Rabat, July 7st, 2015 - Ms. Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly assumed office as the new World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb and Malta on July 1, 2015. After four years in Nigeria where she held the same position, Ms. Marie-Nelly’s appointment comes at a time of significant challenges for the Maghreb countries and their international partners.
The new Director will focus on strengthening the dialogue and partnership with the authorities of the group of five countries, Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco and Tunisia and mobilizing the resources needed for the countries to achieve their respective development priorities. This will include coordinating the World Bank’s programs to achieve the strategic goals of significant, visible and sustainable development impacts. Ms. Marie-Nelly will also work on strengthening the partnership with civil society, the private sector and the full range of stakeholders and development partners to ensure a synergy of actions and meaningful results.
After joining the World Bank in 1994, Ms. Marie-Nelly held various positions in the institution especially in the areas of restructuring of public enterprises, support to private sector development, regional integration, and management of the oil sector. She was among others, Country Director for the two Congo (Brazzaville and DRC) from 2008 to 2011, Director for the World Bank Group Program related to the Chad Petroleum and the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project from 2004 to 2007 and Director for the regional integration program in Africa from 2000 to 2004.
A native of Martinique, Ms. Marie-Nelly is a Certified Public Accountant, graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Nantes and Bowling Green University (Ohio, USA). She has also completed several management programs at Harvard University in the US. She worked for many international firms and was advisor to several governments before joining the World Bank.
