Nairobi, September 7, 2020- Keith Hansen, an American, has been appointed as the new Country director for four African countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda by the World Bank. As the former Senior Advisor World Bank, he will succeed Carlos Felipe Jaramillo who was appointed as the Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean region earlier this year.
Mr. Hansen, who assumes his role on 8th September 2020, will bring 30 years of experience in development practice to lead4 an active multi-country portfolio consisting of over 100 projects totaling more than US$13 billion. Aside from being a Senior advisor, he has been the First Power of Nutrition President, Vice President for Global Practice Solutions, Vice President and Director for Human Development, Sector Manager for Health, Nutrition and Population.
During his role as the Vice President for Global Practice Solutions, He set up the Bank Group’s new operating model, which aimed at bringing together the best expertise from across the institution and from partners to help tackle countries’ most complex development challenges.
Under Mr. Hansen’s leadership, the World Bank will work closely with the four countries to provide innovative products and services that respond to their diverse development challenges and contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, with a specific emphasis on COVID-19 recovery. His appointment comes at a time when the governments of Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda are confronting both the immediate and longer-term health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
Throughout his career Mr. Hansen has served clients in different capacities around the globe, including in Africa, Latin American, and the Caribbean. He holds a Law Degree from Stanford University, a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Yale University.
Mr. Hansen will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
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