Ahmed Dermish

Ahmed Dermish is the Global Lead for Investment Climate and Policy at the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). He is an inclusive finance policy and regulatory specialist with nearly two decades of experience advising financial authorities across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific on the design of enabling policy and regulatory environments for inclusive finance, digital economies, and investment mobilisation. He has advised regulators in over 20 countries on digital finance and investment climate reforms and contributes to global policy dialogue with partners including BIS, OECD, GSMA, and the World Bank Group. He holds an MSc in Development Studies and Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

At UNCDF, Ahmed leads global work on investment climate, policy, and regulatory reform to support the mobilisation of public and private capital toward national development priorities. He oversees multi-country advisory portfolios and partnerships with governments, development finance institutions, and international standard-setting bodies, helping financial authorities translate policy reforms into investable opportunities and resilient financial systems. He has directed global teams and managed a multi-million-dollar portfolio of regulatory advisory initiatives funded by partners including philanthropic foundations, the European Union, and bilateral donors

Before joining UNCDF, Ahmed was Director of Policy and Ecosystem Development at BFA Global and previously worked in banking supervision at the UK Financial Conduct Authority.