29 | Managing Director of the Year 2023 Mar23137 Most Pioneering Green Finance MD 2023: Marta Simonetti Established in 2018, Globalfields is a boutique consultancy specialising in climate finance. The company’s vision is to help create a world where climate finance delivers change, creating resilient environments in which both nature and people can thrive. At the helm of Globalfields is founder and managing director, Marta Simonetti. We chat with Marta to find out more. When Marta Simonetti left university in 2001 she headed straight for the City, London’s financial district. Taking up a post with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Marta began her career as a political analyst. She tells us, “My focus and interest have always been in the interaction between policy, government, and business. All those years in a corporate environment taught me to be wellorganised and thorough with my work. My work also gave me the opportunity to travel and grow a network of peers across all continents.” Feeling limited by the boundaries of her corporate life, Marta decided to quit her position as deputy pillar head for multilateral funds at the bank to go it alone. Founding Globalfields, Marta’s aim was to scale up financial flows that would help developing countries contribute to climate change mitigation and enhance their resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis. Marta explains, “We work at the intersection of the public and private sectors, with institutions and investors active in development finance, green finance, and sustainability. We provide advisory services around climate change policy and projects. We support developing countries in formulating and revising their climate change and development strategies, including aligning with the targets of the Paris Agreement. We also work with international organisations and government authorities to develop finance strategies linked to countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).” Globalfields supports national institutions in their institutional accreditation to global funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) by providing independent expert advice on finance provision, fundraising, policy issues, and emerging trends. The company also works with international NGOs on the development of projects for the GCF. As a developer and designer of training programmes on climate change, climate finance, MRV, and sustainable finance, Globalfields has delivered training for a variety of clients including Euromoney, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ArmSwissBank, the United Nations Development Programme, as well as for several private banks in Asia. Marta says, “Capacity building is a critical element in ensuring a sustainable future for all. It is a prerequisite before we go in with other forms of financing. There are definitely similar companies offering at least in part similar services. With Globalfields we wanted to go further. We believe in the potential for the environmental and social impacts that we can help countries and institutions achieve. When we say we work for a better world, it is not a cliché. We offer a holistic approach. We look at each assignment in its wider context. That’s also why I opened an investment practice alongside our advisory and training offering, as I wanted to show that we walk the talk. There is a genuine belief in the importance of transition to greener models. So far we’ve invested in corporate bonds to support small-scale renewable energy projects.” Globalfields’ clients include the international financial sector, development banking and donor organisations such as Invesco, the World Bank, Conservation International, Save the Children, WWF, the United Nations, and as well as international humanitarian entities such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Closer to home, the company is supporting pro-bono projects including the provision of climate change and conservation training in a primary school, mentoring schemes for new graduates, and sponsorship of two local children’s football teams. When asked about her entrepreneurial journey so far, Marta tells us, “As a managing director of an SME, I have a million things to do every day. There’s so much more work now than ever before, from business development to finance, from clients’ relations to payroll. The learning curve has been amazing, although incredibly steep! I’ve been able to shape several lines of work which I would never have been able to do in my corporate role. And, as a director, I’m able to steer a mini-corporate culture in Globalfields that values people’s work, their health, and their family lives.” To find out more about the services offered by Globalfields, please visit the company website. Contact: Marta Simonetti Company: Globalfields Web Address: www.globalfields.co.uk
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