Erik Bethel
The Honorable Erik Bethel is an accomplished global finance professional with over 25 years of experience in the private and public sectors. He is a General Partner at America's Frontier Fund, a nonprofit venture fund focused on building and scaling breakthrough deep-tech companies and platforms. He is also a Senior Advisor for the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Senior Advisor at White Oak Global Advisors, a $10 billion private credit firm. In 2020, Bethel was the U.S. Ambassador Designate to the Republic of Panama. Prior to this, he was nominated by the President and confirmed unanimously by the Senate to represent the United States at the World Bank. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investment banker and private equity professional focused on emerging markets. Bethel serves on the boards of various organizations including Oxford Analytica, Largo Physical Vanadium, and Global SWF. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Chamber of Digital Commerce.
Erik Bethel Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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General Partner
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Senior Advisor for the Project on Prosperity and Development
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Distinguished Fellow
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Senior Advisor
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USAED - U.S. Representative to World Bank
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Managing Director
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Private Equity Banker
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Investment Banker
CONSULTING & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
An esteemed economic advisor, he has been involved in providing insights into economic and financial matters to policymakers.
He has been involved in analyzing economic situations in various countries, providing guidance on investment strategies, and assessing risks and opportunities in emerging market economies.
At the World Bank, he played a pivotal role in the analysis and deployment of over $100 billion of capital through grants, loans, equity investments, and other financial products.
He also spearheaded a number of technology initiatives, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the tokenization of World Bank loans.
EARLY CAREER
He was Managing Director at Franklin Templeton Investments, where he executed resource-related private equity transactions in Latin America.
Before this, he was based in Shanghai, China, as the Managing Partner of SinoLatin Capital, and Managing Director of ChinaVest.
He also held a variety of emerging markets-focused private equity and investment banking positions at J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley in both New York and Mexico City.
At J.P. Morgan, he focused on private equity investments in the U.S. and Latin American industrial and resource companies.
During his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he focused on corporate finance and M&A in Latin American natural resource and infrastructure sectors.
MEDIA & COMMENTARY
Bethel has contributed to discussions on economic and financial matters through media appearances and public speaking engagements.
His insights and commentary on global economic trends, market dynamics, and geopolitical influences may be considered highlights of his career.
He has appeared as a guest on Real Vision.