TOP 100 MAGAZINE

Lida Preyma
Charting a New Course in Climate Finance

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Lida Preyma has never shied away from a challenge. As part of the team that launched Canada’s first alternative trading platform, Pure Trading, she helped disrupt a century-old financial institution, forever changing the landscape of equity trading in Canada. That experience ignited her entrepreneurial drive, preparing her for a career spent building, innovating, and reshaping industries from the inside out.

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Now, as the founder and CEO of Cēlandaire Capital, Lida is leading the charge in climate finance—bridging the gap between investors and companies tackling the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Her work isn’t just about funding climate projects; it’s about reshaping the narrative around sustainable investing. For Lida, investing in climate initiatives isn’t philanthropy—it’s the greatest business opportunity of our generation.

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A Global Perspective on Climate and Capital

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Lida doesn’t just operate in boardrooms; she brings her clients' voices to the highest international policy tables. A dedicated participant in the B20 task forces, she helps shape policy recommendations for G20 leaders. She has also been actively involved in the United Nations COP climate change conferences, speaking on climate finance at COP28 in Dubai and attending COP29 in Baku. She’s already preparing for COP30 in Brazil in 2025.

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“You’re either part of the policymaking process, helping to craft solutions that benefit business and investment, or you’re reacting to policies after they’ve been set,” she says. “We choose to be proactive.”

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Lida’s international work provides her with a unique vantage point. She sees firsthand how different countries and industries are tackling climate challenges, which allows her to bring valuable insights back to her clients. Having a seat at these global discussions ensures she can provide the most effective and forward-thinking advice to the investors and businesses she works with.

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Cēlandaire Capital: A Different Approach to Investment

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At Cēlandaire Capital, Lida and her team take a fundamentally different approach to connecting investors with climate projects. Most firms start with a company and then shop it around to investors. Cēlandaire flips that model, beginning with the investor’s strategy and bringing them the right opportunities—creating a perfect alignment of vision, values, and long-term growth potential.

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The firm specializes in curated capital solutions in climate finance, working on a global scale to connect investors with projects in infrastructure, forestry, oceans, biodiversity, carbon and energy. But they don’t stop at matchmaking; they advise on business and project development, ensure third-party validation of carbon credits, and find buyers—offering a full-spectrum approach to sustainable finance.

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For Lida, the key to success in this space is meaningful relationships. Cēlandaire operates with a horizontal team approach, ensuring that every client receives expertise from different specialists who come together to create the best solutions. This deep understanding of client objectives allows Cēlandaire to offer investment strategies that are both financially sound and impactful in tackling climate issues. “We’re not focused on single transactions. We’re in it for the long haul as trusted advisors and partners,” she shares.

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Filling the Gap in the ‘Messy Middle’

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Lida has also identified a critical gap in the investment space—what she calls the “messy middle.” Companies seeking funding between $2 million and $50 million are often too large for traditional banks but too small for capital markets. This middle ground is often overlooked, leaving promising climate projects struggling to secure the capital they need. Cēlandaire Capital has stepped in to bridge that divide, offering tailored solutions that ensure transformational climate projects get the funding necessary to move forward. By addressing this overlooked segment of the market, Lida is helping to unlock capital that might otherwise remain sidelined, ensuring that critical environmental initiatives receive the support they deserve.

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A Career Defined by Vision and Impact

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Before founding Cēlandaire Capital, Lida built an impressive career in finance and international business. She spent much of her career at BMO Capital Markets, where she  honed her skills in securitization and structured finance, and later brought her expertise to global AML risk management, and strategy. Previously, she served as managing director of corporate citizenship at Magna International Inc.

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Lida’s academic credentials are equally global, with an undergraduate degree in international political economy from the University of Toronto, an MBA in international business from the University of Cumbria, and executive education from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She also mentors startups through the Creative Destruction Lab’s Paris Climate stream. Through each of these roles, Lida gained firsthand experience navigating both the corporate and entrepreneurial landscapes. She understands the pressures of launching, managing, and growing a business, and she brings that knowledge to her clients at Cēlandaire Capital.

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Advocacy, Leadership, and Breaking Barriers

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Beyond her business leadership, Lida is a passionate advocate for women’s economic empowerment and serves on the board of Transparency International (Canada). She has dedicated much of her time to advancing transparency in finance and promoting fair business practices, particularly in the climate finance space. Her advocacy, however, extends beyond finance. She is also a certified hockey referee with the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, using the sport as a platform to inspire young girls. “It’s important for young girls to see women referees as something normal,” she says. “My favourite day was officiating a game with my 16-year-old niece, Teagan. When one of the teams commented they had never had two women referees before, I knew it was an extraordinary moment we created together—trailblazing in a space where we weren’t always expected to be.”

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The Future of Climate Finance Starts Now

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Lida Preyma’s work at Cēlandaire Capital is reshaping the way the world views climate investing. She’s proving that sustainability and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re inextricably linked. By bringing together investors and climate projects, advocating for policy changes at the global level, and ensuring that businesses receive the right funding for long-term success, she is driving meaningful progress in an industry that is critical to the planet’s future.

 

 

Lida Preyma
Founder/CEO
Cēlandaire Capital
Website: www.celandairecapital.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lidapreyma/