International Women’s Day 2021

Vanessa Cuellas

Senior Associate, Banking & Finance, Allen & Overy Spain

Vanessa has extensive experience advising on a broad range of products in the infrastructure and energy space. She is a clear example of a lawyer who has been able to reconcile her personal commitments as a mother of two with the ambition and commitment to serve clients at the highest level and generating trust amongst them.

She is a born leader who works hard to promote gender equality and has mentored dozens of young associates since she joined A&O.

Teddy Spasova

Leading Regulatory and EV Economics, Arup

Teddy leads the EV and regulated utilities offerings at Arup, leading projects such as Project Rapid for the DfT/BEIS (Government fund for grid upgrades to enable EV charging on motorways amounting to £950m), Arup’s due diligence work on Zenobe and other EV charging operators in the UK and abroad, developing Heathrow’s landside EV strategy, supporting TfGM on EV charging roll-out and tariffs. Teddy is keen to move the EV charging and utilities sectors forward to achieve net zero.

Tara Mackay

Partner, Torys LLP

Tara Mackay is a highly respected projects and project finance lawyer. Starting in 2002 as one of the earliest Canadian lawyers to specialize in PPP transactions, Tara moved to NY in 2013 and became a trusted lead partner on many pathfinder transactions across Canada and USA.

Tara’s known for mastery of detail, pragmatic negotiation style, and razor-sharp wit. And she consistently gives back—as an active mentor to juniors, within the WIN network, and through sponsoring the JDRF charity.

Sybil Tan

Director, Infrastructure Advisory – Major Projects and Asset Management, KPMG Singapore

As part of the Infrastructure team, Sybil drives the major projects advisory and asset management focussed on covering project implementation and operations improvement. She has worked on mega projects including the leading metro rail company in the region advising on operational optimization and incorporating predictive maintenance using data analytics. A engineer by training and having worked in UK for a number of years before moving back to Singapore, she is passionate about digital transformation across sectors including transport and real estate/built environment.

Franca Núñez

Senior Associate, KPMG Peru

Franca is a senior associate in our Infrastructure team in Lima. She is a young professional flourishing in a male dominated environment. If this, by itself is an achievement, she manages this in addition to the contribution that she is doing to the community being a volunteer fire fighter. These two roles highlight and challenge gender inequality and provides confidence and inspiration to others that it is possible to succeed in these evolving environments.

Daisy Brooker

Chief Executive, IPFA

Having been at IPFA for over 12 years, Daisy has risen through the ranks, becoming CEO in 2018. She is well respected by her colleagues and key industry figures having developed IPFA into the globally recognised association that it is today.

Daisy leads an all-female powerhouse secretariat at IPFA in an open, collaborative, and encouraging way. Along with her team, she actively champions diversity within the IPFA membership and leads by example as one of few female CEOs in our industry.

Currently on maternity leave, she shows that, with good leadership skills, you can step away and come back.

Ijeoma D. Agboti-Obatoyinbo

Managing Director/CEO, FBNQuest Funds Ltd.

Ijeoma has over 20 years’ experience in the global investment business. Her focus has been on alternative investment asset classes, channeling much needed institutional investment into strong businesses and projects poised for growth, particularly in Africa. She has spent her career across 4 continents advising investors on alternative investments. She is especially passionate about women’s economic empowerment and facilitating the participation of women in the economic growth stories of the developing world. Her ongoing work with the Cartier Women’s Initiative, women’s mentorship and other projects continues to add value to these critical needs.

Genevie Yeo

Analyst, Portfolio Management, InfraCo Asia

Genevie has worked across corporate finance, research, and asset management in the scope of her career. At Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company InfraCo Asia, she serves as the focal point for Development Impact.

Genevie tracks the way InfraCo Asia’s infrastructure projects and initiatives provide benefit to the people and communities they are intended to serve. She is also a part of InfraCo Asia’s Gender Taskforce, which seeks to develop and enhance systems and processes aimed at empowering women and eliminating gender bias, both in the workplace and through the projects that InfraCo Asia undertakes.

Claire Rogers

Partner, King & Wood Mallesons

In an often male-dominated field, Claire Rogers is one of Australia’s leading project finance lawyers, with a diverse practice advising sponsors and lenders on complex projects across the nation’s major infrastructure projects, cutting edge renewable energy transactions and the emerging social housing sector.

For the past 5 years, Claire has worked tirelessly as the Partner Champion of regular Women in Project Finance networking events, which play a vital role in promoting the profile and interests of women in the sector.

Julia Prescot

Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam Infrastructure

Julia has been a Non-Exec Director on the IPFA Board for over ten years – the first woman to serve on the Board – as well as being a senior executive at Meridiam.

Her tenacity, support and drive has provided advice, guidance, and mentorship not just to IPFA and Meridiam but as a role model across the world. An exemplar in our industry, she empowers other women to take on senior roles as well as Board positions and we continue to be inspired by her.

Olamide Adeosun

Chief Financial Officer, FBNQuest Merchant Bank

Olamide Adeosun is an experienced finance professional with over 20 years cross sector experience (local and international) who is passionate about positively impacting lives.
An active member of various non-for-profit organizations whose core mandate is to empower women and children. Over the last 10 years, she has dedicated her time to mentoring women and participating in outreach programs for underprivileged children. Her visionary perspective earned her the opportunity to be the finance lead on major transformation programs at FBNQuest.

Virginia Vidal

Civil Infrastructure Regional Director, AECOM

Virginia has developed her expertise in the rail industry and Muslim countries, where she took the most of these male dominated environments to grow as an engineer and a person. She has never been afraid to take on the responsibilities and challenges she has been offered, and this is why in less than eight years she went from delivering design in her home country to managing over 150 experts for AECOM, while she formed and grew to a family of four.

Lucy Machel

Head, Claims & Recoveries, African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI)

Lucy fosters the spirit of inclusion by participation. Through her proactive and diligent involvement in negotiations and high level decisions that impact the development of African economies, she constantly challenges the norm, demonstrating the value of giving women a seat at the table. She supports various African Governments and stakeholders to structure win-win solutions aimed at resolving issues sustainably on transactions worth well over US$ 50M.

In 2019, Lucy was recognised by the Swedish Institute Management Programme as one of the outstanding and progressive business trailblazers on responsible leadership and sustainable business practices.

Lara Bezuidenhoudt

Partner and leader of the region’s Finance and Projects team, Fasken

Lara Bezuidenhoudt is the leader of the Johannesburg office Finance and Projects team as well as the Johannesburg office Chairperson. She is highly regarded for her skills in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and project finance, specifically, infrastructure development. With her in-depth knowledge and experience client’s seek Lara’s counsel when navigating complex transactions.

Lara cares deeply about the development of the infrastructure lawyers. She strongly believes in nurturing talent, and year-on-year, the firm has successfully promoted and retained talented young infrastructure lawyers into senior associate and partner positions.

Jillian Ashley

Partner, Banking & Finance, Allen & Overy New York

Jillian is a partner in the Projects, Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Group and Head of Allen & Overy’s US China Group based in the New York office. Jillian’s experience features extensive work on the full life cycle of infrastructure investments as well as advising the firm’s Chinese clients.

Jillian is also an active mentor to diverse junior team members, both through formal and informal channels, as well as an active contributor to the Women’s Committee and the firm’s D&I initiatives as a whole.

Belinda Edwards

Director of P3 Advisory, Turner & Townsend Canada

With 20 years’ experience providing advice to project finance transactions across the UK and North America, Belinda is a Director in Turner & Townsend’s Toronto office and leads the Canadian P3 team. Belinda is passionate about developing new talent and leads the Graduate Development Program in Canada. Belinda sets high standards in everything she does and leads others to achieve the same. Belinda’s passion for the great outdoors extends to hiking, fishing and camping across northern Ontario to relax.

Helga Van Peer

Lawyer, dealmaker and independent board member, specialised in PPP-structures and public law

Helga has been a trailblazer for Belgian PPP for 20 years. Her genuine empathy for everyone’s interests as a law practitioner and as a woman, helps strongly in achieving deal success. (Chambers Europe 2020 : “ she always puts the interest of the group first”).

Helga has been a mentor to many, with focus on women. However, she also speaks up effectively with regard to values and inclusion, regardless of the audience. She did so long before this became “acceptable” or even “fashionable”.

Magdalena Perutti

Director, Advisory Services, KPMG Uruguay

Magdalena is a key element of our Latin America team. On a male dominated industry she has been able, through her strong competences, to be identified as a key professional in the infrastructure industry. This is particularly relevant as she is based in a smaller country but this has not limited her role across Latin America, working with international and local investors across the region. Because of this, she is an example to our group and particularly to our women in infrastructure.

Sharyn Bow

Projects and Operations Manager, InfraCo Asia

As part of InfraCo Asia, Sharyn guides the Joint Venture project companies in which InfraCo Asia has a shareholding in implementing international standards of quality, safety, environment and project management. She has worked as an engineer across the infrastructure project lifecycle in multiple global regions across her 25-year career.

For Sharyn, diversity within the project team is key to creating the positive impact that significantly improved infrastructure can have on people’s lives: “In this industry, success relies on harnessing and celebrating the diversity that makes our perspectives and capabilities unique,” she says.

Sutina Tsang

Principal and Director, E3 Advisory

Sutina Tsang is a qualified engineer and one of Sydney’s most highly regarded experts in the transport infrastructure sector. As a migrant woman, she offers an inspiring role model for minority groups in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

At E3 Advisory, Sutina provides invaluable mentorship that supports the development of diverse individuals in the workplace. As head of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, she drove the launch of an industry-leading parental leave policy that promotes workplace equality, diversity, and work/life balance.

Michelle Sichlau

Executive Director, Origination at Plenary Group

Michelle has over 14 years’ experience in project finance across a range of sectors and holds a leadership role at Plenary Group, having previously been Head of Power and Utilities, Project Finance at ANZ.

Throughout her career, Michelle has maintained a focus on broader business activities, including improving diversity and inclusion.

Michelle currently leads Plenary’s first environmental, social and governance (ESG) group, which has since established Plenary’s first Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Reconciliation Action Plan – driving improved inclusion and cultural awareness.

Dr. Julia Kowalle

Director, SMBC

Julia created the New Powerful Voices group within SMBC, helping staff to develop presenting and speaking skills, and being a safe and open space to share views and experiences on any topic. Members from across the organisation have used the platform to discuss issues as diverse as hobbies, parenthood, cultural differences, marital relationships and mental health. It’s a rare and valuable thing for someone to successfully create and nurture a community where such openness is so encouraged and valued.

Lucy Birch

Marketing Analyst, HCP

As a member of the HCP Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group and now an HCP Champion for these values, Lucy is a go-to representative in the Consultancy business and the wider organisation, using her past recruitment knowledge and experience to lead on a white paper submission for an inclusive recruitment pilot scheme. She continually promotes equality and fairness, also volunteering as a ‘gig buddy’ for adults with special needs.

Maha Khan

Technical Transaction Consultant, Arup

Maha operates in the energy team, enabling clients to make more informed investments within the sector. She is passionate about community engagement and providing equal opportunities, her dream is to make energy more accessible for all, delivering tangible outcomes through increasing their sustainability efforts.

She is representing the firm at the UN’s Young SDG Innovators Programme this year and was vice chair on an Engineering for Overseas Development project designing and developing relevant infrastructure for coffee farmers in Uganda.

Jacqueline Bell

Partner, Dentons

Reaching financial targets with high client satisfaction doesn’t make anyone special. Doing that and more in the year that you do something that remains reserved for women – delivering your third child – makes Jacqueline Bell an extraordinary Finance lawyer. As colleagues, we are inspired by the healthy balance Jacqueline creates between her family life and professional drive. As one of our firm’s Diversity & Inclusion drivers, she sets an example for all; no matter what gender or personal background.

Loraine O’Sullivan

Director, WSP UK

Loraine is a real driving force and has been instrumental in establishing and growing the Investment Services business line for WSP. Loraine’s passion and personal accountability for upholding high standards makes her a true trusted advisor to WSP’s clients. Amongst her many achievements Loraine set up WSP’s SPV Management service and the UK SPV team is made up entirely of women! She represents exactly what we should celebrate on International Women’s Day – a leader and an all-round inspirational woman.

Patty Clark

Former Chief Strategy Officer, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Patty Clark has had a distinguished public service career, retiring from the Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey in October 2020, where she most recently served as the Chief Strategy Officer in the Aviation Department.

Patty is a recognized thought leader in the aviation industry, leading beyond the walls of the Port Authority and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan airport system and many successful project accomplishments. She is respected by colleagues, a valued friend and mentor, and uniquely positioned to lead the way to advance diversity, equality and inclusion in the aviation sector.

Ha Do

Head of Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare, KPMG, Vietnam

Ha is the lead partner for Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare sector. As a tax practitioner she has expanded her coverage to cover whole of life value chain for corporates thereby earning trust of a number of CEOs in her market. She now heads our Hanoi practice as the Senior partner there and has been instrumental in some of the key government as well as strong local private sector clients. She is involved in recent renewable BCG Solar energy deal closure and is very active in the conference circuit and very sought after on various committees.

Kirsten Hannan

Division Director, Macquarie Capital

During her time at Macquarie, Kirsten has been a role model for many, managing to have a successful career while raising three children. A recent achievement that shows her great team leadership and execution skills is Murra Warra Wind Farm II project, that achieved Financial Close in 2020 and has been recognised as Australia Green Deal of the Year at the PFI Awards.

During over two years of hard work, she successfully led and motivated a diverse project team (including two expecting mothers), dedicated many hundreds of hours to guidance and growth opportunities for junior team members and consistently supported flexible working practices.

Kim Evans

Project Coordinator, HCP

As a member of the HCP Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group, Kim has fostered the spirit of inclusion by championing these values in her workplace, researching and training in her own time to continually improve this for her colleagues and clients, and working collaboratively to ensure progress across all areas of the business. She challenges the status quo for the better, operating with integrity and has been instrumental in creating positive, lasting change.

Eric Wolfe

Partner, Global Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG Canada

Eric is a known thought leader in our industry for the work that he does, but he also sets the standard and tone for inclusion, empathy and personal and professional growth for the entire team. Eric’s willingness to provide advice, coaching and support means all our team members can meet their professional goals, while bringing our whole selves to work. His commitment to do better for himself and his team means he is an inspiration and a true ally.

Maude Vallée

Chief Legal Counsel & Head of Operations of the African Legal Support Facility

Maude was one of the first employees of the ALSF and has been promoted from counsel, senior counsel to her current position as Chief Legal Counsel and Head of Operations. Under her and Stephen Karingizi’s (CEO of the ALSF) the ALSF developed a diversity strategy that also focuses on gender equality in the legal professions and in relation to ALSF projects in Africa. Maude is a real role model and exceptional female leader that generates impact with her work in Africa.

Vanessa Jakovich

Partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Vanessa is an energy lawyer with globally-recognised nuclear expertise and a passion for innovation and sustainability. She was promoted to the Freshfields partnership in 2019, as a brand new Mum, and sits on the firm’s Sustainability Leadership Team.

Alongside championing thought leadership in ESG, energy transition and novel nuclear technology, she’s been a leading light of the Senior Women’s Network for many years. Her approachability means she’s a go-to person for advice on work, life and anything else.

Amanda Mapanda

Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Workplace culture is very important to Amanda and, alongside her high-profile, global projects work, she co-chairs Freshfields Mental Health Affinity Network and is a key player in the Black Affinity Network. Alongside this, she finds time to present ‘Career Ready’ masterclasses to year 12 students at Hampstead School and promotes the Stephen Lawrence scholarship scheme.

A real team player too, she runs team spinning classes when allowed and has arranged a magic show as a member of the social committee.

Rana Ashour

Office & HR Manager, Soliman, Hashish & Partners

Rana Ashour is our Office & HR Manager and she is always up to the level of responsibility.

Rana managed in a very short time to bring our office to a much higher management level where she anticipated a large number of internal initiatives including, inter alia, development of our law firm’s policy that is up to the international standards.

Rana holds MBA in human resources and was originally graduated from the Law School of Cairo University.

It is always such pleasure to work with Rana.

Fiona Ahimie

Managing Director, FBNQuest Securities

Fiona Ahimie is a Chartered Accountant, Stockbroker and a council member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. An expert in the stockbroking industry, she has continuously fostered industry relations for inclusion and development while also contributing to financial market products. She sits on the board of various companies and is a guest lecturer and a Member of the Curriculum Management and Learning Committee of Lagos Business School. She mentors many young professionals and undergraduates and was recognized by Focus Africa group for her contributions to her industry in 2020.

Xue Wang

Partner, Banking and Finance, Allen & Overy Tokyo

Xue is the first woman to become partner for A&O Tokyo, having previously worked in A&O’s London office and Hong Kong office. She is an expert in energy and infrastructure projects, having worked on some of the largest and ground-breaking projects around the world such as the Area 4 LNG projects in Mozambique (the largest project financing in Africa at the time) and DEWA IV, the largest solar project in the world at the time.

Xue is currently a VP of the Women in Law Japan association and is passionate about supporting women in the legal profession.

Adeline Maler James

Group Corporate & Regulatory, M&A and Foreign Holdings, Volkswagen AG

Adeline Maler James is the in-house legal lead on the collaboration between VW and Ford – the largest industrial alliance in the world. It means bringing together two different business cultures, legal backgrounds, strategic outlooks and risk appetites. The legal teams are entirely female-led in a male-dominated industry. They have hit all milestones and continue to run to timetable – even during lockdown. Only someone with Maler’s expertise, drive, experience, management capability, strategic skills and sheer ability to collaborate could have achieved this.

Michele Connolly

EMA Head of Global Infrastructure, KPMG Ireland

Michele is a role model for women in KPMG and a passionate advocate of women within the Firm and in the infrastructure sector. She is head of our Irish Infrastructure practice and last year was promoted to EMA Head of Infrastructure. Both within the Irish Firm and as a proactive member of our Global Diversity and Inclusion Board she has driven numerous initiatives to increase women’s representation and recognition, including through mentorship programmes, I&D training and awards.

Hannah Turner

Parent Returners Programme Lead (Bridge the Gap), Jacobs

When Hannah became a parent, pressures at work and home impacted her mental health. Hannah wanted to make a difference, promoting inclusion and diversity. She has masterminded and led the successful development of the UK Jacobs “Bridge the Gap” program that supports colleagues before and after becoming a parent, working towards fulfilment both at work and home. This program is now being rolled out globally. In addition, Hannah hosted a candidate on a work placement from Women’s Work Lab during the pandemic.

Hayley Rogers and Elizabeth Maidstone

Graduate Asset Management Consultants, Jacobs

Beth and Hayley volunteered at the Covid-19 London Strategic Coordinating Group. They provided data analysis on supply and demand of PPE for London’s bed-based care homes, home care providers, and for learning disability and mental health homes. Hayley and Beth co-developed Power BI (business analytics) tools, and training guide, to provide insights around critical facilities most in need of PPE. The Incident Commander of the Emergency Management Team London Hub said “I am incredibly proud of the work… they have helped to save lives.”

Leslie Griffiths

Manager, Global Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG Canada

Leslie represents the future of our practice. Not only is she a superstar at her job, she also is heavily involved in supporting the careers of all team members, especially coaching those starting out in their careers. She is active in supporting women in creative ways through KPMG’s GTA I&D Committee, as Co-Chair for KPMG’s WIN@Leadership group and as Co-Chair of the Canadian Women’s Infrastructure Network Awards for the past 2 years – raising the profile of women across the country.

Amanda Satterly

Senior Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development), Private Sector Operations Department, Asian Development Bank

Amanda has been instrumental in leading ADB private sector operations’ efforts to enhance gender integration in investment projects, notably in infrastructure; demonstrating creative thinking on gender value propositions, and outstanding capabilities dealing with investment teams, clients, and senior management, inducing and negotiating new practices for efficient gender design and results monitoring.
In 2020, she largely contributed to the Department’s over-achievement of gender impact targets; promoting gender responsive projects and receiving several project awards for promoting effective gender mainstreaming. She successfully developed the first ADB-private sector technical assistance program to assisting clients with better equality in their workplaces and operations.

Anne Valko Celestino

Social Development Specialist (Gender and Development), Private Sector Operations Department, Asian Development Bank

Anne has been instrumental in leading ADB private sector operations’ efforts to enhance gender integration in investment projects, notably in infrastructure; demonstrating creative thinking on gender value propositions, and outstanding capabilities dealing with investment teams, clients, and senior management, inducing and negotiating new practices for efficient gender design and results monitoring.
In 2020, she largely contributed to the Department’s over-achievement of gender impact targets; promoting gender responsive projects and receiving several project awards for promoting effective gender mainstreaming. She successfully developed the first ADB-private sector technical assistance program to assisting clients with better equality in their workplaces and operations.

Shobana Venkataraman

Chief Investment Officer, IFC

Shobana has 20+ years’ experience in infrastructure and has led advisories for several flagship transactions in Asian emerging markets, eg. Myingyan IPP, Tina River Hydropower, Central Java and formerly in EMEA.

She oversaw portfolio of 20+ projects in APAC, providing strategic direction to teams and developing innovative client support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is a mentor to young professionals who benefit from her incredible breadth of technical and commercial expertise, and strong advocate of gender equality and responsiveness in the infrastructure space.

Sonya Campbell

Executive Director and Head of Infrastructure and Structured Finance Unit, NSW Treasury

Sonya is a smart, confident and charismatic leader in the NSW Government. Sitting on various senior Government committees, she is a strong advocate for industry reform, collaboration and improved risk allocation across the construction sector.

As the Head of ISFU in NSW Treasury, Sonya inspires the team to share innovative ideas. She always makes sure that every single voice is heard.

Sonya is also very generous with her time and willing to share her expertise and experience with the team.

Deborah Zurkow

Global Head of Investments, Allianz Global Investors

Deborah, IJInvestor’s Outstanding Individual for 2019, is a role model for many women who chose to enter the world of infrastructure and is hugely passionate about making AllianzGI a home to top female talent. Deborah’s mentorship and public speaking has helped many women recognise their unique skills and use them to progress their careers. Deborah recognises that the path to a gender equality needs to be inclusive and always ensured all perspectives were on the table.

In 2019, she became the chair of the Young Women in Finance Scholarship Programme launched by a financial recruitment company. This seeks to train school age children in the basics of finance, providing mentors and training for entry level qualifications.

Mark Upfold

Partner, King & Wood Mallesons

An active member of our Gender Working Group, Mark Upfold is committed to championing gender equality at KWM, with a focus on achieving gender equality in the partnership. He leads a number of initiatives that foster opportunities and remove obstacles for all women in the firm, especially in pursuing partnership and leadership opportunities and achieving success in those positions.

Mark sponsors high potential women to proactively support their aspirations and is currently supporting a 2021 female partnership candidate in KWM’s finance practice.

Dr. Dina Salah

Partner, Soliman, Hashish & Partners

Dr. Dina Salah has over fifteen (15) years of experience in handling Banking & Finance, M&A, Corporate, Oil & Gas, Antitrust and IPRs.

Dina served for several key positions during her career including Legal Counsel at Apache Companies Egypt (a group of Apache’s companies), North Africa Area Head of Legal at British American Tobacco Egypt, Partner and Head of the Banking & Finance Group at a top tier law firm in Cairo and Deputy Manager of the IPRs Office at the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).

Dina is an outstanding lawyer who is into all details and very careful in everything assigned to her.

Professor Denise Bower, OBE

Executive Director, External Engagement, Mott MacDonald

Denise joined the Group Board in January 2020. Her portfolio includes overseeing the Group’s commitments to delivering inclusive social outcomes, sustainability, and net zero. Most notable is her leadership of the company purpose, enabling better outcomes for clients, colleagues and communities through technical excellence and digital innovation. Denise initiated the This is the Future campaign, articulating the future we want to create (building on the UN SDGs) and the practical steps we need to take, together, to make a positive difference.

Jocelyn Ho

Manager, Sustainability Advisory, KPMG

Jocelyn is a passionate, professional and energetic advocate for Sustainability in the business community. She is an important champion for KPMG’s efforts in supporting our clients to operate more sustainably across the dimensions of the environment, D&I and social advancement.

Jocelyn has spearheaded KPMG’s efforts with leading clients in Hong Kong, leading to KPMG’s recent appointment as ESG Strategy Advisors to several of the Territory’s most prominent corporate and public sector organisations. The contribution and efforts of Jocelyn should be congratulated and celebrated widely as they provide an inspirational example for others in Hong Kong, Asia and elsewhere to follow.

Julia Gielen

Senior Manager, KPMG Germany

Julia radiates tranquility and serenity in a sometimes hectic and testosterone driven environment. She is listening, speaks structured and focused, and gains the trust of her clients through understanding, clarity and high-end work. Her courage to think differently is key to ensure that our advice is comprehensive. In addition to her valuable client work, Julia is a seismograph for team spirit, shares her knowledge with the team and is an inspiration for any new joiner.

Marwa AlSherif

Senior Associate, Soliman, Hashish & Partners

Marwa AlSherif is a Senior Associate having over 7 years of experience. Marwa is one of the most dedicated associates we have and she was recently recognized by Legal 500 as a raising star within the Corporate and M&A practice.

Marwa is also in the process of completing a LL.M in international trade law at the United Nations Training Center of the International Labour Organization in Turin, Italy.

Due to the commitment of Marwa, she was appointed as Secondee Legal Counsel responsible for 6 countries all over the region for the Grid Sector of General Electric.

Frances Nichols

Chair and Creative Director, Nichols

Frances Nichols is passionate about creativity, vision and ideas, and seeks to raise consciousness in business and the world.

Creating working environments that reflect the variety in nature is Frances’ mission, and she works tirelessly to achieve this at Nichols, nurturing a culture where individual diversity enables empowerment, confidence, and innovative ideas.

Frances devotes time to inspiring other business friends and company owners to realise the importance of diversity, challenge the status quo, and drive change to bring lasting success.

Gohar Lazaridi

Associate Director, DWPF

Gohar is a leading member of our financial modelling consultancy practice. Instead of challenging ideas, Gohar goes above and beyond to understand thought processes and reasoning, and listens to answers to provide solutions both for the project and the client. Gohar regularly exceeds the scope of work, with clients returning engagement after engagement for the quality of delivery, and her considerate and caring approach.

During COVID and lack of face-to-face team interaction, Gohar supports junior members of the team to progress their skills, and takes the extra time to make them feel valued, included, and invested in by not only her, but DWPF as a whole.

Wafa Jafri & Amy Marshall

Directors & Co Heads, Energy, Deal Strategy, KPMG UK

They are pioneering a new approach to inclusive leadership by running the team jointly and setting a great example by succeeding in a deals environment, whilst both managing caring responsibilities outside of work.  Over the past year, they have helped deliver some market-leading transactions, such as the Octopus Energy deals with Origin Energy in Australia and Tokyo Gas in Japan.  They have also doubled the size of the team, bringing in a fantastically diverse and talented set of individuals. Bravo!

Ellen Rowland-Callanan

Marketing Communications and ESG Lead, HCP

Being HCP’s EDI lead for the last three-years Ellie puts inclusion at the heart of her role. Ellie coaches colleagues to support the adoption of inclusive behaviour at HCP, chairing EDI and ESG working groups.

Ellie always puts everyone first and is an inspiration to her colleagues, be it from the Redbox project, contributing to the abolition of the “tampon tax”, celebrating single parent day, setting up the initial EDI group at HCP and being an advocate for everyone. Not only does she do this at work but also gives up her time to do in her spare time at the same time as being a wife, a mum and studying. A true inspiration.

Lindsay Wright

Senior Manager, Global Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG Canada

Lindsay’s passion for infrastructure, and her commitment to diversity initiatives is inspiring. Lindsay champions I&D on a global scale – running a global diversity mentoring programme for KPMG infrastructure professionals, and an industry focused programme for Canadian colleagues to help develop their networks and careers. Lindsay’s efforts have encouraged other countries within the global network to set up similar mentoring programmes. She is the Chair of the Women’s Infrastructure Network Toronto Chapter and was recognized as a WIN Awards Emerging Leader in 2020.

Anvesha Thakker

Executive Director in IGH, KPMG India

Anvesha has played a key person role in the Firm’s Inclusion & Diversity initiatives bringing energy and purpose to the role. She has been the anchor of several firmwide initiatives, challenging status quo and nudging leaders to be more inclusive. This has included creating conducive environments for the differently abled, bringing in millennials in the decision making process and in the pandemic period has furthered greater sensitivity for the challenges faced by staff, especially women who shoulder multiple roles. Anvesha has run successful panels on creating a more inclusive environment in the sector for the second year in succession. She also plays a key role in KPMG Impact. Her passion on the subject stands out.

Katherine Beisler

Consultant/ESG Specialist, Hollis

Since joining Hollis, Katherine has had an outstanding impact on our pan-European offering, working hard to integrate sustainability across our business so that all departments and offices can offer ESG advice to our clients – no matter who they are, what they do or where they operate. Devoting her career to helping clients achieve their ESG and Net Zero Carbon goals, Katherine represents the bright future of our industry: one that has the health of people and planet at its heart.

Cate Singer

Director, KPMG US

Cate has been part of the KPMG US Infrastructure Advisory team for over 10 years and lives the KPMG culture and values. She has a very collaborative spirit and is active in the Firm’s mentor/mentee program. Cate is both a current board member of the US Women in Infrastructure (WIN) network and has been a board member for 10 years in the Northeast Women in Public Finance (NEWPF) network. Most recently, Cate led the collaborative initiative with WIN and the P3 Bulletin to introduce the inaugural “Leading Women in Infrastructure” award category in the 2021 P3 Hub Americas award season.

Megan Strickland

Chief, Capital Compliance, Budget and Administration, NJ TRANSIT

Megan Strickland has been at the forefront of developing and advancing alternative project delivery vehicles to support the third largest transit agency in the United States, NJ TRANSIT. She has developed and built an inclusive team of contracts and claim specialists that have executed joint development agreements and resolved claim issues in innovative ways. She is an expert in understanding US Federal Transit Administration requirements and applies that understanding to the deals the agency advances.

Minh Dao

Senior Manager, KPMG

As part of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Diversity and Inclusion committee, Minh is at the forefront of advocating for women working in infrastructure. She regularly sponsors and champions events in support of women across all professions. Minh is a recognized trusted tax advisor to government, global institutions and corporate investors, having advised on numerous significant, high-profile transactions. In 2004 she implemented the first securitized lease structure for availability based PPP projects which became the standard market structure in Australia. Minh was named Corporate Tax Adviser of the Year by The Tax Institute in 2015 and is currently Deputy Chair of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s Taxation Policy Taskforce.

Jeanne Soh

Head of Power & Infrastructure Asia, SMBC

Jeanne is leading a multicultural and very diverse team engaged in arranging and advising clients in the renewables and infrastructure sectors.She is a committed leader who stands by her team and welcomes diversity in her various forms: gender, race, nationality.

Jeanne team works across India, South Asia and China. She always puts clients first and her clients based is also very diverse, making her a true champion in a multicultural environment. She is always there for her team, clients and the organisation with a strong sense of fairness which she demands and expects from all stakeholders. She is also leading energy transition and green finance having also supported SMBC participation in the Singapore Centre for Green Finance established by SMU and Imperial College.

Sabine Schleicher

Corporate Finance Partner, KPMG

Sabine is a Partner in KPMG’s Brisbane Infrastructure & Projects Team who mentors female talent within and outside KPMG, facilitating KPMG’s I&D Committee and the Queensland Women in Energy forums. Sabine’s projects include Copperstring, Queensland Children’s Hospital, and various State Governments on energy transition and hydrogen strategy. Sabine is an advocate for sustainability, and respected in the market where she contributes to the energy transition and sustainability debate. She is a strong role model, who is actively sought out to advise and mentor others.

Rana Toukan

Vice President, European Corporate Credits, DBRS Ratings Limited – UK

Rana has been at DBRS Morningstar for almost 4 years in both the London and Toronto offices. Rana worked as an analyst in an a number of corporate projects and some complex structures primarily in Project Finance, power and infrastructure. In addition to ratings, Rana also has significant experience in credit risk management in a number of roles across Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

Rana has a passion for helping people in her volunteer work, namely for a London based charity helping support refugees and as a trustee from 2017-2019. She played an integral role in the charity’s Empowerment Fund to incubate 12 small enterprises and counselling refugees to gain some independence and help bring them some normality. She also does volunteer work at a hospital in London.