Ilias is the Practice Manager for the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice in Europe and Central Asia. He engages with policymakers to build stable, efficient, and inclusive financial systems, and foster private sector development and job creation. Ilias is a Ph.D. macro-financial economist with World Bank experience spanning multiple regions - including Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia - and has served as advisor to the Vice-President of Finance and Private Sector Development. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, focusing on financial crises, and studied economics at LSE.