Martin Poulsen has been active in sustainability, private equity, SME finance and emerging markets for over 25 years. He has worked extensively on both the GP and LP sides and been successful in raising capital from both public and private sources, including for new fund managers pursuing innovative investment strategies.
Martin is currently the Managing Director of Acacia Sustainable Business Advisors, which provides advisory services’ to fund managers SMEs, NGOs and public sector organisations with a strong emphasis on supporting clients with climate-oriented strategies. He was a founder and Co-CEO of the Moringa Partnership, an agroforestry sector fund manager from 2012-2016. Martin is the current Chairman of’ the IDH Farmfit Fund Investment Committee, Senior Advisor to Consilium Capital and has been instrumental in establishing many innovative and impactful sustainable finance initiatives.
From 2009-2011 he served as chief private equity officer at the African Development Bank. Between 2003 and 2009, he led the European Investment Bank (EIB) private equity investment activities in sub-Saharan Africa and in European renewable energy.
From 1997-2002, he was a member of the team that established Kennet Capital, one of Europe’s leading early-stage technology venture capital firms. Before this, he worked for the Commonwealth Development Corporation as a project engineer at agribusinesses in Cote d’Ivoire and Swaziland.
Martin has served as a member of the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) Africa Council. He has a Master’s degree in manufacturing engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in general engineering from Cambridge University. He is a fluent speaker of English, French, Dutch and German and lives close to Geneva.
Martin’s long track record in sustainability and emerging markets makes him an invaluable member of the ICFA Selection Committee. His impressive work in innovation and sustainability inspires us all to drive transformative change.
