In this episode of the IMPACT= Podcast, we talk to Manfred Schepers, the founder and CEO of ILX Management, the Amsterdam-based manager of emerging market-focused private credit fund, ILX Fund.

He believes that not only are development finance institutions among the best emerging market investors in the world, but pension funds should be looking to commit capital alongside them.

ILX provides institutional investors access to investment opportunities of the development finance asset class, by investing in private-sector loans arranged by Multilateral Development Banks and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs).

The rationale for his approach? Because DFIs have a proven track record of producing solid and long-term financial results and have very low rates of investment failures, despite investing in some of the least developed markets in the world.

Manfred has over 30 years’ of senior-level experience in both development finance and international capital markets. Prior to founding ILX Management, he was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and led the Bank’s Institutional Investment Partnership program. He has also worked at SBC Warburg and UBS where he was Global Head of Debt Capital Markets from 1990-2004.