WASHINGTON, March 3, 2015—The World Bank Group today announced the creation of its first External Advisory Panel for Diversity and Inclusion, which will provide a conduit between the World Bank Group and the global community, serve as a sounding board, and advise on matters relating to diversity and inclusion.
While conducting a study of the diversity and inclusiveness of the World Bank Group’s workforce, an organizational review of external best practices found that the institution should explore new ways to become more diverse and could benefit from an outside perspective. The World Bank Group, in selecting members of an External Advisory Panel, sought leaders who had demonstrated success in both diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The External Advisory Panel will review and advise President Jim Yong Kim and his senior management team on the organization’s strategies and measures to achieve a diverse and inclusive workplace. They will also give counsel on how to address internal and external challenges that impact the Bank Group’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Finally, the panel will provide an external perspective to balance the strategies and views of the World Bank Group’s internal Council on Diversity and Inclusion.
As a global organization with staff from more than 170 countries, the World Bank Group is committed to fostering and strengthening diversity and inclusion in its work and workplace. The following six esteemed individuals have accepted to serve as members of the External Advisory Panel for Diversity and Inclusion:
- Elizabeth Adu, Former World Bank Group Director and Deputy General Counsel
- Richard Bernal, Counselor for Jamaica, Inter-American Development Bank
- Julius Coles, Director, Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, Morehouse College
- Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PEPSICO
- Paula Yacoubian, CEO of Integrated Communications
- Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University
These individuals are known for their commitment and contributions to diversity and inclusion, and the transformational impact they have had in their organizations and/or the broader community.
In announcing the new initiative, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said, “I look forward to the panel’s engagement with us as we build an even more diverse and inclusive workplace. For us to provide the best development solutions to our clients and thus be the best place to work in development, these principles must be embedded into all that we do. I’m sure we’ll benefit from the richness of perspectives and ideas of these leaders.”
About the World Bank Group
The World Bank Group plays a key role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. It consists of five institutions: the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Working together in more than 100 countries, these institutions provide financing, advice, and other solutions that enable countries to address the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and ifc.org.
