Jessica L. Bedoya is the chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Bedoya is the primary advisor to the president on matters of institutional strategy and investment policy, while leading the bank’s operations. She has extensive leadership experience in international affairs and policymaking, as well as a track-record of successfully coordinating with the private sector across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Prior to joining IDB, Bedoya spent 15 years in the U.S. government, most recently serving as managing director for the Western Hemisphere and senior advisor to the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). At DFC, she led strategic business development in Latin America and the Caribbean and identified finance and investment opportunities of up to $1 billion in agriculture, infrastructure, and technology. To further development policy priorities, Bedoya worked closely with senior U.S. and foreign government officials, coordinated with domestic and multilateral development finance institutions and expanded DFC’s private sector co-financing partners.

From 2018 to 2020, Bedoya served as the deputy senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC), where she created and directed U.S. policy priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Bedoya strengthened bilateral relationships by increasing the U.S. presence in the region and expanding economic growth opportunities. In addition, as a regional expert she advised the national security advisor and led execution of América Crece (Growth in the Americas), which catalyzed private sector investment in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Prior to her time at the NSC, Bedoya served in the foreign policy and U.S. intelligence community informing, advancing, and implementing policies across the Western Hemisphere. She mobilized international support for key initiatives by working with leaders from governments and the private sector. Additionally, she worked at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia and has worked in Haiti and the Eastern Caribbean.

Bedoya holds a BA in international politics and international economics from the George Washington University, a MA in world politics from the Catholic University of America and studied political science at the Sorbonne in Paris. She speaks English, Spanish, and French.