Mara K. Warwick, an Australian national, is the World Bank Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea.
Trained as an environmental engineer, Ms. Warwick has over 20 years of development experience in China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and Mongolia, with her most recent assignment as Country Director for Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ms. Warwick has expertise in flood management, urban development, urban environmental services and disaster risk management.
The World Bank’s program in China is focused on global public goods, with knowledge and advisory services playing a growing role. Recent operations have focused on marine plastics, biodiversity, water pollution control, green agriculture, green finance, and food safety. In Mongolia, the World Bank is helping the country work toward a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a strong focus on job creation and climate resilience. Through the World Bank Group Korea Office, the World Bank hosts partnerships and joint projects with Korean partners to help developing countries enhance financial sector management, promote green growth innovation and share know-how about information and communication technology.
Prior to joining the Bank in 2003, Warwick worked as an engineer in the private sector. Warwick received her B.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Adelaide, Australia and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in the US. In her free time, Ms. Warwick pursues her passion for textile arts, especially those unique to the countries in which she lives and works.