Samantha is a Senior Research Fellow and development finance specialist with a particular interest in innovative and blended finance, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and National Development Banks (NDBs). She is leading ODI’s research in these areas and has extensive technical understanding and knowledge in the use of development funds to de-risk private investment to mobilise private finance; as well as the operations of DFIs, NDBs and the impact of their investment.

Before joining ODI, she headed up the Commonwealth’s Financing for Development (FFD) policy research, development and advocacy work and has written extensively on these issues for the Commonwealth. She also had policy and managerial responsibility for meetings of Commonwealth Central Bank Governors and Finance Ministers and the Commonwealth’s engagement with the G20. Prior to this she was Deputy Director of Sovereign Debt Management and Capital Market Development consultancy at Crown Agents delivering technical assistance in sovereign debt, capital market development, economic and public financial management. Samantha has a Masters in Development Economics and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and qualified with PricewaterhouseCoopers.