AME I. ODARO-ADJEI

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the primary financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) accountable to 194 member states of the Conference of the Parties (COP). Its mandate is to mobilize and deliver climate finance to developing countries, supporting their climate ambitions through a country-driven, multi-sectoral approach in collaboration with sovereign governments and private sector partners.

As a member of the Department of Risk Management and Compliance's (DRMC) Leadership team, I serve on the Unit Heads Committee and represent DRMC across multiple governance bodies of the GCF Secretariat, including the Climate Policy Committee, Climate Investment Committee, Readiness Working Group, Efficiency Taskforce, and Regional Presence Taskforce amongst others, driving organization-wide compliance culture and embedding mission-driven risk mitigation strategy

Core responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and daily operations of GCF’s global compliance function, overseeing compliance risk management across a $20B multi-sectoral development finance portfolio spanning 144 countries across the world.
• Design, implement, and continuously strengthen GCF’s comprehensive compliance framework, encompassing policies, procedures, processes, templates, and guidelines to ensure alignment with global best practices and donor expectations.
• Manage and mentor a team of compliance specialists responsible for conducting integrity due diligence and assurance on GCF-financed projects across sectors including healthcare.
• Develop and execute outreach strategies, including compliance awareness training, and capacity-building programs for improving compliance culture amongst internal staff and external partners.
• Engage with donor country representatives, senior government officials, and private/public sector partners to drive alignment on compliance priorities, strengthen strategic partnerships, and ensure consistent application of compliance standards across global programs
• Provide thought leadership and risk advisory to the Board, and Executive Leadership across multiple functions including Regional and Country Programming, Legal, Communications, IT, Finance, Portfolio Monitoring, and Entity Relation

Key achievements:

• Led the development, adoption, and rollout of GCF’s foundational Compliance Risk Framework.
• Led the design and implementation of core compliance processes and procedures, embedding risk management practices across the Fund’s operations.
• Successfully conducted GCF’s first and subsequent Compliance Risk Assessments and Risk Control Self-Assessments.
• Designed and launched compliance key risk indicators (KRIs) for management and Board-level reporting, enhancing risk visibility and informed decision-making.
• Developed and delivered thematic compliance awareness and capacity-building programs, improving compliance culture among internal and external stakeholders.
• Established the Fund’s inaugural internal grievance appeals framework, including the complaints process and appeals register.

• Designed and delivered specialized regulatory compliance advisory to institutional clients.
• Conducted compliance risk assessments and crafted customized risk mitigation frameworks in line with national regulations and international best practices

Notable engagement: Commissioned to strengthen internal regulatory compliance frameworks for multiple clients spanning healthcare, infrastructure and energy sectors.

• Supported the Vice President and Head of Operations Control to design and strengthen the Bank’s Financial Crimes Control framework, manage operational & compliance risk exposure, and provide strategic risk insights to senior leadership.

Key Achievement:

• Promoted to Deputy Head within nine months to lead a multi-disciplinary team of six covering Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations

• Provided subject matter expertise on risk assessment, audit and remediation of AML/CFT compliance deficiencies across a global portfolio, ensuring alignment with multi-jurisdictional regulatory requirements

Key Achievement:

Created solutions to close policy gaps and address recurring implementation challenges.

• Specialist retained for a high-profile international regulatory enforcement into r compliance breaches and ethical misconduct. Liaised with multifunctional teams including external legal counsel, compliance management and US/UK regulators to deliver key findings and recommend strategic remediation measures.

Key Achievement: Sole specialist retained for the project's entire duration based on exemplary performance.

• Collaborated with Chief Risk Officers to drive financial crime risk mitigation strategies
• Reported to the Head of Compliance and Investment Banking Management Team on adherence to financial crime regulatory requirements in the Bank's core investment operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa.(EMEA)
• Key achievement: Meritoriously selected from 53 EMEA Compliance Officers to pioneer in-house financial crime compliance function for the Investment Banking Division.

• Supported the Heads of Central and Financial Crime Compliance in managing regulatory & stock exchange compliance, internal policy updates, and implementing controls for financial crime and ethics compliance
• Assisted with internal and external audits to confirm compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Key achievement: Chosen to represent the Bank at university recruitment events