Mehrdad Nazari serves as the Director of the Independent Accountability Mechanism, an independent office within the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) that addresses concerns, complaints, and conflicts about environmental or social issues that may arise around DFC-supported projects.
Mr. Nazari’s 30 years of professional experience includes directing an environmental and social consulting practice and assisting developers and investors with their due diligence, impact assessment, disclosures, auditing, and assurance needs. He has served on independent, expert rosters or panels of the accountability mechanisms of several multilateral financial institutions, contributing to their institutional compliance reviews following complaints by project-affected communities. Previously, he served as a Principal Environmental Specialist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and was a project manager, hydrogeologist, and environment, health, and safety auditor at a consulting firm based in Frankfurt, Germany.
Mr. Nazari studied in Germany (J.W. Goethe University), the United States (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Fulbright grantee), and the United Kingdom, where he was awarded master’s degrees in hydrogeology (University of Birmingham) and business administration (Henley Business School).