Languages:
Danish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish

Steen Lau Jorgensen is Sector Director of Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa Region since June 2008.  A Danish national, he has worked in the World Bank since 1985, first in the research department, then as country economist for Boliviaand sector economist in urban development.  In the 1990s he worked on human development in Southern Africa, where he led activities in poverty, health and community driven development. He also worked in various corporate jobs in the Africa Region and as assistant to the managing directors for operations when that office was first formed and his responsibilities included coordinating senior management meetings.

In April 1997, he joined the social protection team in the human development network, where he served as sector manager and alternate sector board chair. From 2000 to 2008, he was Director, Social Development, where he led the Bank’s work on social analysis participation, social safeguards, community driven development and conflict work focusing on global knowledge generation and sharing. 

He is the co-author of two strategy papers on social protection and social development as well as peer reviewed articles on risk management, social policy and community development.

Mr. Jorgensen holds a post graduate degree in Economics from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Prior to coming to the Bank, he taught Microeconomics at the University of Aarhus and consulted inter alia in Czechoslovakiafor the Ministry of Agriculture.

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Updated August 25, 2008