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Background

Rachel A. Aron is a seasoned Social Development and ESG Advisor and a thought leader in social development. Rachel has more than 18 years of expertise and experience in social due diligence, gender mainstreaming, and in identifying, analyzing, managing, monitoring and evaluating, and reporting on a vast range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in projects, programs, and policies/ strategies. Her professional expertise has been gained primarily at international organizations, such as the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), environmental and social consulting firms, and civil society organizations (CSOs). 

Rachel has led the mainstreaming of social and gender considerations in private sector and public sector investments in all 5 regions of Africa, including in fragile/ post-conflict countries and emergency/ conflict situations. She has worked on national and multinational projects and programs covering the transport, energy, water and sanitation, agricultural, oil and gas, mining, financial, manufacturing, health, tourism, housing, information and communication technology (ICT), and sports sectors. 

Rachel is an Ambassador for the Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club. She holds advisory positions in prominent organizations, such as Women Economic Assembly (a flagship initiative of South Africa’s Office of the Presidency). She has served as a member of the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) Gender Working Group; the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Gender Partnership; the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Program on Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access; the ECOWAS Regulation for Gender Assessment in Energy Infrastructure Development; and the Environment and Gender Index of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Rachel has a Master of Arts in International Development (specialization areas: community development and gender) from American University, Washington, DC, United States. She has a Sustainability Leadership Program certificate from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She has a Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace certificate from École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) Business School, France. She is also fluent in French.