Olaf Schmidt is currently serving as the Regional Industry Director for Manufacturing, Agribusiness & Services (MAS) in Europe and Latin America & the Caribbean at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group. With over 20 years of experience, Olaf has led investments across all MAS sectors worldwide.
His career at IFC includes roles such as Manager MAS in Africa, where he drove growth initiatives, and Hub Lead for MAS in Paris, where he built strategic partnerships with Western European clients. In Mexico, he expanded business with regional sponsors, utilizing a range of financial tools like equity, mezzanine finance, and debt.
Before joining IFC in 2003, Olaf worked in strategy consulting with A.T. Kearney in France and Germany and spent two years with the OTF Group in Africa, enhancing regional competitiveness.
Olaf holds a Business Administration degree from ESSEC in France and Mannheim University in Germany, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.