Board of Trustees

AREZO KOHISTANY

International Finance Corporation (IFC), London and Washington, DC 
Investment Officer, Financial Institutions Group ( March 2012–Present) on Secondment as of January 2023 

◆ Worked on 20+ emerging market transactions totaling $1.1B at IFC, managing the full investment cycle for debt and quasi-equity deals from origination to Investment Committee approval. Oversaw a diverse portfolio, mitigating risks and executing restructurings, workouts, and reschedulings to protect capital and maximize development impact. 
◆ Executed over $10B in fixed income transactions to fund IFC investments across Financial Institutions, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing & Services in EMEA, structuring hedging strategies to mitigate currency and interest rate risk and delivering tailored client solutions through local currency instruments and credit guarantees. 
◆ Developed structured finance initiatives, including first-loss risk-sharing facilities and blended finance structures combining IFC funds with donor capital to de-risk and viably price investments in high-risk emerging markets. 
◆ Built and sustained relationships with investment banks, local banks, capital markets firms, development finance institutions, and regulators, while providing market insights to guide investment decisions and leading teams of analysts and consultants. 
 

Electrum Group/Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA)/Schmidt Futures New York City 
Fellow (January 2023–Present) On external assignment from IFC, to advise multiple firms on public–private partnerships, energy transition, and critical minerals development. 

◆ Critical Minerals at Electrum Group Lead strategy and execution for Electrum Group’s critical minerals and energy transition initiatives, focused on advancing U.S. and allied supply-chain independence across mining, refining, and technology. Advise Electrum and its portfolio companies in Idaho, Alaska, and Poland across silver, gold, copper, and strategic by-products including antimony, gallium, and germanium. Drive capital-raising efforts targeting over $1B in equity and project financing, support IPO preparation and investor engagement, and provide CEO/CFO advisory across financial, commercial, and operational strategy. Lead policy engagement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, State Department, and allied stakeholders to shape regulatory and financing frameworks that accelerate private-sector investment in critical minerals. Founded and convened a cross-sector task force with global investors, GCC sovereign wealth funds, the Office of Eric Schmidt, and industry and technology leaders to develop an innovation and investment roadmap for resilient U.S.- and ally-aligned critical minerals supply chains. 
◆ Philanthropy & Global Crisis Response – At RPA, built and led a global public–private partnership to address crises by developing an AI platform to forecast needs, managing a 10+ person team, deploying blended capital, and presenting the model with global CEOs and heads of state at the UN Security Council. Founded the Humanitarian Private Sector Alliance to reimagine humanitarian architecture, positioning the private sector as a formal partner to UN member states to help bridge the $50 billion funding need. 
◆ Technology Commercialization & Climate Solutions – At Schmidt Futures, collaborated with govts, scientists, and institutional investors to advance the energy transition by de-risking breakthrough technologies such as fusion energy and advanced cooling systems and accelerating commercialization through public–private partnerships. 
 

New York University (NYU) & Rutgers Business School
Adjunct Professor (September 2023–Present)

◆ Research, plan, and deliver lectures on corporate finance, covering financial analysis, valuation, and risk management.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

◆ BA in Business & Finance, (Summa Cum Laude) | Marymount University | Arlington, VA 
◆ Master of Science in Finance | London School of Economics | London, UK 
◆ Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Term Member 
◆ World Economic Forum (WEF), Young Global Leader (YGL) 
◆ Milken Institute, Young Leaders Circle (YLC) 
◆ Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Raisina Fellow