Global Jersey Webinar: Building a Sustainable Future

Mary is the Founder of 17 Ventures, a MENA-based impact investment and advisory firm focused on advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mary is a General Partner in the SEAF Jordan Growth and Impact Fund and a Managing Director for the SEAF Globally Displaced Peoples’ Fund. Prior to this Mary spent 15 years as a social entrepreneur and was chosen as ‘Jordan’s Top Businesswoman’ in 2019, as well as being chosen as one of the Forbes’ Most Powerful Arab Women for several years. Mary built and operated Landmark Hotels Company as a leading local hospitality company dedicated to social impact. Landmark is commonly cited as a case-study on how to align businesses with the SDGs and in particular with SDG 5 on gender equality. Mary is a Young Global Leader (alumni) with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and also serves on the WEF Global Future Council on humanitarian systems.

Michelle is counsel for Innovest Advisory, an impact consultancy that applies development know-how to unlock private capital to tackle global challenges. Innovest works with impact funds, family offices, foundations, HNWIs, corporations, international NGOs, and multilateral and bilateral development agencies, seeking to link socially minded investors with impact investment opportunities globally. Innovest advises on how to maximise the social or environmental impact of capital thereby unlocking its potential to address the world’s most pressing challenges such as climate change, food security, financial inclusion and livelihoods. Prior to Innovest, Michelle was a Senior Partner and Director of a US law firm where she specialised in corporate finance transactions, including initial public offerings, structured finance and M&A transactions.She has served as a director, trustee, partner, advisor or ambassador of numerous non- profit organisations and several school and art foundations.

Andrew W. Mitchell is the Founder Director of Global Canopy in Oxford and Senior Adviser to Ecosphere Plus (E+), an impact investment and marketing company specialising in environmental assets. He is an international thought leader on tropical forests, climate change and financing natural capital. He has extensive field experience in Asia, Africa and Latin America, across a forty-year career spanning scientific research, conservation and finance for forests. He works to demonstrate the scientific, political and business case for safeguarding sustainable forests and landscapes as natural capital that underpins water, food, energy, health and climate security for all.

Fergus Drake is Chief Executive of Crown Agents, a not-for-profit international development company, established in 1833. Crown Agents work reaches over 120 million people in 50 countries, with expertise in Public Sector Transformation, Humanitarian & Stabilisation, Procurement reform, Last Mile Supply Chain, Health System Strengthening and Training & Professional Development. Prior to Crown Agents, Fergus was Executive Director of Global Programmes at Save the Children UK from 2009 to 2017. Prior to Save the Children he worked at the centre of government, including roles with HM Treasury in the UK, Deloitte in their Public Sector practice and was embedded in the Government of Rwanda with Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative.

Julio has 30 years’ experience working in emerging markets, with the last 22 years based in Africa. He was previously a partner at KPMG, where he founded and led their International Development Advisory Services, and has held executive positions with international agencies working across Latin America (United Nations) and Africa (European Union). Julio is currently the co-founder and Board Deputy Chair of African Venture Philanthropy Alliance and a Senior Executive Advisor with an impact fund, Investment Director for a family office and Board Advisor to the Social Capital Foundation. Julio has broad experience in the design, set up and management of multi-million dollar complex investments platforms, with emphasis on agribusiness, financial innovation, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change, and resilience. His investment portfolio has encompassed three hundred and sixty companies in thirty-two African countries with blended finance organised for many investees.

Before taking up his post as the Director of Jersey Overseas Aid in 2016, Simon Boas spent most of his career designing, implementing and evaluating aid projects in developing countries. He has managed UN and NGO offices in the Middle East and South Asia, and has worked for the Palestinian, British and Jersey governments. His experience runs from long-term development policy-making to humanitarian programming and immediate post-disaster relief.