The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has appointed Thomas Jacobs as its new country manager for the Mekong region, covering Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos.

Based in Ha Noi, Jacobs will focus on supporting the private sector to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth to help the countries achieve their development targets and recover from COVID-19.

A United States national, Jacobs joined IFC in 2003 and worked across various regions, including Central Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands.

He led innovative initiatives around women’s access to finance, micro, small, and medium enterprises, and climate, supporting reforms and policy implementation for private sector-led growth across sectors, including infrastructure, agribusiness, banking, and tourism.

“Working across regions for two decades, Thomas brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, which will help deepen IFC’s engagements in areas central to the next chapter of the economies in the Mekong countries,” said Kim-See Lim, IFC Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific.

Jacobs’ priorities include increasing financing for local businesses, expanding renewable energy, and promoting climate-smart initiatives to support countries’ climate agendas.

“The Asia Pacific region is one where all the talk and commitments out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change will ultimately be won or lost, so a strategic focus for me will be helping countries address their development needs while delivering on their climate pledges,” said Jacobs.

“It’s vital to help countries power their future growth sustainably so that economic development does not come at a detrimental cost to the environment.”

IFC’s investment in Viet Nam has ramped up over the past five years, expanding into sectors focusing on infrastructure, renewable energy, and agribusiness and facilitating climate-smart and innovative initiatives. — VNS