MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

World Bank names new Latam country directors

Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean

Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the appointment of three new country directors for the region to head the units of Mexico and Colombia; the Andes: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela; and the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, effective July 1st, 2007.

"The new Country Directors were selected through the World Bank wide competitive managerial selection process. They will work closely with partner countries to provide innovative solutions that respond to their specific development challenges", said Cox. Country Directors are based on the field and are in charge of the World Bank local programs. The new Country Director for Mexico and Colombia is Axel van Trotsenburg, an Austrian and Dutch national. Mr. van Trotsenburg joined the World Bank in 1988 as a Young Professional in the Bank's Young Professional Program. He has since held various positions, his most recent assignment being Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Before joining the World Bank, van Trotsenburg worked at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCDE). Carlos Felipe Jaramillo was appointed as Country Director for Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Mr. Jaramillo, a Colombian national, also joined the World Bank as a Young Professional and has held different positions within the institution. His most recent assignment in the organization was as Sector Manager in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit in the Europe and Central Asia Region. Mr. Jaramillo has also served in the public administration of Colombia as Vice Minister of Finance, Director of Economic Studies and Macroeconomic Programming at the Central Bank of Colombia, and as Trade Negotiator in the Washington Office of the Ministry of Trade. The new Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay is Pedro Alba. Mr. Alba, a Spanish national, joined the World Bank in 1984 through the Young Professionals Program and since then he has held different positions within the institution. His most recent assignment was as Country Director of Burundi, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo, in the Africa Region. Mr. Axel van Trotsenburg replaces Ms. Isabel Guerrero in the Mexico and Colombia unit and will be based in Mexico City; Mr. Carlos Felipe Jaramillo substitutes Mr. Marcelo Giugale in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and will be based in Lima, and Mr. Pedro de Alba replaces Mr. van Trotsenburg in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay and will be based in Buenos Aires.