Ms. Usha Rao has served as Under-SecretaryGeneral and Associate Administrator at United Nations Development Programme. Prior to that, she was a Senior Advisor to Blackstone’s Infrastructure Group. She served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Water Development Partners, a Blackstone portfolio company. Prior to Blackstone, she held several senior positions at International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. She was Director of Sustainable Business Advisory Group. Other positions, she held included Global Head of the Water and Environmental Group, Head of Utilities and Public Partnerships, and experience in the petrochemicals and manufacturing business areas. She was instrumental in founding and establishing the 2030 Water Resources Group, a public-private partnership platform, which is now part of the World Bank Group. Prior to that, she was with Prudential Bache in the corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions areas. She has held a number of Board and advisory positions including on the Veolia Sustainability Committee to the Board, WaterHealth International Board, and Co-Chair, Steering Board, 2030 Water Resources Group, and Chair / Co-Chair of several World Economic Forum councils including Water, Natural Capital and Biodiversity and Environmental and Natural Resource Security.