World Bank Group appoints new country director for Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia

 The World Bank Group, in a statement, announced the appointment of a new country director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone on Wednesday.

   Robert Taliercio O’Brien, the new country director, will take over from Pierre Laporte, the outgoing country director, who has held the position since July 2019.

   The statement said O’Brien would assume duty on Jan. 2, 2024, and work from the World Bank’s Accra Office.

   O’Brien, an American national, joined the World Bank in 2000 as a young professional in the African region and has served as practice manager, lead economist, and country economist in multiple regions, including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Central Asia, and Africa, said the statement.

   Before joining the World Bank, , O’Brien worked as a  Lecturer in Public Finance at the Harvard Institute for International Development and a Manager for HIID’s Program on Investment Appraisal and Management.

   He also served as a visiting professor at the Bolivian Catholic University. He has written on public finance policy and administration in academic journals, books, and development publications. He has received service awards from the Ministers of Finance of the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

   “The new Country Director will lead the Bank’s strategic dialogue with these countries and support the implementation of the Africa Region’s priorities, deepen the policy dialogue and partnership with governments and key stakeholders, and  oversee the delivery and implementation of the lending and non-lending portfolio,” the release stated.

   He holds a Ph. D and a master’s in public policy from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University.

    O’Brien has written on public finance policy and administration in academic journals, bs, and development publications.