Open to opportunities

Annette Aharonian

@annetteaharonian

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MBA sustainability policy strategist driving gender-inclusive climate and energy investments.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek senior roles where I can shape sustainability and regulatory strategy, lead cross-functional programs, mobilize catalytic funding, and drive gender-inclusive climate investments within mission-driven organizations.

I am a Duke MBA and sustainability policy strategist with 9+ years translating global climate directives into infrastructure and market development strategies. I have validated gender and climate indicators across 200+ projects, secured $500K+ catalytic funding for a real-time clean cooking data platform, and led multi-stakeholder coalitions adopted by UN and G7 forums.

I bring regulatory strategy, cross-functional program management, and stakeholder advocacy experience across government, private sector, and multilaterals. I have designed portfolio criteria for a $44.5M facility, scaled women’s mentorship programs across regions, and contributed to sector-defining research presented at COP and UN forums.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

MBA Consultant

International Finance Corporation

Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 (11 months)

Validated gender and climate indicators across 200+ projects to aggregate portfolio-level metrics for the 2024 World Bank Group Corporate Scorecard and analyzed climate-tagged investments to inform IFC research on gender-inclusive climate transitions presented at COP30.

Sustainability Reporting Gender Lens Analysis Data Validation Stakeholder Engagement Research

Project Lead, Clean Cooking

Sustainable Energy for All

Jan 2021 - Dec 2023 (2 years 11 months)

Secured $500K+ catalytic funding and led a Rwanda pilot delivering an MVP data platform for clean cooking adoption, coordinated 30+ investors and multilaterals to finalize a stakeholder-backed design integrated into SEforALL global platforms.

Program Management Fundraising Product Roadmap Pilot Data Platform Clean Cooking GTM Strategy

Energy Specialist

Sustainable Energy for All

Jan 2020 - Dec 2023 (3 years 11 months)

Embedded gender-disaggregated data into national energy plans and designed inclusion criteria for a $44.5M facility, increasing pipeline diversity with 30%+ women-led firms and scaling mentorship and traineeship programs across multiple countries.

Gender Integration Energy Access Planning Program Design Monitoring & Evaluation Capacity Building Partnership Development

Production Lead, Communications

Sustainable Energy for All

Jan 2017 - Dec 2020 (3 years 11 months)

Built SEforALL’s production function and streamlined workflows for 20+ flagship publications, improving delivery timelines and enabling Board-level resource planning.

Project Management Content Strategy Process Improvement

Associate, Strategy

Sustainable Capital Advisors

Jan 2015 - Dec 2017 (2 years 11 months)

Led firm strategy review and advised 115+ development teams on commercialization and client engagement, strengthening go-to-market positioning for sustainable infrastructure finance advisory.

Strategy Business Development Go To Market Advisory Competitive Analysis Sustainable Finance Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business

Master of Business Administration, Business Administration / Strategy

Activities and societies: Forté Fellow; VP of Sponsorships, AWIB; Associate, CASEi3 Impact Investing Initiative; VP of Strategic Partnerships, Net Impact Club

MBA with emphasis in Strategy, engaged in impact investing and sustainability initiatives including development of an impact measurement framework for a $2.5M fund.