Heidi Sumser 

Senior Development Advisor, USAID, United States

Ms. Heidi Sumser has over 17 years’ international experience at the intersection of international development, climate finance, and MSME banking. She has spent 12 years working in developing countries between Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa in challenging, volatile operating environments.  She has proven leadership skills in new, strategic business initiatives, managing green loan portfolios, technical assistance, and development programs. Ms. Sumser is experienced working in and with financial institutions and globally distributed teams to operationalize and integrate sustainability, with broad exposure in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has a proven ability to cultivate relationships and develop partnerships with diverse stakeholders to drive strategy development, execution, and integration. Ms. Sumser currently works for USAID/Burkina Faso as Development Advisor. She has experience working as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank in Green Climate Fund projects in Latin America, for the Swiss impact investor responsAbility based in Lima, Peru as Green Lending Officer for the Global Climate Partnership Fund (GCPF), a PPP, and for the German ProCredit Holding based in Bolivia at Banco Los Andes ProCredit leading green finance as Environmental Management Coordinator. Ms. Sumser completed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation “From Linear to Circular” program in 2020 and facilitates university guest lectures on circular economy. A native of Gettysburg, PA, she holds a BA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and a Master of Arts Law and Diplomacy (MALD) in International Development and International Business Relations from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts. 


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