PANELISTS’ BIOs

Ms. Aditi Maheshwari – Director for Climate Action, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations

Aditi Maheshwari has been addressing climate change from both public and private sector perspective for over 18 years. She is the Director for Climate Action in the UN Secretary General’s Executive Office. Aditi’s role is to lead stakeholder engagement to advance climate action in key sectors and deliver on coalitions and initiatives launched at the Climate Action Summit in 2019, prioritizing energy and industry transition, cities, transport, resilience, and nature-based solutions. Prior to her current appointment, she was a Senior Operations Officer at IFC, mobilizing private capital for climate investments in developing countries. She led initiatives to promote private sector investment aligned with national climate plans, and supported businesses to manage carbon risks and capitalize on opportunities. Her publication credits include co-authoring IFC’s Green Buildings: A Finance and Policy Blueprint for Emerging Markets and leading IFC’s flagship report on Climate Investment Opportunities in Cities. Aditi has held other climate and clean energy related roles at the World Bank, DFID, and the South African National Treasury while on an ODI Fellowship. She holds an MSc in Environmental and Resource Economics from University College London.

Ms. Sorcha O’Callaghan – Director, Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI

Sorcha O’Callaghan is the Head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI where she leads research into humanitarian system reform, inclusion and gender, displacement and humanitarian financing. A specialist in displacement, civilian protection and humanitarian action in protracted crises, she has worked extensively in East Africa.

Ms. Metsi Makhetha - UN Resident Coordinator, Burkina Faso

Ms. Metsi Makhetha has over 25 years of experience working with multilateral institutions and leading multidisciplinary teams in various country contexts including Political transitions, Development and Emergencies settings. She has been the UN Resident Coordinator in Burkina Faso since 2016 and was designated Humanitarian Coordinator, in 2019. She was the Director of Essential Services for the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response and, worked with OCHA, in DRC as part of UN inter-agency Field Leadership Program. Prior to that, she served in Senior Advisory and leadership roles with UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa in NY/ headquarters, as Regional Program Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa, as O.I.C and Senior Regional Coordinator, for the UNDP Regional Centre in Senegal/Dakar, overseeing 23 countries in West and Central Africa, and as Country Director, in Guinea. Ms Makhetha joined the UN system in 1995, as Senior Technical Advisor for UN-Habitat. She holds an MSc Biochemistry and a post-graduate diploma in Policy and Public Service Management.