Meaghan McGrath graduated cum laude from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1989 with a B.A. in Political Science. While at Columbia, she was one of two members of her class to be elected to Phi Betta Kappa. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992 with honors. Shortly after, she began working for law firm Chadbourne & Parke (now Norton Rose Fulbright) in project finance, a subset of international finance that involves building large infrastructure projects.

During this time, law firms were beginning to look for international work in emerging markets. As a young associate, Meaghan McGrath was asked to be part of a three-month work assignment in India, establishing a foreign office and finding investors for international finance projects.

She remained in India for two years, helping expand into a seven-attorney representative office and representing independent developers in energy projects such as AES Transpower, GVK Reddy Industries, Houston Industries and Sithe Energy. This rewarding experience as the first US trained, female lawyer in the region placed Meaghan McGrath on the forefront of a novel market, and since then, she has remained diligent in adapting to new industry landscapes, becoming an influential force on international investing.

She returned to the US and continued working in corporate finance, representing organizations like Chase Manhattan Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for energy and infrastructure-related projects. Meaghan McGrath was approached for a position at IFC, a major global development institution that focuses exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. She accepted what she saw as an opportunity to substantially further the meaningful work she had formed her career around.

Starting out at IFC, Meaghan McGrath sought out financing for individual projects, eventually raising billions of dollars in third party financing from institutional and commercial investors to co-invest with IFC in frontier markets. To this end, McGrath helped create and lead the Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program (MCPP), raising approximately $7 billion from institutional investors including AXA, Allianz, and Prudential Hong Kong, three of the world’s biggest insurance agencies. She acts as lead counsel for over 50 projects and initiatives in 25 countries, all located in emerging markets.

McGrath understands that financing emerging markets is not simply about addressing the needs of developing countries: it’s about making an investment that will pay off in the long-term while making an impact in the world. Developing countries become an opportunity to invest and create returns rather than just a responsibility.

It is Meaghan McGrath’s belief that the private sector and the US can be doing more to support the developing regions of the world. To do that, it is essential to lay the fundamental foundation for safe investments and incentivize people to make these investments. A major component of a strong economy is taking care of the softer side: finding and investing in companies in emerging markets with sustainable and impactful goals. Statistics show that young investors now are more inclined to support projects that are also making a difference in the world, a mindset that McGrath strongly advocates.

A career of dedicated involvement has led Meaghan McGrath to many achievements and accolades. She has occupied numerous leadership positions with various entities such as the American Bar Association, the Ivymount Foundation, the IFC Inclusion & Diversity Council, Women’s World Banking and much more. She was also involved in a number of breakthrough projects, including the first greenfield investment in Iraq and the first virtual mobile network operator in Colombia, Chile and Mexico. Meaghan McGrath was the recipient of the 2017 Financial Times Award, Innovation in Legal Expertise: New Markets and Capital and was shortlisted for Financial Times Award, Most Innovative Counsel, North America 2017.

However, McGrath’s biggest personal achievements come from enabling the success of her colleagues and associates. At IFC, she has grown a team of 25 young, diverse and talented law professionals who actively work with her in mobilization of debt products. She inspires them with her drive and dedication. For Meaghan McGrath, being a good leader means helping those around you succeed, and she looks to engender trust and collaboration on all levels.

In particular, Meaghan McGrath is proud of being in a position to aid younger women, especially where gender equality has been slow to be realized. Women looking to achieve success in the modern era don’t want to be constrained, and these industries have room to grow into an inclusive space for women to thrive. While Meaghan McGrath has her sights on improving emerging markets around the world, she also has a strong desire to empower those around her, and as evidenced by her career, she is never one to back down from a challenge.

Looking forward, Meaghan McGrath aims to take all the knowledge she’s gained and share it with as many people as possible. There is great potential for a crossover of smart, savvy, fashionable and financially important work that speaks to many different kinds of people, and McGrath aims to continue learning and developing the overlap of industries she is versed in so she can increase the reach of her influence and continue her journey of forging new paths and lifting up others.

Meaghan McGrath lives in Washington DC with her husband and four children. She is devoted to her family, and likewise, her family understands her passions and the importance of her work.