Research Fellow, Environment and Natural Resources Program/Center for International Development
Wasim A. Tahir is a Research Fellow at Harvard University, jointly appointed to the Center for International Development and the Environment and Natural Resources Program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. His research focuses on the intersection of climate and development finance, with the ultimate goal of mobilizing private capital towards sustainable development initiatives. In addition to his research, Tahir will be producing and delivering development finance programming for students.
Tahir joins Harvard from British International Investment (BII), the UK's development finance institution. At BII, he was responsible for developing the organization’s approach to mobilizing private capital at scale, summarized in his two published papers on the topic: "Understanding Mobilisation" and "Driving Mobilisation." He also defined the firm’s approach to financial sector development, encompassing over $2.2 billion in investments across a range of financial institutions and investment instruments.
A financial services expert, Tahir has extensive experience advising financial institutions on corporate strategy, M&A, risk, organizational design, and operational improvements. During his tenure as an Expert Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and as a Consultant at Oliver Wyman, he worked on numerous projects for regulators, banks, asset managers, insurers, and payment companies. He also held strategy roles at Credit Suisse and Lloyds Banking Group.
Tahir holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a Master of Engineering from the University of Oxford. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
