Antonella Bassani is Vice President of the Europe and Central Asia Region at the World Bank. In this position, Antonella leads the World Bank's strategic, financing and knowledge work for this region. Antonella has held several senior leadership positions in the World Bank, including most recently as Vice President for Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning. Prior to that she was responsible for overseeing operations in two regions as Director for Strategy and Operations (East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa), providing leadership and support to regional teams in the delivery of high-quality strategies and operations, flexible and innovative financing, and knowledge services. She also played a leading role in the innovative and strategic mobilization of Bank resources, including two successful replenishments for the lnternational Development Association. Antonella joined the World Bank through the Young Professional Program in 1993. Before joining the Bank, she worked at the OECD in Paris. She holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in lnternational Economics from the Johns Hopkins University.

Umid Abidkhadjaev is Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan and Director of the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies (IMRS). He focuses on macroeconomic policy and green economy development, leading IMRS and initiatives that support sustainable economic transformation. His work includes analyzing macro and territorial trends, fostering green projects, and bridging the gap between science and practical implementation. He also contributes to energy efficiency efforts and promotes green innovation through strategic partnerships and policy recommendations.

Daniel Dăianu is the Chairman of the Romanian Fiscal Council (since July 2019) and a professor of economics at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) in Bucharest. He is a member of the Romanian Academy, the Bretton Woods Committee, Academia Europaea, and the EU High-Level Group on Own Resources. His previous roles include Member of the Board of the National Bank of Romania (2014–2019), First Deputy President of the Financial Supervision Authority (2013–2014), Member of the European Parliament (2007–2009), Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Banca Comercială Română (2005–2007), and Finance Minister of Romania (1997–1998). Earlier, he served as Chief Economist of the National Bank of Romania (1992–1997).

Ivailo V. Izvorski is the Chief Economist of the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. Over nearly 30 years, he has worked in technical and managerial positions on the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, the Institute of International Finance, and the International Monetary Fund. Before his current position, Ivailo was the Manager of the World Bank Global Debt, Macro, and Growth Unit and, before that, the manager of the macroeconomists for Europe and Central Asia. Ivailo holds MA and PhD degrees in economics from Yale University. Ivailo is coauthor of numerous publications, including of Diversified Development: Making the Most of Natural Resources in Eurasia, Reinvigorating Growth in Resource-Rich Sub-Saharan Africa, and of Greater Heights: Growing to High Income in Europe and Central Asia. 

Najy Benhassine is the World Bank’s Director for the Central Asia region, which includes Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. From July 2020 to June 2025, Mr. Benhassine served as the World Bank’s Country Director for Pakistan in the South Asia region. Prior to that, he was the Regional Director for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Earlier, Mr. Benhassine held the position of Director of the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice, where he oversaw both the MENA regional team and the global teams responsible for Firms, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Markets and Technology. He is the co-author of the World Bank’s 2009 flagship report From Privilege to Competition: Unlocking Private-Led Growth in the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Benhassine holds degrees from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the Paris Graduate School of Management, and the Paris School of Economics, and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).