WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The World Bank Group Monday announced the appointment of Dr Susana Cordeiro Guerra as vice president for the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

It said that in this role, she will lead the bank’s engagement with 31 countries across the region and oversee a portfolio of US$41.5 billion in ongoing operations. She will be based at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, DC.

The Washington-based financial institution said that Cordeiro Guerra, the first Latin American woman to hold this position, brings deep leadership experience in development effectiveness, institutional strengthening and innovative finance. It said she will advance the bank’s agenda to deliver jobs-driven development, measurable results and stronger public–private collaboration across LAC.

“As I begin this role, my priority is to support Latin America and the Caribbean in creating quality jobs that are the foundation of inclusive growth and poverty reduction,” said Cordeiro Guerra.

“Jobs not only provide income, they bring dignity, strengthen communities and expand opportunity. By working with governments, the private sector and local partners, we can create the conditions for investment and innovation that translate into more resilient economies and more prosperous societies.”

Prior to this appointment, Cordeiro Guerra held senior leadership positions at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), where she led strategy on fiscal and economic programmes, advanced data-driven decision-making and promoted financial innovation. Between 2019 and 2021, she led Brazil’s National Statistics Office (IBGE), overseeing 12,000 staff and spearheading the modernisation of the country’s official statistics and national population census.

Earlier in her career, she worked at the World Bank Group across multiple departments and regions on decentralisation and subnational development.

She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Master’s in Public Administration and International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Harvard College.

Her publications span innovation by front-line managers in the public sector, higher education and labour market outcomes, and decentralisation and regional disparities.

She succeeds Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, who has been appointed vice president for East Asia and the Pacific.