Jean-Marie Masse
Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital
Managing Director, and former CIO, IFC
Mr. Masse joined Blue Like an Orange (“BlaO”) in August 2021 with a mandate to create and develop “Neptune Sustainable Capital” (“Neptune”). Neptune will be an Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) driven fixed income platform designed and launched to provide advanced knowledge to structure funds which will channel capital, at scale, from Developed Markets (“DM”) to emerging markets (“EMs”) where these funds will target projects enhancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”), foster ESG best practices, and provide investors with positive environmental, social, and financial returns. Mr. Masse’s counterparts include senior banking executives, investors (institutional, strategic, private), investment bankers, fund managers, executives from multilateral organizations and governments.
Previouly, Mr. Masse joined IFC (International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group) in 1994 where he spent close to 27 years and held series of leadership positions, most recently as Chief Investment Officer, Financial Institutions Group in Washington DC, USA. He held reponsibilities in debt capital markets funds, direct equity and debt investments, equity exit negotiation, risk mitigation on investments in emerging markets, setting up strategies to deliver investment programs, etc. As part of IFC’s priorities to mitigate the impact of climate change in emerging markets, he conceptualized and led at IFC the multi-awarded Amundi Planet-Emerging Green One (EGO) fund. Closed in Feb 2018 and viewed as the World’s largest green bond fund, EGO’s $2 billion strategy is supported by a “design for purpose” $15m advisory services program funded by Switzerland, Sweden and Luxembourg to stimulate the growth of the green bond market.
Mr. Masse led teams responsible for the origination, analysis, negotiation, monitoring and execution of over 160 direct investments, aggregating $10bn. $350m equity investments generated $1.5bn realized exit value (a 4.3 multiple). One transaction is IFC’s highest ever realized capital gain in the financial sector, and seven others highlighted ability to create special purpose funds. Areas of specialization are banking, insurance, funds, asset management, specialty finance, developing partnerships with institutions and governments.
Mr. Masse holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD, an Ingénieur Agronome diploma (Master of Science degree-equivalent) from a leading engineering school in France, and is an IFC Global Business Leadership Program alumni. He received a record 27 World Bank Group Performance Awards for Outstanding Achievements, and regularly represented IFC in global forums and with the press.