Dražen Kučan (He / Him)

Dražen is an experienced technical expert and team leader who takes pride in empowering people to be at their best with a strong belief that they ultimately will make the difference for success. He is currently working at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, based in Beijing, PR China; where he heads Urban & Water Sector Investment team for the Region 2 (Central & Western & Eastern Asia, Eastern Europe, MENA, Latin America). Dražen joined the AIIB from the Green Climate Fund, where he led global urban development and energy efficiency sector at Division Mitigation & Adaptation (DMA); he was responsible for a sector portfolio valued at just over USD$3 billion. His work focused on technical reviews of Concept Notes and Funding Proposals throughout the GCF project and review cycle; delivered strategic pipeline development with a strong emphasis on the Green and Resilient Cities globally, while contributing towards a broad policy deliberation, in a multitude of international forums, on cities and climate change; and challenges related to scaling up climate finance and transformative transactions. He was responsible for the GCF portfolio of over 30 projects at different stage of development, funding considerations and implementation; and actively engaged in conceptual work and community of practice on de-risking structures and transformative interventions in the global urban and energy efficiency context at the GCF. Ultimately, Dražen leverages his knowledge and experience in urban development and energy efficiency to help developing countries accelerate action towards a low-carbon and climate resilient development pathways. Dražen is a former senior international staff of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB); in his previous career he was a Director for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking with the Raiffeisen Banking Group (Austria); and a senior consultant in variety of resilient infrastructure development assignments across the Asia-Pacific and the Central & Eastern Europe region for the European Commission, the World Bank and the UNDP. Dražen is a recipient of the EBRD Climate Resilience Gold Award (for the GCF innovative grant-based assistance to the Saiss Water Conservation project in Morocco, 2018) He is also a recipient of the following Asian Development Bank awards (2019) for the GCF innovative loan and grant based assistance to the Ulaanbaatar Urban Renewal project in Mongolia: - Most innovative and efficient project of the East-Asia Department; - Best Bank wide "finance ++" project, rewarding the combination of excellent financing structure, financing leverage, and knowledge; - Best Bank wide co-financing project for its climate finance component. Beyond his current role, Dražen is a Steering Committee Member for the Cities Climate Finance and Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), Expert Reviewer for the First Order Draft (FOD) of the Working Group III (WGIII) Contribution the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, he recently served as a Member of the Steering Committee, Decentralized Finance Sub Track - the Leadership for Urban Climate Investments (LUCI), Framework Initiative for the UNSG Climate Action Summit, and is on the Advisory Council for World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Prize for Cities. Dražen has a dual, Dutch-Croatian nationality, and is fluent in six languages.