Gayatri Desai in

Gayatri Desai

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Managing Director at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
📍 London, England, United Kingdom

Gayatri Desai is a Managing Director at CIBC, leading the Energy Transition and Sustainable Finance team in Europe. With over 20 years of experience in project finance, she focuses on originating and executing deals in renewables, transport, and digital infrastructure. She is a University of Cambridge law graduate.

Outside of finance, Gayatri has a background in competitive legal debate, having been named "Master of Moots" while at Cambridge. Her university activities also included membership in the Christs College Boat Club, indicating a potential interest in rowing. She is a frequent speaker and panelist at industry events.

Interesting fact: During her law studies at Cambridge, she won the prestigious "Master of Moots" award for excellence in appellate advocacy.

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Experience
26 Years
Current Role
Managing Director
Job Level
Mid-senior
Location
London, England, United Kingdom
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

Behavioral traits and communication patterns that shape how this person evaluates opportunities, builds trust, and makes decisions in professional settings.

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Priorities

Topics Gayatri cares about

Energy Transition
Leads her team at CIBC in this space and frequently speaks on panels about electrification, battery storage (BESS), and financing for decarbonization technologies like CCUS.
Sustainable Finance
A core part of her professional focus involves originating and structuring financing for greenfield and brownfield projects in renewables and sustainable infrastructure.
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Career

Work history

1-2021
Managing Director
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
7-2014 - 1-2021
Executive Director
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
5-2007 - 7-2014
Director, Infrastructure Finance
Royal Bank of Scotland
2004 - 2007
Associate
Latham & Watkins
1999 - 2004
Associate
Clifford Chance LLP
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
1994 - 1997
BA
University of Cambridge
1992 - 1994
A-Levels
Westminster School, London
1997 - 1998
Legal Practice Course (sponsored by Clifford Chance LLP)
Nottingham Trent University
Social presence
in
Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

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