This time of year always brings thoughts of the future, and the upcoming year is particularly special, as we celebrate the 20 year anniversary of International Financial Consulting Ltd. But before we jump ahead, it’s worth reflecting on 2019, a remarkable year for IFCL. Here are just a few of the highlights.
IFCL was delighted to publish a new paper for the Inter-American Development Bank in an area we are passionate about, Green Banking. The paper, titled Build or Renovate? The decision to establish a new Green Bank, or “green” an existing National Development Bank, explores the timely question of how governments can best promote sustainable finance, either through establishing a new Green Bank or reforming an existing institution.
The year also featured the conclusion of a major project for our team, the 10 Year Legislative Review of Export Development Canada. This project was a significant undertaking, featuring consultations in Canada and around the world. The review has been completed, and the resulting report has been tabled in Parliament and can be accessed here. www.EDC Report.
The firm was extremely active outside of Canada as well, with projects completed or ongoing in the Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Australasia, as well as Japan and the United States.
2019 was particularly exciting on the people-side of our business, with many new talented team members joining our ranks. These include our new Chief Economist, the renown Canadian author and economist, Glen Hodgson. If you haven’t had a chance, I encourage you to read Glen’s most recent LinkedIn commentaries for IFCL on leading an export credit agency and the relevance of National Development Banks in developed countries.
We also opened an office in Vancouver’s trendy Yaletown district, which is quickly becoming a new hub and training ground for consultants. Our Vancouver presence has benefited from promising new collaborations, including with the University of British Columbia.
On the partnership side, we were grateful to contribute to numerous publications and industry events. For example, we were pleased to contribute a chapter to the newly released Handbook of Global Trade Policy, edited by our frequent collaborator and Senior Advisor, Professor Andreas Klasen.
Our team also presented at conferences and forums around the world, including the ExCred International conferences in London and New York. This represents another milestone, as it was my 20th anniversary serving as the ExCred conference chair.
We were also delighted to participate in the 2019 Association for African Development Finance Institutions CEO Forum in Durban, South Africa. Our Director, Greg Eidsness presented on a panel discussing the 4th Industrial Revolution and the resulting challenges for DFI leaders.
So, 2019 was quite a year for IFCL!
But 2020 promises to be even more exciting for the firm, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients, partners, and especially our employees for making this milestone possible. Here’s to another 20 years of Better Institutions, Better Outcomes!
Diana Smallridge is President and CEO of International Financial Consulting. She is an expert in the area of Export Credit Agencies, EXIM Banks and Development Banks. She has extensive knowledge of export credit and development finance systems around the world, as well as a special focus on strategic planning, performance measurement, and governance issues relating to public-policy based financial institutions. Since 2001, Ms. Smallridge has been the Conference Chairman for the Annual Global Convention on Insuring Export Credit and Political Risk, held in London, UK. She has won recognition as a pioneering thinker in export finance and is a sought-after speaker and advisor on the role of government in the export credit and development finance areas. Prior to establishing the company, she worked with EDC in Canada for 12 years.
