Yvonne Bakkum steps down as Managing Director of FMO IM
June 29, 2023After two consecutive terms as Managing Director of FMO Investment Management BV (FMO IM), Yvonne Bakkum stepped down as statutory director this week and will leave FMO per the 1st of October 2023.
Yvonne co-established FMO IM with Nic Wessemius in late 2012, and developed it to an investment firm in 2015. In little over a decade FMO IM invested well over USD 1 billion for institutional and private investors, supporting an estimated 125,000 jobs and avoiding roughly 400,000t GHG emissions.
With FMO since 2001, Yvonne has built strong relationships with colleagues, clients and partners. She has made a difference to the organization and to the development of impact investing globally. Her leadership combines passion for impact and pragmatism, perseverance and personal vulnerability.
With the FMO IM team she has played a key role in making FMO a frontrunner in mobilizing private capital for the SDGs and bringing this at scale. Before that, she held several other positions at FMO, including Director Private Equity from 2007 to 2012. During this time, she led the expansion of FMO’s private equity department, strengthening its offering and expertise, increasing its portfolio size while embedding ESG practices in GP relationships globally.
Huib-Jan de Ruijter, co-Chief Investment Officer FMO: “We thank Yvonne for her invaluable contribution over so many years. She was a valued member of our leadership team in various roles. As the founding Managing Director of FMO Investment Management, she built a successful new line of business for FMO. Now she leaves a highly empowered team that remains committed to attracting more private capital to invest alongside FMO in impactful businesses. We wish Yvonne every success in her future endeavors.”
Yvonne: “FMO will always have a special place in my heart. Visiting fascinating countries to support ambitious entrepreneurs in building inclusive and sustainable local prosperity. Developing partnerships for impact all over the world. Convincing investors to team up with FMO and scale our joint impact. Working with my fantastic FMO IM team, our trusted fund management partners and many other wonderful FMO colleagues and people during the past 22 years. It has been a privilege.”
About FMO & FMO Investment Management
FMO is the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. As a leading impact investor, FMO supports sustainable private sector growth in developing countries and emerging markets by investing in ambitious projects and entrepreneurs. FMO believes that a strong private sector leads to economic and social development and has a 50+ year proven track-record in empowering entrepreneurs to make local economies more inclusive, productive, resilient and sustainable. FMO focuses on three sectors that have high development impact: Agribusiness, Food & Water, Energy, and Financial Institutions. With a total committed portfolio of EUR ~13 billion spanning over 85 countries, FMO is one of the larger bilateral private sector development banks globally.
Through FMO Investment Management, FMO’s wholly owned investment firm, investors can obtain access to FMO’s deal flow in sustainable emerging market investments. By joining forces, we scale up our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, please visit www.fmo.nl / www.fmo-im.nl