Ije Ikoku Okeke

Managing Director @ RMI

About

Ije is an infrastructure and renewable energy focused investment executive that has worked at the intersection of global private capital, and international development financing for over two decades. She’s spent her career driving sustainable and inclusive growth in several regions including the US, sub–Saharan Africa, and Latin America. She has held senior leadership roles as a private equity investor, project developer, and board member and has originated, structured and led investments in excess of US$3 billion. She has unique expertise in delivering transformational high impact investments that require public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. Ije is currently Managing Director at RMI where she leads the institutions efforts to mobilize, scale up, and catalyze renewable energy finance in global emerging markets in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Ije was on the founding team of CEC Africa, a private equity backed energy investment platform (with approximately $1bn in assets under management) established to develop, finance and operate power projects. She also worked at the WorldBank/IFC leading telecom, energy and transport investments in Latin America and Africa. Ije has served on boards of several large infrastructure companies, on advisory boards of a number of PE/VC funds, and as an Advisor to The Rockefeller Foundation & MIT Energy Initiative through the Global Commission on Energy Poverty. She speaks three languages, is an avid salsa dancer, and loves travelling. She has lived and worked throughout the US, Europe, Africa and the Americas. Specialties: Sustainable Infrastructure, Deal Structuring, Emerging Markets, Financial Operations , Innovation, Team Building and Leadership, ESG, Risk Management.

Country

United States

City

Washington

Industry

Renewables & Environment

Skill

financial innovation, Business Model Innovation, Transaction Origination, Financial Operations, CFOs, Turn Around Management, Advisory Boards, Entrepreneurship Development, Project Development, Public-private Partnerships, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Leadership, Fundraising, Financial Advisory, Commercial Deal Structuring, Financial Modeling, Corporate Finance, Valuation, Private Equity, Emerging Markets

Experience

Managing Director

RMI

2023-6 - Present · 3 yrs 4 mos

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

MD, Catalytic Finance / Global South Program Leads RMI’s efforts to mobilize, scale up, and catalyze clean energy finance globally. Key initiatives include financing early stage projects/companies, developing innovative financing products. Also co-leads the Global South Program that oversees all RMI programs in the Caribbean, SouthEast Asia and Africa.

Co Founder/Managing Partner

Griot International Partners

2021-4 - 2023-4 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

GIP is a principal investment/private equity firm investing to support decarbonized and inclusive growth. It invests in small- and mid-sized companies operating in the clean energy, innovation, and decarbonized infrastructure ecosystem. - Fund strategy focused on delivering returns and impact under the key themes of climate action, decentralized energy and decarbonized industrialization. - Currently leads fundraising, deal origination and transaction execution. Pipeline includes companies in circular economy, electric transportation, distributed generation, and digital infrastructure

Advisor/Commissioner

The Rockefeller Foundation

2019-4 - 2022-1 · 2 yrs 10 mos

New York, New York, United States

Advisor/Commissioner on the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty: a Rockefeller Foundation/ MIT Energy initiative which aims to forge an actionable consensus among leading investors, utilities, and policy-makers that lays out a viable pathway for providing electricity services to hundreds of millions of under-served homes and businesses more quickly and more cost-effectively than the current trajectory.

Group CFO/Founding Team

CEC Africa Investments Limited

2015-1 - 2021-4 · 6 yrs 4 mos

Group CFO and founding team member of CEC Africa Investments, a private equity backed a multi-country infrastructure investment platform established to develop, finance and operate infrastructure and renewable energy projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. CECA owns and operates assets worth over $1 billion and has stakes in power projects in operation and under development throughout the region. - Lead Investor, CFO and Head of Strategy Abuja Electricity Distribution Company; responsible for financial operations and delivering on turnaround/transformation plan for underperforming company. - Board North South Power; Board North South Power Services; Board Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Board CECSL - Co-founder and principal developer of DESSA: a platform using business model innovation to develop and finance renewable energy projects and distributed energy solutions within clusters across franchise area of distribution companies. Partners included Shell New Energies, RMI, GIZ and USTDA.

Senior Investment Officer

IFC - International Finance Corporation

2008-8 - 2015-1 · 6 yrs 6 mos

Washington, DC; Lagos, Nigeria

Experience as an infrastructure investor with unique and valuable perspective to evaluate and execute opportunities. Strong history of originating, structuring, and executing financing transactions for projects and companies in capital intensive industries – power, renewable energy, transport and telecoms. Responsible for all facets of deal sourcing, evaluating and executing transactions, as well as portfolio monitoring. Led several transactions and PPPs (in excess of US$2.5 billion) involving equity, senior/subordinated debt and mezzanine financing. Proven ability to lead/manage investment teams, and to manage strategic clients and stakeholders

Investment Associate

Emerging Capital Partners - ECP

2005-6 - 2005-9 · 4 mos

Johannesburg, South Africa

Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) is a leading Pan-African private equity firm that has raised over US$3.2 billion through funds and co-investment vehicles for growth capital investing in Africa. - Built detailed financial models using DCF, sensitivity analysis, trading multiples, and comparable company analysis. - Conducted comprehensive top-down market studies on telecoms and energy sectors - Evaluated potential investment opportunities, developing comprehensive financial analysis, determining appropriate valuation and capital structure, and providing input to investment memoranda.