Rachel McCarthy is the Director for Economic Development at Pivotal International. She is an accomplished international development professional with over a decade of experience delivering large-scale business transformation and strategic economic projects across the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. As a senior leader within the organisation she plays a key role in shaping organisational strategy, overseeing operations and guiding the successful delivery of high-impact development initiatives.

Rachel’s career spans a diverse portfolio of sectors including investment promotion and attraction, export development and trade facilitation, SME development and entrepreneurship, zones development and management, legal and regulatory reform, agriculture and rural development, tourism and innovation. She has worked closely with major international funding institutions such as the World Bank, the European Commission, and the African Development Bank, providing both technical and strategic support across project lifecycles.

Previously, Rachel served as Head of Direct Projects at International Development Ireland (IDI), where she managed a global team of project managers and was instrumental in delivering complex, multi-country programs. Her ability to navigate stakeholder engagement, risk management, and performance oversight has been central to the success of initiatives in countries such as the UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Bahrain, Kosovo and Turkey.

She holds an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from University College Dublin, a BSc in International Development and Food Policy from University College Cork and a diploma in accounting and finance from Dublin Business School. A PRINCE2-certified project management professional, Rachel combines technical expertise with practical leadership to drive sustainable economic impact across emerging markets.