Henriette Kolb

Henriette is Head of the Gender Secretariat at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.

Leading the IFC’s new, cross-cutting effort to integrate gender into the organization’s investment and advisory activities, Henriette advocates for partnerships to build IFC collaboration with companies and foundations interested in capturing the multiple benefits of gender equality in the private sector.

Previously, Henriette was CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The Foundation works to advance women entrepreneurs in more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Devex selected Henriette as one of the “top 40 under 40” international development leaders in London.

Earlier in her career, Henriette worked for the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and was the UN representative advising Quartet Representative Tony Blair in Jerusalem. She has also held positions with the European Commission in the Delegation to Tanzania, the German Technical Cooperation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, where she worked on conflict reduction, civic education and socio-economic issues in East Africa.

She graduated with an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and received her MA from Freiburg University, Germany.