Dr. Samuels is recognized as a global expert in international finance with over thirty years’ experience. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Global Clearinghouse for Development Finance (GlobalDF), a non-profit initiative devising innovative technical approaches to mobilize the private sector for development.

Recent assignments include: senior advisor developing the business plan for the Africa Co-Guarantee Platform and the Africa Infrastructure Guarantee Mechanism (AIGM), team leader for Covenant of Mayors Sub-Sahara Africa designing financing roadmaps for climate action projects (supported by GIZ), technical advisor on infrastructure and derisking strategies for the Program of Infrastructure Development in Africa (African Union Development Agency – AUDA NEPAD); development of toolkits for job creation (AUDA-NEPAD) and city creditworthiness (World Bank); the design and implementation of the UN Capital Development Fund’s Local Finance Initiative (pilots in Tanzania and Uganda); directing the African Development Bank’s report and workshops on Africa risk mitigation needs and solutions; and directing the World Economic Forum’s two-year program on harnessing Development Finance Institutions in mobilizing the private sector for development.

Prior positions include Chase Manhattan Bank’s Director of Country Assessment, where she was responsible for managing US$50 billion of country risk exposure worldwide; Managing Director of Moody’s Emerging Markets Service; and advisor to major investors (over US$ 2 billion in transactions).

Dr. Samuels has a Ph.D. in Management and Political Science from MIT, an M.B.A. from the Sloan School of Management, and an M.S. in Political Science from MIT. She has authored many publications on development finance for leading organizations such as the United Nations, World Economic Forum, GIZ, Agence Française de Développement, Foreign Affairs, Princeton Press, Reuters Project Finance International, Africainvestor, etc.).