Contact:
In Washington: Cosma Gatere (202) 458 7170
cgatere@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, June 27, 2006 – World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz today made the following announcement on responsibilities of his Managing Directors and integration of the organization: “Stronger cooperation, coordination, and integration across the World Bank Group are essential to our success in helping create opportunities for the poor. After extensive discussions with my senior management team, many staff and shareholders, I met informally with the Board yesterday to discuss alignment of the organization and the responsibilities of the Managing Directors (MDs). My primary goal is to maximize the impact of our collective energy and talent. While I gave serious thought to a number of options, including separating responsibilities for the networks and the regions, I decided that sharing responsibility and balancing the work load evenly would assure better integration of our efforts and produce stronger results. The Board concurred with this plan. "With regard to regions, I have asked Managing Director, Graeme Wheeler, to take responsibility for Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, while Managing Director, Juan Jose Daboub will manage Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and East Asia and Pacific. This division provides each MD a good balance of IDA and IBRD countries. In addition, I am counting on them to work as a team to improve the exchange of information, people, and lessons learned across Vice Presidential Units (VPUs), particularly where regional concerns cross VPU boundaries. "On the network front, Mr. Daboub will assume responsibility for the Human Development, the Infrastructure (INF), and the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (ESSD) networks. We will combine the strengths and capabilities of ESSD and INF into a new network to be called Sustainable Development, to be led by current Vice President, Kathy Sierra. The purpose of consolidating these two networks is to mainstream environmental issues, improve synergies, better integrate core operations, and ensure that we strengthen our focus on sustainability as we increase our investment in infrastructure. "I know there are concerns that environmental issues in this new arrangement could be submerged by infrastructure. I am committed not only to sustaining, but strengthening the role of the Bank’s environment team. It is crucial that we maintain the Bank’s leadership role in emphasizing the importance of sustainability in development. To this end, I plan to create a new position to be filled by a world class environmental expert to lead our efforts. In addition, the current environmental and social safeguards team in the environment network will be moved to the Operations Policy and Country Services VPU to assure that we preserve the independence and high quality work necessary for our development projects. "Mr. Wheeler will take management responsibility for the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, Financial Sector (FSE), and Private Sector Development (PSD) networks. Given the close relationship of issues within the FSE and PSD networks, we will integrate the two units under the leadership of Michael Klein, Vice-President & Chief Economist, IFC. I look forward to further strengthening the Bank’s important private sector work and our work in banking, capital markets, financial services, credit, and regulatory reforms. Here, as in other areas where there are joint units working across the World Bank Group, I want to deepen and improve the collaboration. "With regard to some of the Corporate units, Graeme Wheeler will oversee the Human Resources VPU and General Services Department, while Juan Jose Daboub will oversee External Affairs, the responsibilities of the new World Bank Group Chief Information Office, and the World Bank Institute. The Operations Policy and Country Services VPU will report to both MDs. The Corporate Secretariat will continue to report to me, but will work with both MDs on the issues pending before the Board. "Finally, after discussions with Group Chief Financial Officer, Vincenzo La Via and Philippe Le Houerou, Vice-President, Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships, I decided that the VPU for Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships should report to the CFO. This should enhance cooperation and consolidate our position as we move forward with our donors and the IDA-15 replenishment. "I have consulted extensively before coming to this decision, but I know that in an organization of this size implementing changes like this will inevitably raise a number of issues and concerns. Mr. Daboub and Mr. Wheeler will be meeting with their regional and network teams soon to discuss how best to implement this plan. They will continue to consult widely across the organization and report to me on progress. "With my senior management team now in place, I look forward to implementing these changes, strengthening our performance, and accelerating the results we achieve for the world’s poorest citizens”. ### |
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