Usha Rao-Monari, former USG of the UN Development Programme, explains the imperative for levelling up the world. Coverage provided by ESG News.
Usha Rao-Monari is the Former Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from April 2021 to July 2023.
As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. The UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNDP work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
Usha previously worked at Blackstone and IFC, a division of The World Bank, dealing with investing in the world at large, not only for profit, but also for impact.
Earlier Career
Upon graduation from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Usha Rao-Monari worked for A.F. Ferguson & Co. as a management consultant. In 1985, Usha moved to Prudential-Bache Securities to establish an investment banking division in New York and London, advising on cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
In 1991, Usha was appointed to the World Bank Young Professionals programme at the World Bank Group, before joining the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group. Developing an expertise in water management, Usha grew the IFC’s utilities (water, waste, downstream/midstream gas, renewable energy, hydroelectric power) investment program to cover multiple sectors and significantly increased its natural gas program.
As Global Head, Water and Waste Sectors, Infrastructure Department, Usha founded the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) in 2008, as a public-private-civil society collaboration to facilitate dialogue, convening and solutions on water resources reform in water-stressed emerging market economies. The IFC appointed her Director, Sustainable Business Investment Advisory Practice, in 2012, after which Usha joined Global Water Development Partners (a Blackstone portfolio company) in 2014. In May 2022, she was appointed to the Global Commission on the Economics of Water which aims to study the value of the world’s water, and work out ways of ensuring supply.
Related Article: Marisa Drew Chief Sustainability Officer, Standard Chartered interview with Ketan Patel – Force for Good
She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Finance, School of International and Public Affairs/School of Business, Columbia University, New York, a Master’s degree in Management Studies, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai, India and a B.A. Honors Economics, Delhi University, New Delhi.
Expertise:
Equity, project finance, corporate finance, infrastructure finance, mergers and acquisitions.