EMMA THORNTON

New Zealander. Leads the Arc of Capital.

Emma helps investors, corporations, and governments access and deploy capital for the green transition. Her career has spanned every side of the finance table across both hemispheres.

She began at BNZ (Bank of New Zealand) in Wellington, then moved to ANZ Bank in Auckland, where she spent eight years in corporate and institutional banking. Seeking global experience, she joined BNP Paribas in Hong Kong, advising on cross-border infrastructure finance. She then spent three years at the World Bank in Washington DC, working on project preparation facilities across emerging markets. Returning to Asia, she served as Managing Director at Horizon Capital Group, structuring sustainable infrastructure funds.

Her path was shaped by her Kiwi upbringing and her time in Asia. Born in Wellington and raised in Auckland, she spent her OE (oversea experience) backpacking through Southeast Asia—an experience that sparked her love for the region and taught her how local communities actually work. After university, she took a year to travel through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, volunteering at a community tourism project in Luang Prabang and teaching English at a school in Siem Reap.