Paraskevi Bessa Rodrigues
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul,RS
Summary
Seasoned professional with an in-depth understanding of the financing development, policy innovation and public venture building landscapes. Exceptional relationship builder appointed in governments, multilateral and bilateral financing development organizations, academia and global consultancies. Demonstrated record achievements in catalyzing over U$2 billion in innovative development finance operations.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior International Consultant
GIZ-GOPA INFRA
02.2024 - Current
- Provide strategic guidance to the Brazilian Ministry of Cities for the redesign of innovative national financing policies for climate resilient urban development
- Improve the access of Brazilian cities to financing for integrated, inclusive climate resilient projects (over U$1 Billion in operations)
- Ecosystem analysis, mapping global trends from the multilateral, bilateral, and private investment environments on innovate climate actions including GEF and GCF;
- Identify, analyze opportunities, create methodologies, inception reports and concept notes for the optimization of access to international funds;
- Contribute to the local implementation of national strategies (e.g., Green Investment Strategy for Regional Development) with pilot measures in six Brazilian cities;
- Knowledge management and capacity building including elaboration of pitch decks, workshops preparation and delivery, dissemination of good practices and lessons learnt from the pilot projects.
International Subject Matter Expert
Confidential
08.2022 - Current
- Led a group of international experts for the identification of global best practices and modeling of innovative funding solutions for the sustainability of the largest infrastructure project in the world. Integrates the portfolio of one of the largest global Sovereign Funds.
- Mentored junior team members, indicated by the Saudi government, contributing to their professional growth and development.
Advisory Board Member
Mastercard
05.2019 - Current
- Provide expertise in the City Possible global network that brings over four hundred cities, companies and communities to identify challenges and develop solutions that advance sustainable development.
Municipal Secretary of Economic Development
City Hall of Novo Hamburgo
01.2017 - Current
- Public Venture Building: Administration member investing over U$ 300 million of public funds per year for the city´s sustainable development
- Led the city’s sovereign loan on integrated urban development with the Inter-American Development Bank (U$ 46 million); investment attraction in the Health sector (U$ 85 million); National hub of Santander Bank (7 thousand new jobs); Head negotiator of the Technical Cooperation with the Inter-American Development Bank on Decarbonization and Climate Resilience
- Risk and Crisis Management expert
- Head of the COVID19 Crisis Management team, member of the State Natural Disasters Risk Management committee.
Chief Innovator
Bloomberg City Lab
03.2022 - 03.2022
- Selected by former New York City Mayor, Mike Bloomberg as a City Pioneer member of Bloomberg’s Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins Chief Innovator’s Studio, CityLab2022 and What Works Cities
- My focus is on the design of innovative financing models for urban development.
Consultant
Inter-American Development Bank
11.2019 - 11.2020
- Consultant for the development of projects to promote the economic and social post COVID19 recovery in the private and public sector in the areas of Tourism, Local Development, Labor Markets and Health (PRO-SUL, U$ 150 million)
- Identify, calibrate and upstream opportunities based on the cities´profile and sector strategies and their potential; Design frameworks, roadmaps and feasibility studies as well as elaborate pipeline methodologies for maximizing the generation of the highest probability investment options; Identify trends, technologies and business/governance models with applicable potential in the target regions and sectors; Deliver strategic recommendations, drawing upon local, regional and international experiences for the strengthening and scaling up of new project development
- Contribute for the institutional strengthening of Regional Development Banks in the operation of social infrastructure and economic recovery programs
- Liaise with IADB’s distinct sectorial divisions and external stakeholders (national and regional governments, academia, private sector), for continuous refinement of the upstreaming process and the attainment of the project’s sustainable financing objectives.
Superintendent/International Head
Fundação Getulio Vargas
06.2013 - 01.2017
- Create, implement and expand the strategy for applied knowledge in the FGV network, the top-three global Think Tank in the world through partnerships with bilateral and multilateral organizations, governmental agencies and business communities.
Adjunct professor/International Head
UNISINOS
08.1996 - 10.2012
- Adjunct professor, created and headed the post graduate courses of International Relations and Diplomacy and Financing Development
- Faculty member in the MBA Strategic Management of the Urban Territory teaching on international funding for urban development.
Consultant
United Nations-UNESCO
02.2007 - 02.2008
- Institutional strengthening in international project management and capacity building for accessing international funding in the State School of Public Health
- Revision of the governance model allowing for the creation of institutional structures for project development and resource mobilization; Creation of a digital mapping system of international and national financial resources for the achievement of the State School´s strategic priorities.
Advisor of International Cooperation
Governor´s Cabinet, State of Rio Grande do Sul
01.1999 - 01.2002
- Led or integrated the sovereign loan and international technical cooperation governmental teams, summing over U$ 1 billion in operations from multilateral and bilateral development organizations, among them, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Japanese International Cooperation Agency, United Nations, European Commission, KfW for the implementation of strategic programs in the areas of urban development, industrial sector development, tourism, environment, education, science, technology and innovation.
Education
Ph.D - Foreign Policy of the European Union in Latin America
Bradford University
01.2000
B.A - Politics with International Relations
Lancaster University
01.1995
Policy, Finance and Investment Strategies - Exec. Education
University of Chicago-Harris School of Public Policy
Chicago, USASkills
- Public Venture Building
- Policy innovation
- Sustainable Development
- Modeling Financing instruments
- Impact investment
- Stakeholder engagement
Languages
English
Portuguese
Spanish
French
Greek
Personal Information
- Gender: Female
- Nationality: Brazilian/Greek
Timeline
Senior International Consultant
GIZ-GOPA INFRA
02.2024 - Current
International Subject Matter Expert
Confidential
08.2022 - Current
Chief Innovator
Bloomberg City Lab
03.2022 - 03.2022
Consultant
Inter-American Development Bank
11.2019 - 11.2020
Advisory Board Member
Mastercard
05.2019 - Current
Municipal Secretary of Economic Development
City Hall of Novo Hamburgo
01.2017 - Current
Superintendent/International Head
Fundação Getulio Vargas
06.2013 - 01.2017
Consultant
United Nations-UNESCO
02.2007 - 02.2008
Advisor of International Cooperation
Governor´s Cabinet, State of Rio Grande do Sul
01.1999 - 01.2002
Adjunct professor/International Head
UNISINOS
08.1996 - 10.2012
Ph.D - Foreign Policy of the European Union in Latin America
Bradford University
B.A - Politics with International Relations
Lancaster University
Policy, Finance and Investment Strategies - Exec. Education
University of Chicago-Harris School of Public Policy
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