Elisabeth Huybens, a Belgian national, is the World Bank Director of Strategy and Operations for the Western and Central Africa region. In this position, Ms. Huybens supports the Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, in setting strategy and work programs across all sectors in the 22 countries of the sub-region. The Vice Presidency oversees a portfolio of more than 350 projects totaling more than $38.1 billion.

Prior to this role, Ms. Huybens was the Regional Director for Central and West Africa in the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Practice Group after she had been the World Bank Country Director for Cameroon, Angola, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe from July 2015 to June 2019.

A development expert with over 30 years of experience, Ms. Huybens joined the World Bank in February 2000 as an economist in the Africa Region. Since then she has held various positions in the Africa, East Asia Pacific, and Europe Central Asia regions, as well as the Social Development and the Sustainable Development Network.

She holds a degree in Engineering and a PhD in Economics and is fluent in Flemish, English, French, Spanish.