About Me: As Head of Business Development in Europe, Hazel builds partnerships to support the development of Acumen’s enterprises, leaders and ideas across the world. In addition, over the last 12 months she has been working to develop an innovative new blended finance Agriculture fund focused on climate resilience for smallholders in Africa. Hazel previously worked at the Vitol Foundation, where she managed a global entrepreneurship funding portfolio, investing in agriculture, energy, workforce development and job creation and building co-funding partnerships. In 2014, Hazel co-founded the International Corporate Foundations Network to develop strategic partnerships and share learning around effective philanthropic giving. She has worked as a CSR consultant to the energy and mining industries in West Africa, and has also worked as Deputy Director of the Karen Hilltribes Trust, living and working closely with tribal communities along the Thailand-Myanmar borders. Before moving into the development sector, Hazel spent five years working in European financial markets for the Swiss Stock Exchange. She is an avid sailor, a keen linguist and holds an MSc in Development Management, an MSc in ICT and a BA in Latin American Studies.