President of the World Bank Group

The president of the World Bank Group is the head of World Bank Group.[1][2]

President of World Bank Group
World Bank logo.svg
World Bank Logo
Incumbent
Ajay Banga

since June 2, 2023
Term lengthFive years, renewable
Websitewww.worldbank.org

List of World Bank Group presidents

Status

     Denotes an acting president of the World Bank Group

# Portrait Name Term Nationality Background Notes
1   Meyer, EugeneEugene Meyer June 18, 1946 – December 18, 1946   United States Investor and publisher of The Washington Post;
Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
First World Bank Group president
2   McCloy, John J.John J. McCloy March 17, 1947 – June 30, 1949   United States U.S. Assistant Secretary of War during World War II First World Bank Group president with military background
3   Black Sr., Eugene R.Eugene R. Black Sr. July 1, 1949 – December 31, 1962   United States Bank executive with Chase Manhattan Bank;
Executive Director of the World Bank
4   Woods, GeorgeGeorge Woods January 1, 1963 – March 31, 1968   United States Investment banker and bank executive with First Boston Corporation
5   McNamara, RobertRobert McNamara April 1, 1968 – June 30, 1981   United States Business executive with Ford Motor Company;
U.S. Secretary of Defense in both the John F. Kennedy administration and Lyndon B. Johnson administration
6   Clausen, Alden W.Alden W. Clausen July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1986   United States President and CEO with Bank of America
7   Conable, BarberBarber Conable July 1, 1986 – August 31, 1991   United States U.S. Representative from New York First World Bank Group president without business background
8   Preston, Lewis T.Lewis T. Preston September 1, 1991 – May 4, 1995   United States Bank executive with J.P. Morgan & Co. First Word Bank Group president to die in office
Preston had been on medical leave from his position since February 1995 and had intended to formally retire from the Bank at the end of May of the same year.[3] Ernest Stern was appointed interim World Bank Group president in his absence.[4]
  Stern, ErnestErnest Stern
Acting
[5]
February 1, 1995 – May 31, 1995   United States Managing Director of the World Bank;
Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
First interim World Bank Group president born outside United States
First World Bank Group president born in Europe
First World Bank Group president from Germany
9   Wolfensohn, JamesJames Wolfensohn June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2005   United States[a] Corporate lawyer and investment banker First permanent World Bank Group president born outside United States
First World Bank Group president born in Oceania
First World Bank Group president from Australia
10   Wolfowitz, PaulPaul Wolfowitz June 1, 2005 – June 30, 2007   United States U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense in the George W. Bush administration
11   Zoellick, RobertRobert Zoellick July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2012   United States Bank executive with Goldman Sachs;
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration
12   Kim, Jim YongJim Yong Kim July 1, 2012 – February 1, 2019   United States Physician, anthropologist and co-founder of Partners in Health;
President of Dartmouth College
First person of color to serve as World Bank Group president
First World Bank Group president born in Asia
First World Bank Group president from South Korea
  Georgieva, KristalinaKristalina Georgieva
Acting
[7]
February 1, 2019 – April 8, 2019   Bulgaria CEO of the World Bank;
Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources in the Juncker Commission,
European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response in the Barroso Commission
First woman to serve as interim World Bank Group president
First World Bank Group president from European Union, from former Eastern Bloc, and from Bulgaria
13   Malpass, DavidDavid Malpass April 9, 2019–June 1, 2023   United States Chief Economist at Bear Stearns;
U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs in the Donald Trump administration
14 Banga, AjayAjay Banga June 2, 2023–present   United States Vice Chairman at General Atlantic; President and CEO of Mastercard First World Bank Group president born in South Asia
First World Bank Group president from India
References:[8]

Notes

  1. Prior to taking office, Wolfensohn renounced his Australian citizenship to become naturalized as an American citizen since, by tradition, the head of the World Bank is always an American. He regained Australian citizenship after leaving office.[6]

References

  1. Hurlburt, Heather (March 23, 2012). "Why Jim Yong Kim would make a great World Bank president". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/mar/23/jim-yong-kim-world-bank-president. Retrieved March 23, 2012. 
  2. World Bank. "Leadership". World Bank Group. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  3. Briscoe, David (May 6, 1995). "World Bank President Lewis Preston Dies". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  4. Lewis, Paul (February 13, 1995). "A Tight Race to Head the World Bank". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/13/business/a-tight-race-to-head-the-world-bank.html. Retrieved February 21, 2023. 
  5. Wolf, Martin (June 27, 2019). "Ernest Stern, economist, 1933-2019". Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/5b0c17f6-975d-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36. Retrieved June 28, 2019. 
  6. "James Wolfensohn: banker to the world". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 9, 2010. https://www.smh.com.au/business/james-wolfensohn-banker-to-the-world-20101008-16c2r.html. Retrieved October 10, 2010. 
  7. World Bank Group (January 7, 2019). "World Bank Group President Kim to Step Down February 1". Press release. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2019/01/07/world-bank-group-president-kim-to-step-down-february-1. Retrieved January 8, 2019. 
  8. "Past Presidents". Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group Archives, World Bank Group. Retrieved January 20, 2023.