A native of Cote d’Ivoire, Mr. Ouayoro has extensive operational experience and a firm grasp of the challenges related to working in fragile environments. Prior to taking over as Country Director for DR Congo, he served as Country Manager for Haiti, where his leadership was put to task when a terrible earthquake devastated Port au Prince, killing hundreds of thousands of people in less than a minute. Mr. Ouayoro took on the role of a mentor to many in the nerve-wrecking months that followed. His determination and sense of duty led him to return to Haiti after a brief mandatory evacuation. Working with colleagues under extremely difficult conditions, he helped ease the transition as the Bank prepared to resume operations and attend to the needs of the country. A civil engineer by training, Mr. Ouayoro is above all a skilled technocrat whose previous assignments include serving as World Bank Sector Manager for Urban Development, Water Supply and Sanitation in West and Central Africa. Before joining the World Bank, he served as Deputy Managing Director of the Public Works Department of the City of Abidjan. He is fluent in French, English and Godie.