Meet the Team
VerdAbility brings together a multidisciplinary team of climate finance, infrastructure, and ESG professionals with deep expertise in emerging markets. Our team members have held leadership positions at major development finance institutions, consulting firms, and multilateral organizations.
Dr. José Luis Bobes
Founder & CEO
Dr. Bobes is a climate infrastructure finance specialist with over 20 years of experience structuring sustainable investment projects across emerging markets. He holds a PhD in Development Finance from Stellenbosch University and an MBA from Chicago Booth. His career spans leadership roles advising multilateral development banks, governments, and private sector investors on climate-resilient infrastructure, green credit line design, and blended finance mechanisms. He has led engagements with KfW, EBRD, AfDB, the World Bank, and AUDA-NEPAD across more than 40 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Dr. Bobes also serves as a founding partner of the SCIF-I Fund, an impact investment vehicle focused on climate infrastructure in underserved markets. His work bridges technical project preparation, financial structuring, and ESG integration to accelerate capital deployment into projects that deliver measurable development impact.
Yana Fleming
Senior Advisor, International Development & Climate Finance
Yana Fleming is a senior international development professional with over 20 years of experience in program management, climate finance, and institutional strengthening across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. She holds an MA from Marist College and has led complex multi-country engagements for USAID, the World Bank, IDB, and other multilateral institutions. Her expertise spans climate adaptation finance, environmental governance, public sector reform, and stakeholder engagement. She is multilingual (English, Spanish, French, Russian) and brings deep field experience in designing and managing programs that bridge policy, finance, and community-level impact.
Miguel Franco
Senior Advisor, Infrastructure Engineering & Energy
Miguel Franco is a senior infrastructure and energy engineer with over 30 years of experience in sustainable infrastructure development, energy systems, and environmental engineering. He holds an MSE from Johns Hopkins University and has held leadership positions at RTI International and Tetra Tech, managing large-scale USAID and World Bank-funded infrastructure programs. His expertise includes energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, water and sanitation systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure design across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
América Hernández Calonge
Senior Advisor, Trade Finance & Market Development
América Hernández Calonge is a senior international business and trade finance professional with over 18 years of experience in market development, export promotion, and institutional strengthening. She is CEO of ENEX GLOBAL and holds an MBA from ICEX (Spain’s Trade and Investment Agency). Her expertise spans trade finance structuring, market entry strategy, public-private partnerships, and capacity building for SMEs and government institutions across Latin America, Europe, and Africa.
Douglas Hinrichs
Advisor, Infrastructure Finance & PPPs
Douglas Hinrichs is an infrastructure finance specialist with extensive experience in public-private partnerships, project finance, and infrastructure investment across emerging markets. He brings deep expertise in structuring bankable infrastructure transactions and advising government agencies on concession frameworks and PPP procurement processes.
Marcela Huertas
Advisor, ESG & Social Impact
Marcela Huertas is an ESG and social impact specialist with extensive experience in environmental and social assessment, community engagement, and sustainability reporting. She supports VerdAbility’s engagements in developing ESG frameworks, conducting impact assessments, and building institutional capacity for environmental and social governance.