Lisa Kaestner

Appointed in March 2026, Lisa Kaestner leads IFC’s engagement in Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, overseeing investment and advisory initiatives tailored to each country’s priorities. Her mandate focuses on mobilizing private investment, strengthening institutions, and advancing reforms that deliver the World Bank Group’s mission.

As Director, Ms. Kaestner works closely with government and private sector partners to shape reform agendas and expand opportunities for private sector growth.

A U.S. national, Ms. Kaestner joined IFC in 1999 as Resident Representative in Georgia. Over the years, she has held a variety of leadership roles across IFC and the World Bank, primarily in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She later expanded her regional scope to Africa, where she led IFC’s advisory services to governments in Eastern and Southern Africa. Her work there helped implement reforms that fostered private sector-led growth across sectors such as agribusiness, tourism, housing, ICT, and financial services.

Most recently, as Country Manager for Ukraine—and previously for Moldova—Ms. Kaestner led IFC’s strategic response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With her leadership, IFC has significantly ramped up its program in Ukraine to support the resilience of businesses and financial institutions and to foster the role of the private sector in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Earlier, she served briefly as Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Prior to joining IFC, Ms. Kaestner worked with several non-profit development organizations in the South Caucasus. She holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Economics from Princeton University.