Jennifer McFarlane

Partner, Asterra Partners

Ambassador

Jennifer McFarlane is the Founder of Asterra Partners, which is developing an innovative financing structure for new clean technology companies. McFarlane has had a long career as a C-level executive in both public and venture-backed companies and as an international investment banker. As an executive, McFarlane has successfully developed financially robust business strategies, transformed financial performance, and generated rapid growth through technology commercialization and global expansion through strategic partnerships.

Before founding Asterra Partners, McFarlane was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NEXTracker, an affiliate of Flex and the global leader in solar trackers. During her tenure, she supported the company’s rapid international expansion, which resulted in revenues of over $600 million. Prior executive positions included CFO of LanzaTech, a global leader in biochemicals, and Chief Executive Officer of Astia, an accelerator for women-led businesses. Earlier in her career, McFarlane was an Executive Director of Southern Pacific Petroleum NL in Australia. McFarlane began her career as an international investment banker and worked with both Fortune 500 companies and emerging market governments. During this time, she closed on about 30 mergers, acquisitions, and capital transactions with clients across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

McFarlane also serves on the boards of several organizations: Landesa, which partners with governments and local organizations to ensure that rural residents living in extreme poverty have secure rights over the land on which they depend; TruTag Technologies, Inc., a leading authentication and technology solution provider; Blue Planet Systems, a private carbon sequestration company; and betteries, which embraces circular economy principles by upcycling electric vehicle batteries. In addition, McFarlane is an Advisor to MCE Social Capital Loan Committee, an impact investor providing debt financing to microfinance institutions and clean energy businesses in developing countries. McFarlane has been awarded the Centenary Medal by the Prime Minister of Australia and is a long-time member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

McFarlane holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BSc/LLB from the University of New South Wales, Australia.