Contacts:
Warsaw: Malgorzata Dworzynska (+48 22) 520 8000
mdworzynska@worldbank.org

Warsaw, September 8, 2008—Today Mr. Thomas Laursen takes over as the new World Bank Country Manager for Poland and the Baltic States. He will be located at the World Bank’s office in Warsaw. Mr. Laursen replaces Mr. Oscar de Bruyn Kops, who held this position for the past year and who is moving on to a new assignment at the Bank’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Laursen, a Danish national, joined the World Bank in 2002 and has since 2004 been the Lead Economist for Central Europe and the Baltic States working out of the Warsaw Office. From 1992-2002, he worked for the International Monetary Fund on emerging markets in Latin America, Central Europe and Russia, including a three-year stint as IMF Resident Representative in Jamaica. His first professional assignment from 1988-1992 was with the Danish Central Bank.

Mr. Laursen holds a PhD in Economics from the Aarhus University in Denmark, where he specialized in international finance and development economics.

He will be responsible for the management of the Word Bank’s activities in Poland and the Baltic States and the management of the Warsaw office with about 20 staff. After assuming his new responsibilities, Mr. Laursen said: “I am very grateful for the opportunity to extend my stay in Poland where I am come to truly appreciate the country and its people, including my colleagues in the Warsaw Office. I look very much forward to managing the Bank’s continued policy dialogue and collaboration with the Polish government and other key partners as Poland moves further forward to address its challenges of convergence and sustainable development.”

Mr. Laursen speaks several languages including English, Spanish, French, German and basic Polish. He is married and has three boys. In his free time he enjoys playing tennis, golf, and soccer as well as outdoor adventures such as sailing, skiing, and hiking in the mountains.

A detailed resume of Mr. Laursen can be obtained upon request.

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