Irene Arias

Irene Arias is the current Chief Executive Officer of IDB Lab at the Inter-American Development Bank. Irene has over 18 years of experience in the financial sector, specializing in microfinance and private sector development.

Arias began their career as a Consultant for CGAP/ World Bank Group in 1999. In this role, they were responsible for analyzing data of CGAP members’ $450 million microfinance investment portfolio for presentation to major donors. Irene also performed research and data analysis for M. Robinson’s book “The Microfinance Revolution: Sustainable Finance for the Poor.”

In 2000, Arias transitioned to the World Bank, where they served as a Private Sector Development Officer for two years. In this role, they conducted economic and supply chain analysis.

In January 2018, Arias became the Chief Executive Officer of IDB Lab, the Inter-American Development Bank’s innovation laboratory. In this role, they are responsible for leading IDB Lab’s team of over 60 professionals in creating and scaling innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean.

Irene Arias received a MA in International Relations/Economics from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in International Relations from the College of Europe in Natolin, a B.A. in Economics from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, a B.A. (3rd year) in Economics from Université catholique de Louvain, and certification as a Chartered Financial Analyst from the CFA Institute.

They work with Fernando Quevedo - GM - Central America, Haiti, Mexico, Panama & DR / Country Representative in Costa Rica, Ferdinando Regalía - Manager, Social Sector, and Fabrizio Opertti - Manager, Integration and Trade Sector. Their manager is Mauricio Claver-Carone, President.