بريتيش إنترناشونال إنفستمنت
British International Investment is the UK government's development finance institution, formerly CDC Group. It invests in debt, equity, funds and guarantees, mainly in Africa and Asia.
Industry: Development finance institution | Location: London, United Kingdom | Founded: 1948
About بريتيش إنترناشونال إنفستمنت
British International Investment is the development finance institution of the United Kingdom government, based in London. It was known as CDC Group until its 2022 rebrand and traces its origins to the Colonial Development Corporation, created in 1948. Its ultimate parent is the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and the company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Its annual report lists offices in Cairo, Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Karachi, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Singapore, as well as London.
Diana Layfield has chaired the board since January 2022. Leslie Maasdorp became Chief Executive Officer in January 2025, having joined as CEO Designate in October 2024. He was previously Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the New Development Bank in Shanghai. Carolyn Sims, Chief Financial Officer since September 2020, tendered her resignation and planned to leave the board at the end of April 2026.
BII invests in debt, equity, funds and guarantees, mainly in Africa and Asia. In 2025 it made gross new commitments of 1.8 billion pounds, against 1.75 billion pounds in 2024, and it aims to commit between 2.1 and 2.6 billion US dollars in its next plan period. Its portfolio was valued at 6.64 billion pounds at 31 December 2025, down from 7.29 billion pounds a year earlier. The 2025 result was a loss after tax of 469.6 million pounds, compared with a profit of 213.3 million pounds in 2024. The shareholder subscribed to 420 million new one pound shares during the year.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual report records an ESG training programme for financial services firms run with IFC in Egypt. BII is an investor in the Egyptian payments company Paymob. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development listed it as an existing investor when it led Paymob's 2024 round, and TechScoop reported that BII joined Paymob's 35 million dollar pre-Series C round in September 2026.
Leadership
- Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive Officer
- Diana Layfield, Chair
- Carolyn Sims, Chief Financial Officer