Michel Kerf became the World Bank’s Country Director for Central America and the Dominican Republic on January 18, 2021, and is responsible for a portfolio of 43 projects worth $4.7 billion. He oversees the World Bank’s relationship with the Governments of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras Nicaragua and Panama and manages the Bank’s work program in support of the countries' efforts to reduce poverty, boost shared prosperity, and generate jobs during the recovery phase of the COVID-induced crises.

Michel Kerf brings 25 years of World Bank experience to the role, including most recently as Country Director for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Prior to that, he spent four years as Transport Practice Manager for East Asia and Pacific Region.

Michel Kerf has also held the roles of Sector Manager, Sustainable Development, for Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Pacific Islands; Sector Leader for Sustainable Development in Peru and in Argentina; Infrastructure Policy Advisor in the Sustainable Development Department of the East Asia and Pacific Region; and Senior Private Sector Development Specialist in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

Michel, a Belgian national, graduated in Law from the University of Liège, Belgium, and obtained a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics. He has taught as Visiting Professor at the University of Liège and at the College of Europe in Bruges. He is also the author of several publications on subjects related to concessions, privatization, and competitiveness of infrastructure services.