Karen Grigorian is a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist in the World Bank Group's Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice (FCI). As a specialist in technological innovation, Karen, has led several teams in assessing country innovation systems and managing innovation support projects in over 10 countries in Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. He authored and led a team that prepared Creating Markets in Kenya: Country Private Sector Diagnostic Report and is currently leading the Competitiveness and Private Sector Development Program in Ethiopia. He has also worked on South-South knowledge exchange programs in Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Mauritius).
Karen’s regional experience is complemented by analytical and knowledge products on productivity, SME development, investment and export promotion, entrepreneurship, and innovation. His research and publications include innovation policy, institutional economics, FDI promotion, Diaspora networks, competition policy, productivity enhancement, and IT sector development.
Prior to joining the Bank, Karen worked as the Head of the Tax Revenue Planning Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Armenia. Karen has lectured at the London School of Economics (LSE), Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (MESI), and the American University of Armenia (AUA). He is a graduate of a HKS Executive Program and has a Ph.D. in Economics.