Stephanie von Friedeburg is a Managing Director at Citi leading efforts to scale DFI Strategic Partnerships. Stephanie is leveraging her extensive background in infrastructure/project finance and ESG aligned financing to support sovereign client’s national agendas as well as private client needs. She is a respected partner and trusted advisor to a global network of senior decision makers in governments, public and private corporations, and non-governmental entities. Stephanie’s extensive knowledge of global affairs and emerging markets informs her assessment of investment opportunities in fluid economic environments.

In 2022, she completed a successful 30-year career with the WBG. As IFC COO, she oversaw global investment and advisory operations across 100+ country offices, a US$1 billion annual operating budget, and 2,200+ staff. Stephanie led commercial and investment banking, venture capital, and private equity services for clients in emerging markets, generating more than US$30 billion in new business annually. During her chairmanship of the Investment Committee, the US$60 billion global portfolio had NPLs in single digits, a final 12 month rolling average return on equity of 20%, and the highest client satisfaction survey in the history of the institution.

As a member of WBG’s Senior Leadership, Stephanie pioneered innovative solutions to complex development challenges, gaining support from the WBG’s Board of Executive Directors. These included IFC’s seminal capital increase, the 2030 strategy, and WBG business transformation. She successfully led the adoption of a cloud first strategy, which achieved cost savings, increased client satisfaction, and a seamless pivot to remote work.
During her career IFC, Stephanie led the global telecom, media and disruptive technology business (mobile, digital infrastructure, and fintech). The mezzanine/equity transactions yielded one of IFC’s most profitable portfolios with an IRR of 20+%. Stephanie started her career leading a country-based team driving the Russian Mass Privatization Program, working closely with Russian Federal Ministry on the first, large privatization auctions. She then managed IFC’s advisory and the first sizable investments in industrials in Eastern Europe.

In recognition of her work, Stephanie was named to Yahoo’s 2021 HERoes 100 List for driving change and increasing gender diversity in the workplace and CIO Magazine’s CIO 100 Award for Outstanding Business Technology Leadership in 2015/17. She currently shares her expertise as a member of the Global Business Advisory Board for the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Previously, Stephanie served as Board Member and Alternate Chair of the IFC Asset Management Company. She also served on the Ukrainian National Investment Council, Advisory Board of BOX.ORG, CIO Advisory Board of Greylock Partners, and as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union.

Stephanie earned a BS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, an MA from the Lauder Institute, and an MBA from the Wharton School, both at the University of Pennsylvania.