María Vargas

European Investment Bank
Head of Regional Hub for Central America and Mexico

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Maria Vargas is Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Regional Hub for Central America and Mexico, based in Panama. With more than 20 years of experience at the EIB Group, she has worked across lending, risk management and infrastructure financing in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Maria has extensive experience in the Caribbean, where she has led the development and management of EIB operations in countries including Belize and the Dominican Republic. She has worked closely with Caribbean governments, public-sector institutions, regional organisations and multilateral development banks to support investments in climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure and the energy transition.

She has also played a key role in strengthening cooperation between the EIB and Caribbean partners, including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), helping mobilise financing and EU resources for small island and climate-vulnerable economies.

Throughout her career, Maria has worked across the energy, transport, water and sanitation, urban infrastructure and financial sectors. She holds Master’s degrees in Actuarial Sciences and Law and works professionally in Spanish and English, with additional knowledge of French, Italian and Portuguese.