Vera was the first woman in 60 years to run the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) as a United Nations Undersecretary General. In this role, she provided macroeconomic and structural policy advice to governments. Prior to joining the UN, she held several senior roles at the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC).
As an entrepreneur, Vera Songwe founded three business ventures, including a women's impact fund incubated by Standard Bank, a cybersecurity school in association with IBM, and an emerging markets repo facility in collaboration with the Bank of New York Mellon. Recognized for her work on climate finance, she co-chairs the Independent High Level Expert Group (IHLEG) on Finance for Climate Action. Vera is a member of several advisory boards, including the Mastercard Africa Catalytic Impact Fund (ACIF), the GFANZ Africa Board, and the Mo Ibrahim Board.