. Finkelston rejoined IFC in July 2017, after serving as MIGA’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for two years. At MIGA—the political-risk insurance and credit-enhancement arm of the World Bank Group—she helped the agency deliver record performance, with the guarantee business growing over 70 percent. Her leadership contributed to an increase in energy and infrastructure investments in Africa and Asia, and to the creation of innovative structures to mobilize institutional investors into emerging markets in Europe and Latin America. Ms. Finkelston was also key to the growth of MIGA's role within the World Bank Group, including the structuring of the IDA18 Private Sector Window, which mobilizes private investment into fragile and conflict-affected markets. Ms. Finkelston spent much of her career leading IFC’s investment and advisory business in Asia, most recently as IFC’s first Vice President for Asia Pacific, from 2011 to 2013. Previously, she was Director/Associate Director for East Asia Pacific from 2006 to 2011, and Country Manager for China and Mongolia from 2000 to 2006. She grew IFC’s China business—investing with local entrepreneurs and banks—and led IFC’s expansion in Asia's frontier countries. Ms. Finkelston also served as IFC’s first Vice President for Global Partnerships in 2014. She joined IFC as an Investment Officer in 1996. Prior to that, Ms. Finkelston was a Vice President at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in Hong Kong after starting her career in New York. As a manager at Barents Group, she led a team in Hanoi, advising and implementing Vietnam's first privatization transactions. Ms. Finkelston has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.
