Finance
'Worst ever’ debt crisis puts IDA’s financial model at risk, underscoring need for ambitious donor contributions to IDA21 replenishment – Bretton Woods Project
The 21st replenishment of the International Development Association’s (IDA21) – the World Bank’s low-income lending arm – due to conclude in December, takes place amid a worsening debt crisis. Even if IDA21 lives up to calls from World Bank President Ajay Banga for record breaking funding, the unfolding debt crisis will likely limit IDA’s ability to provide highly concessional loans and grants to its low-income country (LIC) members.
When an IDA country faces debt difficulties, its loans can be converted to grants, though this support is capped according to unpublished country quotas. From 2020 to 2022, as LICs struggled with the exogenous fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and their debt situations worsened, the ratio of grants- to- loans in IDA’s portfolio rose from one-fourth to one-third. IDA began converting loans of moderately debt distressed LICs to 50-year credits instead of its usual mix of credits and grants which, according to Clemence Landers and Hannah Brown from US-based think tank Center for Global Development (CGD), should restore grants to a manageable level.
However, according to Development Finance International, the current debt crisis is the ‘worst ever’, with many LICs now paying more on debt servicing than on health, education, social protection and climate combined, meaning this crisis could place significant strain on IDA’s funding model.
The strength (and weakness) of IDA’s funding model: market-based finance
Since its 18th replenishment (2017-19), IDA has issued market debt backed by its equity base, mostly comprised of its outstanding loans (see Observer Winter 2017). This approach has allowed IDA to grow its resources to $185 billion. In IDA20, $23.5 billion of donor contributions were leveraged into a $93 billion replenishment, $33.5 billion in borrowing and $36 billion in reflows via repaid debt from IDA members. As long as grants are less than contributions, IDA does not have to dip into its equity base – but if it does, it could cause a larger contraction in its loan portfolio because its equity is the basis on which it raises market finance.
According to CGD’s calculations, a moderate worsening of LIC debt dynamics would require at least $36 billion in grants over the IDA21 replenishment cycle, requiring an additional $12 billion in contributions compared to IDA20 to avoid dipping into IDA’s equity base. A significant worsening would require at least $45 billion in grants over the replenishment cycle, requiring an additional $22 billion, compared to IDA20. As donor contributions to IDA have fallen by 20 per cent in real terms over the last decade and, as CGD notes, many large donors have signalled that reaching even the level of their contributions for IDA20 may prove difficult, even the moderate debt crisis scenario could significantly affect IDA.
As debt repayments surge and capital flows turn net-negative, LICs have been forced to rely on IDA for affordable finance, while high-income countries have persistently failed to meet their 0.7 per cent GNP target for Official Development Assistance or agree on a new allocation of SDRs (see Observer Summer 2024).
Quality vs quantity
However, concerns about the size of the IDA21 replenishment should not obscure more fundamental questions of how effective IDA assistance has been: only 17 out of 81 IDA countries have graduated out of IDA eligibility since 1996 (see Observer Spring 2024).
IDA assistance remains linked to highly problematic policies that have a strong pro-liberalisation, deregulation and private sector bias. This has favoured profit extraction by international investors, been linked to the financialisation of Global South economies, and has failed to catalyse economic transformation (see Report, Financialisation, human rights and the Bretton Woods Institutions: An introduction for civil society organisations). This approach looks set to continue in IDA21, with the draft policy package released on 17 June containing numerous references to efforts to crowd in private finance into climate and development efforts.
“IDA is of critical importance for the 39 African states that rely on its financing. But just ensuring it can continue current levels of support is not enough,” noted Jane Nalunga of Ugandan civil society organisation SEATINI. “We need a better IDA, that actively supports their economic transformation, not just keeps them on life support, and to do this we need rich countries to increase their contributions to substantially reduce IDA’s reliance on market finance.”
Finance
Plano-Based Finance of America Announces $2.5B Partnership with Funds Managed by Blue Owl to Expand FOA’s Home Equity Lending
Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America [Composite image; source: Finance of America/DI Studio]
Finance of America Companies, a leading provider of home equity-based financing solutions for a modern retirement, and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital, a leading alternative asset manager, announced an enhanced $2.5 billion strategic partnership to accelerate product innovation and distribution for the nation’s fast-growing retirement demographic.
With more than 10,000 Americans entering retirement age every day, the market for home equity access continues to expand. FOA said its collaboration with New York City-based Blue Owl positions it to capture significant share in this rapidly evolving sector.
“This is a pivotal moment not just for Finance of America, but for the senior finance market as a whole,” Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America, said in a statement. “By aligning with Blue Owl, we are creating a platform of scale and innovation to better serve one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States.”
The enhanced partnership includes, per FOA:
- $2.5 billion commitment for new product innovation, providing scale and liquidity to support origination growth across multiple asset classes
- $50 million equity investment in Finance of America, enhancing long-term alignment between the companies and supporting FOA’s continued growth initiatives
- Joint innovation and product-development initiative focused on the continuous rollout of new, differentiated financial products tailored for people looking to maximize freedom, security, and opportunity throughout their retirement
This product expansion will complement FOA’s existing industry-leading reverse mortgage product suite while strengthening the company’s commitment to innovation and its role as a leader in delivering powerful financial solutions for retirees.
FOA said it continues to empower retirees with responsible, flexible access to capital to support aging in place, healthcare expenses, and lifestyle goals.
The partnership reinforces Finance of America’s mission to provide comprehensive, retirement-focused financial solutions, with the goal of expanding beyond reverse mortgages to become the nation’s leading, full-spectrum home equity lending platform, the company said.
“We believe Finance of America is uniquely positioned to redefine how financial products are delivered to retirees,” said David Aidi, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
“This partnership provides the capital, the strategic alignment, and the innovation engine to build category-defining products at scale,” added Ray Chan, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
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Finance
Bérangère Michel announced as BBC Group Chief Financial Officer
The BBC has announced that Bérangère Michel has been appointed to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer.
Bérangère brings extensive experience from her 16-year career at the John Lewis Partnership, where she held senior roles including Chief Financial Officer, Customer Service Executive Director, Operations Director and Finance & Strategy Director.
Prior to joining the John Lewis Partnership, Bérangère spent 11 years at the Royal Mail Group in a number of finance, change and strategy roles, including as Finance Director of the property division.
In an expanded role as BBC Group Chief Financial Officer, Bérangère will be responsible for the overall BBC Group financial strategy, with a remit across BBC Public Service, BBC Studios and the BBC’s commercial subsidiaries. She will play a leadership role and will sit on both the Executive Committee and, for the first time, the Board.
This position will strengthen the BBC’s financial leadership, support its transformation, and make the best use of the licence fee and commercial opportunities. Bérangère will report to the Director-General and will take up the role in early January.
Director-General Tim Davie says: “Bérangère brings a wealth of experience from her time at the John Lewis Partnership and will play a critical role in shaping our new financial strategy. I’m pleased to welcome her to the BBC, and to both the Executive Committee and Board.
“Bérangère’s appointment to this expanded role comes at an important time for the BBC, as we look ahead to Charter renewal and continue to accelerate our transformation to deliver outstanding value for our audiences.”
BBC Chair Samir Shah says: “The role of Group Chief Financial Officer will be hugely important as we build a BBC for the future, and I look forward to welcoming Bérangère to the Board.”
Bérangère Michel says: “I am delighted to be joining the BBC, an institution whose purpose and mission I have always admired. It’s a privilege to be part of shaping its exciting future at such a crucial moment and I cannot wait to get started.”
BBC Press Office
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Finance
ATI Promotes Longtime Leader to CFO and SVP of Finance
Rob Foster, incoming CFO of ATI Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2026 [Photo: ATI}
ATI Inc., a Dallas-based manufacturer of high-performance materials for the aerospace and defense industries, announced that James Robert “Rob” Foster will be promoted to senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer, effective January 1, 2026.
Foster succeeds Don Newman, who will serve as strategic advisor to the CEO beginning January 1. As previously announced, Newman will retire on March 1, 2026, and serve in an advisory capacity in that time to allow for a smooth transition.
“Rob is a proven P&L leader with enterprise-wide experience in the areas that matter most to ATI’s continued growth,” Kim Fields, president and CEO, said in a statement. “He brings deep expertise not only in finance but also as an operational leader. Rob played a pivotal role in the successful Specialty Rolled Products transformation, consistently helping ATI to deliver strong returns and shareholder value. I look forward to partnering with him as we enter our next phase of profitable growth.”
Foster, a longtime ATI leader, brings both operational expertise and financial discipline to the CFO role, the company said. He most recently served as president of ATI’s specialty alloys & components business, where he improved efficiency, grew capacity, and advanced the company’s role as a global leader in exotic alloys. Foster previously served as vice president of Finance, Supply Chain, and Capital Projects, overseeing ATI’s global finance organization, capital deployment processes, and enterprise supply chain performance. Earlier in his career, he led Finance for both ATI operating segments and the Forged Products business.
“I’m honored to become ATI’s next CFO,” said Foster. “ATI is well-positioned with a strong balance sheet, focused strategy, and significant opportunities ahead. I look forward to working with our team to drive disciplined investment, operational excellence, and long-term value creation for our shareholders.”
Newman added, “Rob is an exceptional leader who understands ATI’s strategy, operations, and financial drivers. He has delivered transformative results across the organization. I look forward to supporting a seamless transition as we pursue this next step in our succession planning.”
Before joining ATI in 2012, Foster held senior finance roles at API Technologies Corp. and Spectrum Control Inc., where he led ERP implementations, acquisition integrations, and internal control enhancements. He began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young (EY).
ATI produces high-performance materials and solutions for the global aerospace and defense markets, and critical applications in electronics, medical, and specialty energy.
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