Leah Simasiku: A passion for capital markets and sustainability

Leah Simasiku , a 2018 graduate of the IFC - International Finance Corporation–Milken Institute capital markets program, is Manager of Market Supervision at The Securities and Exchange Commission, Zambia (SEC). She came to the SEC with a deep curiosity and a drive to expand and deepen her knowledge of capital markets and their effective functioning.

After being accepted to the capital markets program, Leah worked to build up her knowledge. In addition to class work and voluminous reading, she started an initiative where participants shared experiences from their countries. “It was selfish, actually,” says Leah with a smile. “Because I wanted to learn.”

An internship at the World Bank gave her the sustainability bug. “We were working on a report on incorporating ESG into fixed-income investing. I started learning more about sustainability. And I thought to myself: We need to do something about this. Especially given how Africa is impacted by climate change.”

The timing turned out to be perfect. When she returned to Zambia, the SEC’s market development department was working on a sustainability initiative.

Leah was able to jump right in and help. So much so that she is now the manager in charge of sustainability and development, and part of the team that developed a “green finance mainstreaming working group,” in cooperation with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

One result: Zambia’s first green bond—a $200 million offering announced at COP28 in Dubai.

Leah frequently turns to her fellow alumni for help and guidance. “I tell myself I’m not using them anymore …I’m exploiting them! When I have a new project, I search the network and find out which jurisdictions have done something similar. This positions us to leapfrog without having to reinvent the wheel.”

Furthermore, Leah co-managed the risk-based supervision project at the Commission, facilitating its transition from compliance-based to risk-based supervision.

Unsurprisingly, Leah encourages anyone with an opportunity to attend the program to grab it with both hands. “Don’t doubt. Don’t hesitate, just get on board. The benefits are too immense. And your life is just never the same.”