ABOUT
Who We Are
Global Development Solutions Canada (GDSC) is a strategy consulting firm focussed on supporting sustainable social and economic impact in emerging and frontier markets. We enable our clients to achieve their goals by working collaboratively across public, private and philanthropic sectors. We believe in combining financial and non-financial capital to create bespoke solutions that catalyse transformative impact for people, planet and prosperity.
We work with corporations, governments, multilateral institutions and civil society organisations
Our Mission: To support our clients in achieving superior risk adjusted returns and social good in emerging markets within an ecosystem of solutions
Our Approach
We enable our clients to align financial and social incentives towards global impact through our expertise in blended financing, international relations, commercial advocacy, policy analysis, partnership development and citizen engagement.
Operating at the nexus of development and trade, we believe in the solutions economy that convenes the power of governments, multilateral institutions, philanthropy, civil society and private enterprise to unlock untapped capital and resources to address global development challenges.
Our Team
Hon Christian Paradis
President
Idee Inyangudor
Managing Partner
Christian is an expert on private sector partnership for global impact. A leading voice on international cooperation and development fiance who chaired the OECD DAC Steering Committee in Redesigning Development Finance.
He served as a Member of Parliament for Megantic - L'Érable from 2006 to 2015, and in the federal cabinet as Minister in charge of several portfolios including: Public Works and Government services, Natural Resources, Industry, and International Development and Francophonie between 2008-2015. Key achievements include: restructuring Canada's aerospace industry, creating Canada's development finance institution, and modernising Canada civil society policy framework to support development practitioners.
Prior to elected office, Christian operated a legal practice in Thedford Mines, Quebec. He is a graduate of the University de Shebroooke and Master's degree in Corporate Law from the Universite Laval.
Idee is Co-Founder of Global Development Solutions Canada (GDSC), He draws from his expertise in international development, blended finance, public policy and strategic communications to serve global corporations, governments, non-governmental and multilateral institutional clientele.
He has been recognized twice as being among the Top 100 people influencing the Government of Canada's foreign policy mix.
Idee works tirelessly to activate client portfolios for maximum impact in emerging markets. He was instrumental in the creation of Convergence (www.convergence.finance) and the financing of the Innovation in Global Health (FIGH) initiative (www.globalhealthforum.com).
Prior to GDSC he served as Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations for the office of the Minister of International Development.
Naresh Singh
Senior Vice President
Naresh has more than 3 decades of post Ph.D. international development experience in more than 50 countries.
He was a Director General and acting Vice President at CIDA; Program Director at the at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); Principal Adviser on Poverty and Sustainable Livelihoods at UNDP and Executive Director of the UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor; among several other high-profile positions.
Naresh has also been a visiting scholar/professor at several Universities in North America, India and the Caribbean and is widely published. (Details of his work can be viewed at www.sustainable-livelihoods.com)
Swathi Kappangatula
Partner
Swathi has over 17 years of experience in diplomatic policy, negotiations, and strategic partnerships.
Her previous professional experience includes: Economic Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, multilateral officer at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the Organization of American States. The World Economic Forum, Harvard University, the Ministry of Finance of India, and UNESCO.