Innovation Finance Alliance

Daniel Emerson, MBA (Wharton) and BEng (Imperial College London), is the Chief Operating Officer at Innovation Finance Alliance, overseeing $260B in assets under management, global operations, and regulatory compliance. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, he served as a Global Consulting Partner at Deloitte, leading transformation and risk programs for Fortune 500 firms, and previously directed risk at Standard Chartered across Asia and Europe, guiding the bank through the 2008 financial crisis without major losses. Named among the Financial Times’ “Top 50 Most Influential COOs,” Emerson combines expertise in digital transformation with rigorous compliance to deliver resilient, client-focused growth.

William Scott, MSc in Finance (University of Cambridge), is the Chief Investment Officer at Innovation Finance Alliance, overseeing the firm’s $260B in assets under management across global markets. With over 25 years of experience in asset allocation and risk management, he previously led $200B portfolios at Goldman Sachs, developing quantitative models that were central to investment strategy and consistently outperforming through market crises. Earlier in his career at J.P. Morgan, he managed sovereign wealth assets and identified subprime risks ahead of the 2008 financial crisis. A three-time “Best Investment Innovation Award” winner and frequent Davos and IMF speaker, Scott is recognized for his disciplined, data-driven investment approach that balances opportunity capture with rigorous capital preservation.

Philippe Collombel, B.A. in Accounting & Finance (Princeton University), is the Chief Financial Officer at Innovation Finance Alliance, overseeing $260B in assets under management and leading global financial strategy, capital structure, and compliance across major financial hubs. With over 18 years of experience in capital management, tax planning, and cross-border regulation, he was formerly an Audit Partner at KPMG, managing international audits, M&A transactions, and corporate restructurings, and earlier advised on IPOs and tax strategies at PwC. Named among The Economist’s “Top 50 Most Influential CFOs in Europe,” Collombel is fluent in four languages and is renowned for his precision, transparency, and leadership in driving sustainable growth.

Omar Al Fayed, MSc in Real Estate Finance (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), is the Head of Real Estate & Infrastructure Investments at Innovation Finance Alliance, managing the firm’s global portfolio across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific as part of its $260B in assets under management. With over 20 years of experience, he previously led multi-billion-dollar real estate and infrastructure funds at Goldman Sachs and oversaw major projects at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), where he pioneered REITs and cross-border asset securitization in the Middle East. Named among Institutional Investor’s “Top 50 Most Influential Real Estate Investors,” Omar is recognized for his ESG-driven strategies, cross-market expertise, and strong sovereign and institutional partnerships.

Peter Niederhauser, MSc in Energy Economics (Stanford University), is the Head of Commodities & Energy at Innovation Finance Alliance, directing global strategy for oil, gas, metals, agriculture, and renewables as part of the firm’s $260B in assets under management. With over 15 years of experience, he previously served as BP’s Global Head of Energy Trading, managing multi-billion-dollar trades and pioneering green energy and carbon credit strategies, and earlier worked as a commodities analyst at Credit Suisse, where he developed ETFs and structured products. Named among Institutional Investor’s “Top 50 Most Influential Commodity Investors,” Peter is recognized for his data-driven, ESG-focused approach that blends traditional energy with renewables to generate sustainable, cross-cycle returns.

Ernst Mannheimer, MSc in Finance (University of Chicago Booth School of Business), is the Head of Forex & Derivatives at Innovation Finance Alliance, overseeing global FX and derivatives strategy, risk hedging, and product innovation for multi-billion-dollar cross-market portfolios. With over 25 years of experience, he previously led global FX trading at Citigroup, achieving consistent profitability across currency volatility cycles, and earlier developed multi-currency structured products at Credit Suisse. Named among Institutional Investor’s “Top 50 Most Influential FX & Derivatives Experts,” Ernst is recognized for his data-driven, risk-focused approach, integrating advanced hedging models and market insight to deliver resilient, high-performance returns.

James Wright, B.A. in Finance & Computer Science (Yale University), is the Head of Digital Assets & Crypto at Innovation Finance Alliance, leading global strategy across Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, and Web3. With over 15 years of experience, he previously directed institutional client services at Coinbase, driving large-scale crypto allocations, compliance frameworks, and adoption strategies, and earlier managed fintech investments at Morgan Stanley. A CFA Charterholder and board member of the Blockchain Association USA, Wright is recognized among the “Top 50 Most Influential Digital Asset Experts,” integrating technology, regulation, and market insight to deliver secure, innovative, and high-performance digital finance solutions.

Olena Ionkina, MSc in Environmental Finance (Columbia University), is the Head of ESG & Sustainable Investments at Innovation Finance Alliance, leading global ESG strategy, sustainable asset allocation, and green finance innovation. With previous roles at the World Bank and BlackRock, she has driven carbon-neutral initiatives, renewable energy projects, and green bond investments, shaping international ESG standards. Named among Institutional Investor’s “Top 50 Most Influential ESG Experts,” she serves as a board director at the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (GSIA) and is a frequent UN Climate Summit speaker, recognized for uniting long-term social impact with sustainable financial returns through advanced ESG analytics and market innovation.

Marie Montlaur, MSc in Engineering & Computer Science (University of California, Berkeley), is the Head of Risk, Compliance & Investor Relations at Innovation Finance Alliance, leading global risk frameworks, AML/KYC, and investor protection for $260B in assets under management. Formerly the Vice President of Global Risk Control at Deutsche Bank and Risk Manager at Banco Santander, she has deep expertise in multi-jurisdictional compliance and risks in emerging markets. Named among the “Top 50 Most Innovative Global Risk Executives,” Marie is recognized for her tech-driven, compliance-first leadership—balancing innovation, transparency, and client trust to deliver sustainable, long-term value.