By Nnenna Ibeh

The International Financial Corporation (IFC), on Monday, July 3, announced the appointment of Mary Peschka as the organisation's Regional Director for East Africa.

A statement published on the World Bank member's website says Peschka would be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and lead the organisation's strategy for Eastern Africa while overseeing its operations across sectors and offices, managing critical relationships with partners and governments.

She will oversee IFC's operations in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Peschka's career and educational background

With 30 years of experience in global investment and development strategies, Peschka, an American national, served as IFC's Global Director for Sustainability and Gender Solutions in Washington DC before her recent appointment.

With an MSc in Anthropology & Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an MBA from the University of Oxford, and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University, Peschka has also worked across numerous sectors and regions, including in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. She has spent 19 years at the IFC.

Sérgio Pimenta, the IFC’s vice president for Africa, described Peschka as one with the energy and leadership to continue the expansion of the corporation's impact and generate new partnerships in East Africa.

Pimenta says, "I welcome Mary to her new role and know her energy and leadership will continue to expand IFC's impact and generate new partnerships in Eastern Africa to meet the needs of the moment, position the region for the future and build a strong foundation for an engaged and inclusive private sector."

She will focus on supporting partners to tackle multiple crises faced in the region and "to leverage the opportunities ahead from digital innovation to regional trade and small business development," Peschka says.