Bishakha Mukherjee is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Association.  She is an economist and financial services professional.  She had a long career as an Economic Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s former Economic Affairs Division), promoting policy development and private investment in emerging Commonwealth markets.  She managed the Commonwealth Private Investment Initiative which raised US$800mn for investment and pioneered private equity and venture capital inter alia in Africa.  It was undertaken jointly with the CDC Group and raised capital from Commonwealth investment agencies and private investors. She also prepared reports and briefings for the annual meetings of Commonwealth Finance Ministers.

After the Commonwealth Secretariat, Bishakha worked for private fund managers designing investment vehicles and raising capital for the SME sector (small and medium-sized enterprises) in frontier and emerging markets and impact focusing on the critical social sectors which affect those living at the bottom of the pyramid and relevant to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.  She also undertakes strategic business development of organizations.  She continues working in these sectors as an independent consultant.