Paula Murphy Ives

Paula Murphy Ives is a Swiss-Canadian leader in social impact, philanthropy, sustainable finance, and systems change. She currently serves as Managing Director, Social Capital & Impact, Enterprise Strategic Client Group at RBC in Canada, where she works with major clients and families to integrate climate, ESG, impact investing, and philanthropy into long-term strategies.

Her career spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Paula has worked within the United Nations system in Geneva on human rights, international trade, peacebuilding, and conflict mediation, and has led cleantech initiatives for the Canadian Embassy in Switzerland and Singapore. She has also managed philanthropy for a European family office and foundation and worked across business, academia, government, and civil society to build collaborative partnerships.

Paula is a member of P150, a global network of philanthropy advisors, and serves as an Unreasonable Mentor supporting social entrepreneurs and impact-driven companies.

She holds an Honours BA, a D.E.S. in International Relations from the Graduate Institute in Geneva, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where her research focused on reframing self-other perceptions and global change.