DFC appoints Vice President of Equity and Investment Funds
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced Lauren Cochran has been appointed as Vice President of Equity and Investment Funds. In this role, Cochran will provide executive leadership to DFC’s equity portfolio, building DFC’s strategy to commit private capital into both direct equity and fund investments in emerging market economies globally. She will help drive the agency’s efforts to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative, including the call for applications for climate-focused investment funds announced by the agency in April 2021.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Cochran to this critical role at DFC,” said DFC Chief Operating Officer David Marchick. “Lauren is a strong leader with a proven track record, positioning herself to build and lead the DFC’s direct equity and fund investments including in the world’s most challenging markets. She will serve the agency well as DFC looks to expand our investment funds and equity programmes.”
Most recently, Cochran was managing director at Blue Haven Initiative, where she led strategy and execution for the family office’s portfolio of direct investments as well as sitting on the investment committee for Blue Haven’s multi-asset class fund portfolio. At Blue Haven, Cochran focused on investments with the dual expectation of best-in-class financial returns as well as maximum positive social and environmental impact. As part of this work, she spent much of her time in sub-Saharan Africa, sitting on the boards of several of Blue Haven’s portfolio companies, working with entrepreneurs, building the startup ecosystem while sourcing new investment opportunities.
Prior to joining Blue Haven, Cochran was one of the first employees at Imprint Capital supporting the growth of the impact investment firm until it was acquired by Goldman Sachs Asset Management in 2015. At Imprint, Cochran made investments across the developing world in for-profit businesses and funds seeking to improve standards of living, create economic opportunity, and better the environment while also generating a commercial financial return.
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