FinDev Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Export Development Canada (EDC), has appointed Mimi Alemayehou as an independent Board Member to its Board of Directors.


Alemayehou is Managing Director and a member of the Board of Directors for Black Rhino Group, an investment platform focused on the development and acquisition of energy and infrastructure assets across Africa. 

Prior to joining Black Rhino, Alemayehou was the Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the development finance agency of the US Government, which provides loans, guarantees, and insurance to catalyze foreign direct investment and private equity into emerging markets. 

Alemayehou was appointed to the post by President Obama and confirmed unanimously by the full Senate. 

During her tenure from 2010 to 2014, OPIC's portfolio grew by more than 24% to $18bn and the corporation's Africa portfolio tripled to nearly $4bn. 

Previously, Alemayehou was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the United States Executive Director on the Board of Directors for the African Development Bank (AfDB). 

In this role, she was the senior US Treasury Department official in Africa representing the United States on policy and development issues across the continent. 

Alemayehou received a Distinguished Honor Award for her outstanding service from then-United States Secretary of Treasury, Henry Paulson. 

Alemayehou was appointed by President Obama to serve on the United States President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa and has served in that role since 2016.

The Development Finance Institute Canada, operating under the FinDev Canada brand, is a Canadian institution dedicated to providing financial services to the private sector in developing countries with the aim of combating poverty through economic growth by focusing on three main themes: economic development through job creation, women economic empowerment, and climate change mitigation.