Guillermo Perry

Guillermo Perry has been Chief Economist of the Latin America and Caribbean Region at the World Bank since 1996. Prior to joining the World Bank, Mr. Perry served in several senior policy-making positions in his native country, Colombia, including that of Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Minister of Mining and Energy; and Director of the General Directorate of National Taxes.  He   served as a member of the Constitutional Assembly and of the Senate of the Republic in Colombia.  He was also Director of two of Colombia’s leading economic think-tanks (Fedesarrollo and CEDE) and has been professor at Universidad de los Andes and Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Media photos

Mr. Perry undertook doctoral studies in Economics and Operational Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology between 1968 and 1970.  His professional experience also includes international consulting on public finance and energy policy for several institutions and governments around the world.

Mr. Perry is coauthor of several books: From Vicious to Virtuous Circles: Growth and Poverty Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean (World Bank 2006), Beyond the City: The Rural Contribution to Development (World Bank 2005), Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (World Bank 2004), Closing the Gap in Education and Technology (World Bank 2003), From Natural Resources to the Knowledge Economy (World Bank, 2002); Securing Our Future in a Global Economy (World Bank, 2000); Beyond the Center: Decentralizing the State (World Bank, 1999); Beyond the Washington Consensus: Institutions Matter (World Bank, 1998); The Long March: A Reform Agenda for Latin America in the Next Decade (World Bank, 1997); Public Finance, Stabilization and Structural Reform in Latin America (IDB, 1993); Oil, Economics and Environment (Fedesarrollo, 1990); Basis for an Energy Policy Formulation in Colombia (DNP, 1987); Labor Unions and Economic Policy (Fedesarrollo, 1986); Ten Years of Tax Reform in Colombia (Fedesarrollo, 1986); and National Study of Energy (DNP, 1982).

He is coeditor of Fiscal Reform and Structural Change in Developing Countries (McMillan, 2001); Decentralization and Accountability (World Bank, 2000); Banks and Capital Markets in LAC (World Bank, 1999); Chile: Lessons and Challenges (World Bank Institute, 1999);Towards Open Regionalism (World Bank, 1998); Currency Boards and External Shocks: How Much Pain, How Much Gain? (World Bank,1997); and Dealing with Public Risk in Private Infrastructure (World Bank, 1997).

Mr. Perry has also published numerous articles on macroeconomics, fiscal policy, financial policy, international finance, and energy policy issues.

Born in Bogota, Colombia on October 13, 1945, Mr. Perry is married to Claudia Saenz Obregon. He and his wife have two children, Juana and Antonio.

Contact information: Gperry@worldbank.org