Maputo, May 16, 2011 –The World Bank Africa Vice-Presidency announced the appointment of Mr. Laurence Clarke as the new Country Director for Angola, Mozambique, and Sao Tome and Principe. Mr. Clarke’s appointment was effective May 9, and he will be based in Maputo.
“I’m pleased to announce Mr. Clarke’s appointment. He will be providing transformational leadership in the Bank Group's engagement in three countries with diverse development challenges, but each with enormous growth potential; consolidate and deepen the growing public and private development partnership in these resource-rich economies; and lead and support the staff in implementing the priorities of the Bank's new Africa Strategy while adjusting to corporate realities and opportunities,” said Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice-President for Africa Region.
Mr. Clarke is a Guyanese national. He joined the World Bank in 1978 as a Young Professional. He has since held positions of increasing responsibility within the Bank Group, including as Country Manager and Resident Representative in both Zambia and Angola. He has also held external assignments on leave from the Bank such as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Botswana under a technical assistance program; Executive Director of the Caribbean Center for Monetary Studies at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago; and Economic Advisor to the President of Liberia, just prior to his most recent assignment in the Bank as Manager, Southern Sudan Program and Juba Office, based in Juba.
Mr. Clarke earned a Ph.D in Economics from the University of West Indies, as well as an Executive Management Training Diploma from Harvard University in 1988. He is also a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Commercial Bankers in the United Kingdom.
