Samantha Attridge is a senior fellow specialising in development finance, with a focus on mobilising private capital for sustainable development. Her expertise spans innovative and blended finance, the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs), development finance institutions (DFIs), and national development banks (NDBs). She regularly advises donors, MDBs and DFIs on strategies to unlock private investment, and has been called as an expert witness to the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee on several occasions. Samantha co-chairs the Finance in Common Global Research Network on private capital mobilisation and contributes expertise to international expert groups advancing blended finance and private investment agendas.
Before joining CGD, Samantha founded and directed ODI Global’s Centre for Private Finance in Development, where she led pioneering research on private capital mobilisation. She previously headed the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Financing for Development policy research, advocacy, and engagement, including convening Commonwealth Central Bank Governors and Finance Ministers and shaping dialogue with the G20. Earlier in her career, she was Deputy Director at Crown Agents, delivering technical assistance on sovereign debt management, capital market development, and public financial management.
A Chartered Accountant (ACA) with the ICAEW, Samantha qualified with PwC and also holds a Master’s in Development Economics from SOAS, University of London.
