Bloggers
Mohsen Khalil is a joint Director at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the Global Information and Communication Technologies Department. In this capacity, Mr. Khalil is in charge of the World Bank Group’s activities in the area of telecommunications and information technologies world wide. This involves advisory work to governments on sector reforms, regulatory frameworks and institutional capacity building, in addition to supporting private investments in developing countries.
Prior to this appointment, he was Director of IFC's Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa Department. He also served IFC as Chief Investment Officer in the Telecommunications, Transport, and Utilities Department.
Before joining the World Bank Group, while also a Professor of Business at the American University of Beirut, Mr. Khalil served as Chief Advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Board Director of Lebanon's Autonomous Fund for Housing, and advisor to various governments and major corporations in the Middle East. He also worked with McKinsey & Co. Management Consultants, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and MITRE Corporation.
Mr. Khalil holds an M.S. from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and a B.Sc. in Physics from the American University of Beirut.
Siddhartha Raja is a policy specialist with the ICT Division of the World Bank Group. He works with governments in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Moldova on convergence, broadband, and radio spectrum policy and strategy development, and provides advisory services on ubiquitous service delivery and improved program management through mobile applications. He is also involved in a number of research projects and has published books on media convergence and broadband telecommunications during his time with the World Bank. Mr. Raja has a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering from the University of Bombay, a master’s degree in infrastructure policy studies from Stanford University, has studied media law and policy at the University of Oxford, and has a doctorate in telecommunications policy from the University of Illinois.
Philippe Dongier is sector manager of the World Bank Group's GICT Department. He has management responsibility for World Bank policy and operational engagements in the telecommunications and ICT sectors globally, working with more than 80 countries. Prior to assuming this role, Mr. Dongier managed World Bank support to Afghanistan's reconstruction and led an initiative on strengthening the Bank's organizational effectiveness. He also played a range of leadership roles in the infrastructure and sustainable development sectors. Before joining the Bank, Mr. Dongier worked for five years with McKinsey & Company in Canada, the United States, Asia, and Europe, advising companies and governments on issues of strategy and organizational reform, including in the telecommunications and information technology (IT) industries. Earlier, he was based in Nepal for six years, where he worked for the Canadian Center for International Cooperation (CECI) in support of community infrastructure and microfinance programs. He has a master's degree in business administration from INSEAD and a bachelor's in economics from McGill University.
Samia Melhem is the chair of the e-Development Thematic Group and leads GICT's Knowledge and Learning program focusing on internal and clientcapacity building through knowledge sharing on ICT4Ds. She is a member of the e-Government and IT Applications practice group in the Global ICT department at the World Bank (GICT) where she has been working as a Senior Operations Officer . Her current operational and analytical responsibilities include technical assistance and advisory services related to eGoverment projects in developing countries. In her 20 years of experine in development at the World Bank Group, Samia has worked on ICT4D in a several sectors: Telecoms policy ®ulation, ICT for public sector reform (taxes, customs, trade), education, Knowledge economy and private sector development. Samia held several positions in different regions such as Africa, Middle East and Europe and Central Asia and has experience with a large set of countries from Asia, ECA, Middle East and Africa.
Her interest is in planning, developing and implementing large scale information systems for governments, and on using ICT as a tool to support public administration reform and introduce governance, transparency and organizational change. Within the WBG institution, Samia is the GICT coordinator for topics of ICTs and Governance and Accountability, and ICT for Gender economic empowerment. She holds degrees in Electrical Engineering (BS), Computer Sciences (MS) and Finance (MBA).
Anat Lewin is an Operations Officer with GICT. Her current work focuses on Middle East and North African countries in ICT data and statistical capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, e-government and ICT applications. She has also managed a $1.3 million Trust Fund for analytical work in the ICT subject area. She is also interested in media, convergence and IT industry issues.Before joining this group, Anat worked for the World Bank's Development Data Group as a Data Advisory Services Consultant and for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia as an ICT Consultant. She holds a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, studied Arabic at the University of Jordan in Amman, and speaks English, French, German and Arabic.Her practice areas are: E-Government and ICT Applications, Media, and IT Industry.
Randeep Sudan leads the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector's practices for e-Government and for Information Technology (IT) industry development at the World Bank. Prior to joining the Bank, he worked in a range of leadership postions as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He holds a Masters degree from the London School of Economics.
A Chinese national, Christine joined the World Bank in 1998. Her main responsibilities include ICT policy and strategy development; and design, preparation and supervision of information infrastructure projects in Asia. She has written and published a number of articles and book chapters on ICT and development, with a focus on the policy dimension. Her areas of expertise include ICT for development, telecommunications sector reform, growth, poverty and investment climate. She has a PhD in Economics and a M.S.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and a BA in German Language and Literature from the International Studies University in China. She speaks Chinese, German and some Spanish. Christine is currently based in Nepal.
Arturo, a Peruvian national, joined the World Bank in 2006. He is currently involved in ICT and telecommunications projects in Latin America, as well as in analytical work in the Latin American and the Caribbean region and the Rural Telecommunications, Mobile Applications, and IT Industry Development practice groups. Prior to joining GICT, Arturo was a consultant, focused mainly on rural telecommunications and telecom regulation in developing countries. He has also worked at an ISP, a local bank and with the telecom regulatory agency, OSIPTEL. Arturo holds a MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and a BA in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico in Lima.
Oleg coordinates knowledge and learning activities of the Global ICT Department, including the e-Development Thematic Group.
Business Developmetn Officer at the International Finance Coprporation
Tanya Gupta, formerly a blogger at Governance Matters, works in the Corporate Strategy and Resource Management VPU in the World Bank. Her last position was in the Public Sector Group of the World Bank’s Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Department, where she worked primarily on e-government with a focus on Mexico, and the Caribbean. She has ten years of experience in the World Bank (Latin America and South Asia) and has spent three years in academia. She has an MBA from Bentley College.
Sector Manager, World Bank Health, Nutrition & Population Sector, Africa Region
Mr. Ilari Patrick Lindy is Senior ICT Policy Specialist at the ICT Sector Unit. Before joining the World Bank, he worked as Senior Advisor at the Department of Development Policy in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland advising on strategic development MFA’s global policies and instruments related to information society as well as science, technology and innovation. He has previously served as Counsellor on ICT4D for Ministry at the Embassy of Finland in South Africa, Senior Expert for European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) and Project Officer at the European Commission DG Information Society. Ilari has been involved in wide range of international, regional and national initiatives supporting innovation policy and systems development with particular focus on development and take-up of ICT enabled innovations. Most recently he co-chaired the European expert group of EU-Africa strategic partnership no 8 focusing on science, information society and space. He is currently interested to learn more on ICT-enabled social and economic development achieved through various Open Innovation and grassroots approaches.
Ms.Junko Narimatsu is a consultant with the ICT Sector Unit. Her current work focuses on policies related to fostering the IT and IT-enabled services industry, ICT skills and ICT-enabled innovations in Africa and Latin America. Before joining the World Bank, she worked as Communications Advisor and Systems Analyst at the ExxonMobil office in Tokyo. She holds a Master of International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University.
Victor, a Spanish national and devoted soccer fan, joined the World Bank in 2010. He specializes in World Bank policy relating to information and communication technologies (ICT) in multiple geographic regions including East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. This involves policy analysis and advisory work to governments on sector reform, policy strategy, regulatory frameworks, ICT-led innovation and transformation and institutional building capacity.
Prior to the World Bank, Victor worked for Telecommunications Management Group, a global consulting firm, where he advised governments and multinational ICT companies in regulatory strategy. He also worked as head of regulatory affairs for the affiliate of the Tiscali group in Spain and as an associate lawyer for a telecommunications law firm in Spain. Victor holds an MBA with an International Business Diplomacy certificate from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, an LLM in telecommunications Law from Universidad de Comillas, and a Law Degree from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid.
Cecilia works on the Technology for Accountability community of practice for the ICT Knowledge Platform - Open Development Technology Alliance (www.opendta.org), and on ICT applications and policy in the MENA region. Cecilia joined the unit in July 2010, first focusing on Afghanistan and then on MENA. Prior to her position with the Bank, Cecilia worked in development consulting, political risk and finance. Cecilia holds a Masters in International Business and Development Economics with a focus on ICT from the Fletcher School and a bachelor's degree on International Relations and Middle East Studies from the University of St Andrews.
Matthew Cruse is a consultant with the ICT Sector Unit. His current work focuses on integrating ICT technology into development projects and lowering the barriers to implementation for non-tech users. He is currently pursuing his Master in International Affairs from Columbia University. Prior to this, he worked in investment management in the fixed income sector.
Joshua Goldstein is a PhD candidate at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a consultant in the World Bank Group’s GICT Department. With a regional interest in sub-Saharan Africa, he has worked extensively on technology policy and open development projects with the United States Government, Google Inc., and UNICEF.
Samhir is a member of the Open Development Technology Alliance, the ICT Knowledge Platform of the World Bank. He is a candidate at Georgetown University for M.A. Communication and Technology.
Felipe Estefan specializes on Open Government and Citizen Engagement. Estefan is currently part of the Open Government cluster in the World Bank Institute. In his role, he explores the way in which ICT can be applied to enhance citizen participation and improve governance.
Prior to joining the World Bank, Estefan served as Planning Producer for CNN. He has designed and implemented digital engagement strategies for clients and organizations in the public and private sectors, including the Office of the Vice President of Colombia and hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons.
Estefan, a native of Bogotá, Colombia, graduated from the Public Diplomacy program at Syracuse University. He holds an MA in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and an MS in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Having worked for 10 years as a practitioner and researcher in the field of ICT and participatory governance, Tiago is currently an open government specialist at the ICT4Gov program of WBI’s Open Government cluster. Prior to joining the Bank, Tiago has managed projects and worked as an advisor and consultant for various organizations in the field of participation and technology, such as the European Commission, OECD, the United Nations, and the Brazilian and UK governments. He is also research coordinator of the Electronic Democracy Centre, a joint venture of the European University Institute, the University of Zurich and the Oxford Internet Institute of the University of Oxford.
Boris Weber works on Open Government approaches in the World Bank Institute (WBI) where he is the team leader for the programs ICT4Gov – Information and Communication Technology for Governance – and Voices Against Corruption, a global civil society network that promotes the scaling up of ICT in demand side governance. A particular focus of his work explores mobile phone technology to increase citizen participation and to help governments achieve greater development impact with the help of feedback data. The ICT4Gov program looks at ICT to promote open budgeting, service user feedback and Open 311 – call center based one stop shops that collect data from citizens to inform reforms.
Previous assignments at the World Bank and the OECD allowed him to work on both demand and supply side governance from public sector performance and human resources management to parliamentary strengthening. For the first ten years of his career Boris has been an award-winning investigative journalist and Chief Editor in Charge of Germany’s most watched current affairs program on national TV. Boris is an Ancien Élève of the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) of the French Prime Minister’s office (ena.fr/mega) and he has earned four Master degrees in law (LL.M) and public administration.
Mariéta Fall works on social accountability approaches and how ICTs and mobile technology in particular can be applied to empower citizens to demand better governance. Prior to joining the ICT4Gov team, she worked on a number of Bank projects associated with the implementation of the governance program in Africa and Haiti with a focus on participatory governance diagnostics. She is leveraging that background to explore how ICTs can be used as more effective and complementary tools of citizen engagement. Mariéta completed a Masters in Development Economics and International Political Economy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and also holds a certificate in International Development with a specialization in political and social change.
Governance professional with more than 10 years background in ICT and telecommunication. After a career in the private sector that started in Africa and continued in United States, Thomas returned in Africa with the ICT4GOV program of the World Bank Institute for working in ICT mediated demand for good governance projects.
Elena Kvochko is the Information and Communication Technology Consultant at the World Bank. Elena has worked on a portfolio of projects aimed at leveraging ICT for economic growth and transparency in emerging economies. Currently, she focuses on open data and innovation, e-government, technology polices. Elena also acts as a facilitator of the Open Development Technology Alliance, the largest World Bank technology-related community of practice bringing together social innovators, representatives of technology companies, governments, and non-profit organizations and connecting them with the World Bank to design innovative programs and share knowledge. Prior to joining the World Bank, Elena worked in economic and investment analysis and international project management. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.
Jeff is a strategic management consultant to government agencies and multinational companies on open data, open innovation, technology policies and digital content industries. A recognized global expert, Jeff has worked with countries as diverse as the Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Macedonia and Nigeria’s Edo State on on policy / program design, growth strategies and performance management. He also currently acts as Lead Facilitator for the Open Data Innovation Network, a global community of practice hosted on founded by the World Bank and hosted on LinkedIn.
Jeff was also Founder & Director of the Open ePolicy Group, a pioneering, global network of government CIOs and industry executives based at Harvard’s Berkman Center, that published the ROADMAP FOR OPEN ICT ECOSYSTEMS, a set of policy tools for use of open technologies to drive interoperability and innovation. Jeff received a Juris Doctor degree with honors from Harvard Law School and a B.A. with honors from Yale University.
Aparajita Goyal is an economist at the World Bank. Her research focuses on microeconomic issues of development, with a particular emphasis on technological innovation in agriculture, access to markets, and intellectual property rights. Her research has been published in leading development journals, and has also been featured in popular press such as The Economist, Financial Express, Frontline, and others. She is the recipient of the Economic Club of Washington Research Fellowship and the Graduate Merit Award at the London School of Economics. She obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland in 2008.
Mirella Hernani has worked in the areas of rural and social development for more than nine years. She has extensively applied ICT as a tool for capacity building, monitoring of development projects, and project management for the World Bank, DFID, and FAO. In 2011, she started the Mapping for Results Initiative for the Nepal Country Management Unit, which she is still coordinating. A particular focus of her work is the use of technology to enhance operational effectiveness by integrating technology into project analysis and monitoring. Mirella has worked in Latin America, Sub-Sahara Africa, South Asia and North Africa. She holds a Bachelor and a Professional Degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico (Peru) and a Master Degree in Public Policy and Management with specialization in Information Technologies from Carnegie Mellon University (USA).
