Carmelo Cocuzza is currently Head of the Infrastructure and Corporates Unit of the Advisory Division at the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Global Directorate. His team manages technical assistance and blended finance advisory programmes from the design stage though approval and implementation in sustainable infrastructure, such as renewable energy, urban development, digitalisation and health, to agriculture and the blue economy covering climate mitigation and adaptation. These advisory programmes cover Africa, EU Neighbourhood, Western Balkans, Asia, Latin America as well as the Caribbean and the Pacific regions. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree from Oxford Brookes University in England, a Masters degree in Banking and Finance for Development from the University of Milan, Italy and is an alumni of the Oxford Impact Investing Programme of the Said Business School at Oxford University. Carmelo has over 30 years of blended finance professional experience acquired at the EIB and at the African Development Bank. He has been Head of the EIB’s Regional Representations for Southern Africa and Indian Ocean based in Pretoria, South Africa (2012-2017) and for East and Central Africa in Nairobi, Kenya (2004-2009). He has been Senior Investment officer for EIB’s operations in ASEAN countries and for Central Africa. He has been an active advisory board member of various venture capital SME funds in East Africa. He is a certified Microfinance Trainer and founder of a business incubator, FinAfrica, based in Kampala, Uganda.