When Tariye Gbadegesin stepped into her role as Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) in March 2024, she brought with her two decades of experience and a reputation for turning ambitious climate commitments into tangible results. Her appointment came at a time when global finance institutions faced mounting pressure to bridge the divide between pledges and implementation — especially in developing economies most exposed to climate risk.
A Global Leader in Climate and Infrastructure Finance
Before joining CIF, Gbadegesin served as CEO of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investments, a leading Pan-African fund channeling private capital into energy transition and climate-resilient infrastructure projects. She also co-chaired the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI), where she played a central role in building high-integrity frameworks for carbon markets that drive real, measurable climate impact.
Her leadership portfolio spans the International Monetary Fund, Boston Consulting Group, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the Africa Finance Corporation. Over her career, she has structured and delivered more than $3 billion in large-scale infrastructure and industrial investments, and has designed complex blended-finance platforms mobilizing public and private funds from multilateral banks and concessional finance windows.
Shaping the Future of Climate Investment
A dual national of the United States and Nigeria, Gbadegesin represents a new generation of African climate leaders who are global in perspective yet deeply rooted in the realities of developing economies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School — a blend of analytical rigor and strategic vision that has defined her leadership approach.
At CIF, her mandate is clear: to expand access to climate finance and accelerate the transition from pilot projects to scalable, system-wide change.
“Developing countries are at the forefront of the climate crisis, and we will only meet this decisive moment by working together to scale climate finance where it is needed most,” she said upon her appointment. “CIF is uniquely placed to deliver in this new era — with 15 years of experience and six multilateral development bank partners ready to drive action.”
Expanding CIF’s Reach: From Policy to Practice
Gbadegesin’s leadership is already being felt across the CIF portfolio. Under her direction, CIF has expanded its Nature, People, and Climate program — a $400 million initiative supporting low- and middle-income countries in deploying nature-based solutions for climate resilience.
Her commitment to Small Island Developing States was underscored this week with CIF’s endorsement of Fiji’s $27 million Nature Financing Plan, a landmark initiative to protect ecosystems and strengthen local economies. “Investing in nature is investing in a secure and prosperous future — especially for Fiji, where the natural environment underpins the economy,” Gbadegesin told SDG News.
The Fiji plan will benefit more than 80,000 people and aims to conserve 30% of the nation’s land and marine areas — aligning with global biodiversity and adaptation goals. Read the full article here.
A Bridge Between Finance and Development
Beyond her executive leadership, Gbadegesin has been an influential advisor to several global institutions, including the Climate Policy Initiative’s Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Infrastructure Advisory Committee, the African Advisory Board of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), and the Advisory Council of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
Her career reflects a consistent focus on one mission: making climate finance both equitable and effective. By combining policy acumen with financial innovation, she continues to champion a model of investment that places people, nature, and resilience at its core.
Actionable Intel
For policymakers and multilateral partners, Gbadegesin’s leadership at CIF signals a broader shift in global climate finance — from fragmented project funding toward integrated, country-led investment systems. Expect greater alignment between MDBs, private investors, and national governments under her tenure, especially in scaling blended finance for adaptation and resilience.
As the world looks toward COP30 in Belém, Tariye Gbadegesin’s work at CIF will remain a bellwether for how multilateral climate finance can rise to meet the urgency of this decisive decade.
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