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Anna Bjerde

Anna Bjerde

Managing Director of Operations

Anna Bjerde has been the World Bank’s Managing Director for Operations since April 3, 2023.

The Office of the Managing Director brings together the operations units of the World Bank, which includes the Regional Vice Presidencies and Operations Policy and Country Services. The World Bank’s Fragility, Conflict and Violence Department also reports to the Managing Director. World Bank operations comprise an active portfolio of 1,768 projects to a value of $323 billion as of end FY23. Annual lending has averaged around $70.1 billion over the past three years (FY21-FY23). The operational complex of the World Bank also produces groundbreaking analytical work informing policy reforms, priority investments, technical assistance, and targeted poverty reduction. World Bank operations are grounded in a country-based model and focus on responding to the crises of recent years and medium-term development priorities including addressing challenges like poverty reduction, equitable growth, and climate change.

Prior to assuming the role of Managing Director, Ms. Bjerde served as Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, where she led the World Bank’s efforts to steer the region through a series of overlapping global shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, natural disasters, and the World Bank’s large-scale response to Ukraine.

She previously worked as Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East and North Africa region. Between 2015-2018, she oversaw the World Bank’s strategies, lending, and analytical work for Sustainable Development, covering all the World Bank’s regions. She was also the Director of Strategy and Operations in the Europe and Central Asia region in 2014-15. Ms. Bjerde held a leadership role overseeing the World Bank’s operations in Sustainable Development and Infrastructure in the Africa region between 2011-2013.

Ms. Bjerde has over 30 years of experience working in development across sectors and regions, with a specific interest in inclusive growth and sustainable infrastructure development. She is a recognized and experienced leader with a strong track record of delivering large client programs, mobilizing resources, managing, and motivating extensive and decentralized workforces and forging strong bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

Ms. Bjerde holds a Master’s in Business and Economics from the University of Stockholm. 

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    Breaking Barriers in Sri Lanka: A Woman’s Journey to the Top 

    This week on Talking Development, Managing Director Anna Bjerde is joined by Kasturi Wilson in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kasturi is the first female CEO of Hemas Holdings PLC, one of Sri Lanka's leading companies. Their conversation focuses on how closing the gender gap can contribute to economic growth, the barriers and cultural biases women face in the workplace, and how sports helped Kasturi become the leader she is today.

    Powering Development Through Policy: Insights from East Asia and the Pacific and Europe and Central Asia

    On this episode of Talking Development, Managing Director Anna Bjerde continues her series of talks with World Bank regional chief economists. Joined by Aaditya Mattoo from East Asia and the Pacific and Ivailo Izvorski from Europe and Central Asia, they discuss how global trends are impacting their respective regions and how they can create long-term sustainable and inclusive growth.

    Morocco at a Crossroad: Learning from Crisis, Reimagining the Future

    This week, from Marrakech at the 2023 World Bank – IMF Annual Meetings, Managing Director Anna Bjerde speaks with Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah. Together, they reflect on Morocco’s development story and the ways to overcome challenges and respond to shocks and crises. 

    Operating in the toughest situations, A challenge we must tackle together

    On this new episode of Talking Development, Managing Director Anna Bjerde speaks with two tireless advocates for the most vulnerable who have dedicated their careers to working in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence: Soukeyna Kane, Director of the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group; and Kristina Svensson, Country Manager for Somalia.

    Survival and Resilience at the Chad-Sudan Border

    This week on Talking Development, World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde is joined by UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi. While on mission in Chad, they visited the Sudan border to see firsthand the scale of the influx of refugees fleeing Sudan due to ongoing violence and conflict.

    The Challenge of Exclusion

    On this episode of Talking Development, Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde continues her series of talks with World Bank chief economists. This episode features Franziska Ohnsorge and Bill Maloney, Chief Economists for South Asia and for Latin America and the Caribbean, respectively.

    Building Resilience in a Changing World
         Countries like Ghana that were making positive strides in development over past decades have been hit hard by recent crises and are working to get back on track. On this episode of Talking Development Anna Bjerde is joined by Senior Social Protection Specialist Christabel Dadzie and Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist Harold Esseku in the World Bank Accra office.

    The View from Africa and the Middle East
         In this episode of Talking Development, Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde sits with World Bank Chief Economists Andrew Dabalen from the Africa region and Roberta Gatti from the Middle East and North Africa region.

    Korea: Learning from a Development Success
         In this episode of Talking Development, shot in the World Bank Group Korea Office in May 2023, MDO Anna Bjerde talks with Jason Allford, Special Representative for Korea, and Jisun Kim, Program Manager of the Korea Program for Operational Knowledge.

    Partnering for Ukraine
         In this episode of Talking Development, World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde sits down with Vice Presidents from across the World Bank Group who oversee work in Ukraine - Antonella Bassani from the World Bank, Alfonso Garcia Mora from IFC, and Junaid Kamal Ahmad from MIGA.

    The Polycrisis Facing Development: Conversation with Masood Ahmed
         On this episode of Talking Development, Anna Bjerde sits down with Masood Ahmed, President of the Center for Global Development to discuss the overlapping crises facing developing countries and how the World Bank and other development institutions will need to adapt to this new reality.

    Lessons on Climate and Resilience
    In this episode of Talking Development, shot in the Philippines, Anna is joined in the World Bank Manila office by Lesley Cordero, senior disaster risk management specialist, and Feng Liu, senior energy specialist and program leader.

    Disaster and Hope in Malawi
    In this second episode of Talking Development, Anna Bjerde is joined in Lilongwe by Senior Social Protection Specialist Chipo Msowoya, Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist Odete Duarte Muximpua, and Senior Public Sector Specialist Michael Roscitt, to talk about what the World Bank is doing to help Malawi both in its immediate recovery and also through new and innovative projects.

    Reflecting on Spring Meetings
    In this first video of MDO Anna Bjerde's new series ‘Talking Development,’ Anna sits down with Albert Zeufack, Country Director for Angola, Burundi, DRC, and Sao Tome and Principe, and Anna Wellenstein, LAC Regional Director for Sustainable Development, to discuss their takeaways from the Spring Meetings and next steps for the operational model.

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