James Bond

James Bond holds a diversified portfolio of strategic advisory interventions and board roles. He is a leading expert on financial restructuring, project finance, infrastructure-related strategy and public policy, and risk management, with a focus on emerging economies.

James’s current executive positions are Co-Managing Partner of Blue Monsoon Capital (Singapore), a financial advisory and asset management firm focusing on the emerging economies. He is also Finance Practice Head of the Centennial Group (Washington DC), a top-level advisory firm specializing in strategic and policy advice to emerging economies and IFIs. James’s most recent Centennial assignment was the restructuring in 2020 of a major government-owned financial institution in the Gulf. Prior assignments have included advice on public policy for governments on finance and infrastructure; support to major IFIs in restructuring and strategic realignment; and project finance and financial restructuring assignments for public and private corporates.

James’s non-executive roles include non-executive director of ZHRH (Beijing/London), an innovative chemical recycling start-up in the circular economy. He was previously member of the Board of Trustees of the Global Heritage Fund (San Francisco, CA), and remains Trustee Emeritus. He has been on the boards of ASI (London, UK); Escondida (Santiago, Chile), the largest copper mine in the world; EPRI (Palo Alto, CA); and Inca-Re, a limited partnership fund specializing in clean energy.

In 2019 and 2020 James held the position of Chair of the Inclusive Growth Financing Forum (IGFF), a G7 initiative launched by the OECD. From December 2013 until December 2016, he was Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the UNFCCC-sponsored Green Climate Fund, responsible for the Fund’s design. This led to the successful fund raising ($10.3 billion) and launch in time for the COP21 negotiations in Paris (December 2015). In this role, James interfaced closely with G20 ministries of finance, multilateral development banks, and other major financial institutions.

James served in numerous managerial positions in the World Bank Group over more than two decades. Until August 2011 he was Chief Operating Officer of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). MIGA provides political risk insurance and credit enhancement to investors and banks active in emerging economies. During his tenure at MIGA he oversaw the revision of the Agency’s statutes and the introduction of a range of new products, leading to tripling of business volume.

Prior to joining MIGA in 2008 James was World Bank Country Director in West Africa. He spearheaded World Bank assistance to countries in the region, including to Côte d’Ivoire to help bring the country’s internal conflict to an end. He was also on assignment in Antananarivo, Madagascar. His sectorial responsibilities at the World Bank have included Director of Energy, and Director of Agriculture and Environment.

At the International Finance Corporation (IFC) James was Director of the Mining Department. During his tenure IFC financed several important mining projects including the privatization of the state-owned copper enterprise ZCCM in Zambia and the structuring of a $2.5 billion aluminum smelter in Mozambique.

Before joining the World Bank James spent nine years with the petroleum company Total in Paris and two with Gold Fields in South Africa. James holds a doctorate in economics from Panthéon-Sorbonne; a Master’s degree in energy economics from the French engineering school ENSPM; and a degree in chemical engineering from South Africa. He has been awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur of France and Commandeur de l’Ordre du Mérite of Madagascar.