Impact through International Development with Stephanie von Friedeburg, Senior Vice President, Operations, at International Finance Corporation. This interview is dedicated to the Women Entrepreneurs in Finance Initiative:
Stephanie von Friedeburg is IFC’s first Senior Vice President, Operations. She most recently stewarded the institution in the midst of the pandemic and led the implementation of IFC’s strategy to create projects, attract private investment, and ultimately support a resilient and inclusive recovery in emerging markets.
She currently leads all IFC investment operations and advisory services and manages IFC’s $60 billion debt and equity portfolio in more than 100 countries.
Her priorities include increasing opportunities for women, scaling up investments to fight climate change, and promoting digital development. Her career spans almost three decades in the World Bank Group. She started at IFC, where she also served as the first Chief Operating Officer and has spent more than two decades in investment operations, developing strong expertise in Africa and Central and Eastern Europe and in sectors such as telecom, manufacturing, and a wide array of technologies.
In addition to an MBA from the Wharton School, she holds a Master of Arts from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.