Keith Palmer
Keith Palmer is the founder and Chair of Trustees of EfD.
He is founding sponsor and former Chair of AgDevCo., a patient capital investor developing sustainable agriculture in Africa.
He is the “intellectual architect” and former Chairman of InfraCo Africa and Infra Co Asia infrastructure development companies active in Africa and Asia. He was founder Chairman of Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, an African debt fund and founder board member of Guarantco, an infrastructure loan guarantee facility. All of these companies form part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG).
Keith previously held senior positions including Managing Director and Global head of energy, mining and utilities corporate finance at N. M. Rothschild, the London-based merchant bank. He then co-founded and until 2013 was Chairman of CEPA, an economic and financial consultancy. He has previously worked for the World Bank, the IMF and in senior positions in the public sector in Papua New Guinea and Tanzania.
Keith has held the position of Senior Research Fellow at the International Growth Centre based at the London School of Economics and for many years was Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy.
Keith was awarded an OBE for contributions to economic development overseas in 2010 and an Honorary Doctorate honoris causa by the University of Birmingham for contributions to public life in 2013.
In His Majesty’s Birthday Honours in 2024 Keith was awarded a Knighthood for his exceptional service to the UK abroad and internationally in the field of international development. Keith was recognised for his longstanding and sustained leadership, innovation and impact in international development. Throughout his career he has demonstrated effectively how to collaborate with the private sector to achieve development goals and bring about lasting change to the lives of millions of people in some of the poorest countries in Africa and Asia. Consequently, helping to establish the UK as a global leader in this sector.