Sonia Medina
Chief Ecosystem Development Officer, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
In her role, Sonia drives The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation’s (CIFF) commitment to strengthen global ecosystems and philanthropic communities to solve some of the toughest challenges children face. Sonia also leads CIFF’s climate team and portfolio. More than 50 professionals at CIFF manage over $1 billion in active investments spanning a range of sectors including energy, transport, industry, food and land use, alongside cross-cutting strategic levers such as climate finance, diplomacy, legal action, and communications.
Before joining CIFF in 2013, Sonia was chief operating officer of a biomass start-up in Africa. Before this she spent seven years at EcoSecurities, a large carbon offset project developer, where she was U.S. country director and global head of origination.
Sonia started her career at the UN Environment Programme, and holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from Madrid University, a master’s degree in environmental change from Oxford University, and an MBA from the London Business School. Sonia was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2014.
