In our latest episode of CIAC Conversations, Paulo Martelli, Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer at FinDev Canada, sits down with APF Canada’s Communications Director, Michael Roberts, at the sidelines of our fourth annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore in February.
Paulo discusses FinDev Canada’s work in the Indo-Pacific region as Canada’s development finance institution, including the signing (at CIAC2026) of a new US$30-million loan to PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance – FinDev Canada’s first investment in Indonesia – to strengthen low-carbon economic growth in the Southeast Asian country. Paulo also reflects on the opening of his organization’s regional office in Singapore, announced last year at CIAC2025.
The conversation then dives into the organization’s focus on development outcomes and an “ecosystem approach” to Canada’s engagement in Asia, how FinDev Canada is aligning itself with the new vision of Canada’s foreign policy strategy articulated by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the fine balance between innovation and sustainability when it comes to energy security in Asia, and how open dialogues like those fostered at the annual Canada-in-Asia Conference can help expand development opportunities between Canada and partners in the Indo-Pacific.
This podcast was originally recorded in February 2026.
