Irene Arias

  Irene Arias is the Global Director, for the Financial Institutions Group at the International Finance Corporation (IFC).  In this role, she oversees IFC’s strategy, investments and portfolio of all IFC’s operations in financial markets around the world. IFC’s investments in the financial sector represent about 40 percent of IFC’s global operations and the objective of IFC in this sector is to promote access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises.  Irene previously served as the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, overseeing IFC’s Investment and Advisory Services operations in 34 countries across the region, where IFC has a combined investment portfolio of $11.9 billion in private sector projects and Advisory Services programs worth $80.3 million. Before being named Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, she was IFC’s Regional Manager for the Andean region, overseeing IFC operations in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.  Irene joined IFC in 2001 and has been responsible for managing investments, primarily in the financial sector, from Washington, Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Bogota. She was part of the team that developed IFC's Asset Management Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IFC which manages over $6 billion of capital across six investment funds.  Irene, a Spanish national, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Carlos III University in Madrid, an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC, and an M.A. in Advanced European Studies from the College of Europe. She is a CFA Charterholder.  IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector.