Nadegda Kolesinski

Nadegda “Nadja” Kolesinski is a development finance and impact investment professional with deep experience across Asia and emerging markets. She is Director and Chief Representative of DEG’s Representative Office in Singapore. DEG, a subsidiary of KfW, provides financing, advice, and support to private-sector companies and financial institutions operating in developing and emerging markets, with a focus on sustainable private-sector development.

Since January 2024, Nadja has led DEG’s business origination activities across Southeast Asia, covering infrastructure, corporates, financial institutions, and private equity funds. Her work focuses on helping channel private capital toward sustainable growth and on supporting businesses and investors shaping commercially viable solutions with positive development impact.

With nearly 17 years at DEG, Nadja has worked across several dimensions of development finance, from managing debt and equity portfolios to structuring private equity, mezzanine, fund, and infrastructure transactions. She has also advised companies on ESG risks, sustainability strategies, and transition-related challenges, bringing together investment discipline, regional experience, and impact-oriented thinking.

Nadja’s interest in Asia and finance has shaped her career from the outset, beginning with her studies in Economics and Politics of East Asia at Ruhr University Bochum and academic stays in Shanghai and Nanjing. Before joining DEG, she gained experience with HSBC, Henkel in Shanghai, and in academic research and teaching on East Asian economics. Her career reflects a commitment to responsible private investment that drives sustainable growth and long-term development impact.