Mariana is an Investment Specialist – Sustainability and Impact in the Emerging Market Alternative Credit team at Ninety One, with a particular focus on the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF). She is responsible for supporting, building and evolving capabilities, systems, expertise and practices in relation to measuring and monitoring impact and sustainability across the platform.

Mariana works as part of the deal team to ensure Ninety One’s EAAIF and Private Infrastructure Development Fund objectives to contribute to poverty reduction, job creation, sustainable infrastructure businesses and sectors, long-lasting economic multiplier effects, women economic empowerment and climate change mitigation and adaptation are effectively achieved and appropriately measured throughout the investment process. In her role Mariana also supports in key capital raise for EAAIF and new Emerging Market Alternative Credit impact and sustainability focused funds including developing impact management system, the theory of change, ESMS, and the relevant policies and processes for SFDR/EU taxonomy compliance.

Prior to joining the firm, Mariana was founder and principal consultant at MG Advisory Ltd. In this role Mariana provided consultancy services to impact investors, DFIs, philanthropic family offices and start-ups operating in Africa with a focus on agriculture, agriculture technology and impact investing. Before this she spent 7 years as an investment manager at AgDevCo, an impact fund investing in agriculture in Africa. She helped to build the company into a leading pan-African agri-investor with USD 250 million AUM. Mariana led origination of deals, DD and deployment of capital across multiple value chains and in multiple jurisdictions including Ghana, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya. Mariana also assisted the company in key capital raising for growth.

Mariana graduated with a Master of Science degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and has gained advanced qualifications in investment appraisal and corporate finance from the London School of Business and Finance , a CFA® Certificate in ESG Investing and CFA® Climate and Investing Certificate.