In her role as President at AHI, Davina Wood leads the firm’s core business line- the Development Finance Institution (DFI) Consulting practice. She brings over 15 years of experience in affordable housing finance, policy advisory, and investment strategy across global markets. A recognized expert in structured finance, mortgage lending, and public-private partnerships (PPPs), Davina has worked in more than 15 countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the United States.
Since joining AHI in 2018, Davina has managed consulting projects for DFIs such as the World Bank, IFC, IDB, AfDB, AFD and Proparco, conducting housing market diagnostics and proposing solutions to stimulate mortgage markets, create social rental programs, increase gender equity in property ownership, and institute urban upgrading programs. She has advised national governments and housing authorities on reforming housing finance ecosystems and structuring investment-ready affordable housing transactions. Davina especially enjoys investment scoping exercises, as she is able to apply her market knowledge to the identification of promising private sector actors in the affordable housing space.
Prior to AHI, Davina worked with JPMorgan Chase’s Community Development Banking group, underwriting over $200 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)multifamily housing projects in the U.S. She has also held technical roles with the World Bank, the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF), and Seedco Financial Services, combining financial rigor with a deep understanding of inclusive urban development.
Fluent in English and Spanish, and proficient in French, Davina holds a Masters in International Finance and Monetary Theory from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She has co-taught a graduate course Harvard’s Graduate School of Design on Global Affordable Housing Markets and continues to mentor the next generation of housing professionals. When she isn’t working, Davina enjoys life in the English countryside with her husband and two small children.
