Yuri Soarez

Yuri is Chief of the Strategy and Impact Unit, where he is responsible for leading all aspects of corporate strategy and for measurement and reporting on impact. He also leads the development of strategic communications and connections, as one of the three main instruments offered by the Lab, alongside financing and knowledge.

Previously he served as Chief of the Laboratory's Climate Smart Agriculture Unit, where he managed the design and implementation of projects in agriculture value chain, agritech innovation, and environmental assets and natural capital. Yuri has also led IDB Lab's development effectiveness agenda.

Before joining the Laboratory, Yuri was Principal Advisor at the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) of the IDB, where he worked on topics related to private sector development and finance, active labor market programs, housing and neighborhood improvement, justice reform, citizen security and violence, and education policy. Yuri holds a PhD in Economics from Michigan State University and a MA in Agricultural Economics from the University of Florida. He has worked in the US and Brazil, where he has published on topics such as firm innovation and growth, agriculture, crime and violence, youth training and active labor market programs, and the economics of public amenities.