Axel van Trotsenburg

Axel van Trotsenburg is the World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In his current position, he leads relations with 31 countries in the region and oversees a portfolio of ongoing projects, technical assistance and grants worth more than US$30 billion. 

 From 2016 to January 2019, he served as World Bank Vice President of Development Finance (DFi), where he oversaw strategic mobilization of resources, and was responsible for the replenishment and stewardship of the International Development Association (IDA), the largest source of concessional financing for the world's poorest countries. He has led the policy negotiations and process for two IDA replenishments, which together mobilized a record $125 billion—$50 billion in 2010 for IDA16 and $75 billion in 2016 for IDA18. Under his leadership, for the first time, IDA leveraged its equity by blending donor contributions with internal resources and funds raised through debt markets. 

In addition, Axel van Trotsenburg oversaw the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) corporate finances. He co-led the World Bank Group's efforts to obtain a capital increase which resulted in shareholders endorsing a transformative package in April 2018, including an increase of the IBRD capital by $60 billion. He also co-chaired the replenishment negotiations for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that were successfully concluded in April 2018 and was responsible of a multi-billion-dollar trust fund portfolio.

Apart from his experience in managing World Bank finances, Mr. van Trotsenburg has had extensive experience in country operations and managing regional programs. Prior to his role as Vice President of DFi, he served as Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region from 2013 to 2016. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global Partnerships.

From July 2007 to July 2009, Mr. van Trotsenburg was Country Director for Colombia and Mexico, and from 2002 to July 2007, Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. From 1996 to 2001, he was the Senior Manager of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the largest and most comprehensive debt relief program for poor countries, which delivered debt relief packages of close to $30 billion for 20 countries. In the beginning of his career, he worked as Senior Country Economist for Côte d’Ivoire and Economist for Guatemala.

Prior to the Bank, he worked at the OECD in Paris. Mr. van Trotsenburg is both Dutch and Austrian. He holds a master’s and a doctorate degree in economics and a master’s degree in international affairs. He is married and has two children.