Afsaneh Beschloss

Afsaneh Beschloss is an Iranian-born investor who founded the global investment firm RockCreek in 2003 and serves as its chief executive officer. She previously served as Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer of the World Bank and as a managing director and partner of the Carlyle Group, and has been a trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation headquartered in New York City. It was chartered by New York State legislation in 1913 with funding from Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, with the mission “to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” In its early years it funded global public health, medical education, and yellow fever vaccine research; in the mid-20th century it supported agricultural programs that came to be known as the “Green Revolution”; and in recent years it has focused its work on energy, health, food, and climate.Open the full entry since 2022.

Contents9 sections

Key facts

Early Life: Born in Iran, Educated at Oxford

Beschloss was born in Iran in the 1950s. She earned a Master of Philosophy (MPhil, with honors) in economics from the University of Oxford, where she also taught international trade and economics.⁠[1][2]

Early Career: Shell, J.P. Morgan, and Energy at the World Bank

Early in her career, Beschloss held positions in the private and public sectors in the United Kingdom and the United States, working at Shell International and in corporate finance at J.P. Morgan.⁠[1][2]

At the World Bank, she led energy investment and policy work covering renewable energy, natural gas, power, and infrastructure, and founded the World Bank’s Natural Gas Group, investing in natural gas as a transition fuel to reduce carbon emissions.⁠[2][1]

1990Co-Authoring The Economics of Natural Gas

In 1990, The Economics of Natural Gas: Pricing, Planning and Policy, which Beschloss co-authored, was published by Oxford University Press; she has also published numerous journal articles on financial innovation and energy economics.⁠[1][2]

2003Founding RockCreek

Before founding RockCreek, Beschloss served as Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer of the World Bank and as a managing director and partner of the Carlyle Group.⁠[2]

In 2003, Beschloss founded the global investment firm RockCreek and became its chief executive officer. The firm provides multi-asset and outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) solutions to institutional clients and makes socially responsible investments in areas such as renewable energy, education, and affordable housing; as of October 2026, it manages more than $18 billion in assets.⁠[3][1]

2020Named a “Great Immigrant”

In 2020, Beschloss was named to the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s “Great Immigrants, Great Americans” list, was named by Barron’s one of the “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance,” and was included in American Banker’s “25 Most Powerful Women in Finance.” That same year, she joined the board of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley.⁠[2][1][1]

2022Joining the Board of The Rockefeller Foundation

In 2022, Beschloss joined the board of trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation, where she chairs the foundation’s investment committee.⁠[2][2]

Board Roles and Honors

Beschloss is a director of the Carlyle Group and a trustee of the Council on Foreign Relations, Georgetown University, and the National Geographic Society, where she chairs the investment committee. She has advised governments and central banks on financial and energy policy and has received the Ripple of Hope Award from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Institutional Investor.⁠[2][2][2][2]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

RockCreek: Official website: https://therockcreekgroup.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3]

The Rockefeller Foundation: Official website: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/ (opens in a new window).⁠[4]