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Yvette Babb

Portfolio Manager

Yvette Babb is a hard and local currency portfolio manager on William Blair’s emerging markets debt (EMD) team. She is also a member of the ESG leadership team for William Blair Investment Management. Before joining William Blair, she was a portfolio manager on NN Investment Partners’ EMD team, where she focused on frontier market analysis and portfolio management, working with both the hard currency and local currency teams. Before joining NNIP in 2018, Yvette was chief economist and strategist for sub-Saharan Africa for J.P. Morgan. She also held a similar role at Standard Bank in Johannesburg, South Africa. Yvette serves on the PRI’s Sovereign Advisory Committee (SDAC). She received a B.Sc. in international economics and business studies from Erasmus University of Rotterdam and an M.Sc. in economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Innovative Strategies Help Overcome ESG Hurdles

Yvette Babb
Emerging Markets Debt

Events of 2022—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the associated energy crisis in Europe; extreme weather conditions globally; and the political polarization of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in advanced economies, most notably the...

ESG Considerations in Frontier Markets

Yvette Babb
Emerging Markets Debt

ESG factors can be hard to quantify in frontier markets, but a quantitative approach with a qualitative overlay may help uncover attractive opportunities. Watch the video or read the recap below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXV-83-Cpuc&list=PLpxlH_Gcq80I1xm7hsKArT5sjzoSDNggp&index=4 Mike: Hi, everyone....

Frontier Markets Debt: Underowned and Undercovered

Yvette Babb
Emerging Markets Debt

Many investors think frontier markets are too risky, but strategically overweighting these markets in an emerging markets debt portfolio could offer higher return potential. Watch the video or read the recap below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJnwQpcwC-w&list=PLpxlH_Gcq80I1xm7hsKArT5sjzoSDNggp&index=5 Mike: Hi,...

Sustainability Critical in Extractive Industries

Yvette Babb
Emerging Markets Debt

As a final note in our conversation about metals of the future, the development of the extractive industry is inevitable considering global demand for energy and mobility— but policies must seek to ensure that any...

Seeking Opportunities in Metals of the Future

Yvette Babb
Emerging Markets Debt

Metal exporters in emerging markets (EMs) may be underappreciated given the increased demand for clean transportation created by regulation and consumer preferences—and this could bolster the outlook for frontier markets with burgeoning mining investments. As...

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