The World Bank has appointed Qimiao Fan as the new Country Director for Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda, effective September 1, 2024, the bank announced on Monday.
Fan replaces Keith Hansen, an American national, who had served in the same role since September 2020.
"Fan, who has over 35 years of experience in development practice, will oversee the design and implementation of the World Bank’s support programme to the four countries that has an active portfolio consisting of 102 projects totaling $17.2 billion,” the bank said in a statement.
A Chinese national, Fan joined the World Bank in 1991 and has since held leadership positions in various countries and regions around the world.
Prior to taking up the current assignment, he served as World Bank representative for Cambodia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.
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He also previously served as Director of Strategy and Operations for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions Vice Presidency; Director of Strategy and Operations in the Office of the Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships; and most recently, as Director for Strategic and Corporate Initiatives.
Prior to joining the World Bank, Fan worked as a researcher in development and transition economics at the London School of Economics in the UK and as a policy researcher at Jiangxi Institute of Finance and Economics in China.
He also took leave from the World Bank and worked as a senior executive including as a CEO and a vice chairman of the board in the private sector in China for several years.
Fan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Birmingham, England. He has published on topics related to investment climate, private sector development, finance, and transition economies.
He is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Besides a director who covers several countries, individual countries have a country manager under the World Bank leadership structure.
Rwanda’s Country Manager, Sahr Kpundeh, who was appointed in September 2023, leads the World Bank's engagement in Rwanda.