The UN Capital Development (UNCDF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Neha Mehta as the Regional Lead for the Pacific and Papua New Guinea.

Ms. Mehta will oversee UNCDF’s work across seven Pacific countries in areas such as climate and disaster risk insurance, digital economies and innovative finance, and the blue economy.

She succeeds Mr Bram Peters, who served as Regional Manager Pacific from 2018 to 2022, and is now the Programme Manager for the Digital Finance for Resilience in ACP countries Programme.

“I am thrilled to be part of the UNCDF team. My entire career has been spent using Tech as a force of good, and I look forward to continuing that tradition by bringing sustainable solutions to Pacific Islanders,” Ms Mehta said.

“I intend to apply my FinTech and ClimateTech experience to rebuild a stronger and more resilient ocean economy.”

UNCDF is leading three initiatives in the Pacific, with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP):

1. The Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme (with UNDP and the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
2. The Pacific Digital Economy Programme (with UNDP and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
3. The Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy Programme (With UNDP)

Originally from New Delhi, India, Ms Mehta will be based at the UNCDF Pacific headquarters in Suva, Fiji and will work closely with technical teams on the ground to implement the initiatives.

Prior to joining UNCDF, she worked as a lawyer and social entrepreneur and brings overs 16 years of experience in hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, ClimateTech, and FinTech to the role.

While working in the third sector, Ms Mehta advised financial regulators on policy and regulations to bridge the financial, digital, and gender divide.

Ms Mehta has been awarded the Fortune-US State Department mentorship, Chevening and Austrian Leadership fellowships recognising her volunteer work in democratising financial services and amplifying the voices of women in tech.

She is an alumnus of King’s College London and is an Al Gore certified Climate Change trainer and holds a Diploma in Business Journalism, Bachelor’s in Law, and Bachelor’s in Commerce.

Ms Mehta is a fluent speaker of English, Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi.