Robert Utz is a Lead Economist with the World Bank’s Fiscal Policy and Sustainable Growth Unit with deep experience in development policy financing, macro-economic analysis, and economic strategy work. He co-heads the Macro-Financial Review Secretariat and works on a range of fiscal policy issues. Prior to his current assignment, Robert served as EFI Program Leader for the Pacific Island Countries and as country economist for several African countries, including Niger, Mauritania, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. He also spent three years with the Bank's Concessional Finance and Partnerships Department, where he led the development of the IDA Crisis Response Window and IDA’s response to the global financial crisis, chaired the Bank-wide Non-Concessional Borrowing Committee, contributed to the IDA15 replenishment process, and undertook analytical work on the global aid architecture and aid-effectiveness, as well as on south-south cooperation. Prior to joining the World Bank, Robert headed the UNDP's Economic Management Unit in Mauritius, covering both Mauritius and Seychelles. Robert holds an MBA from the Johannes Kepler University, Austria and a Ph.D. in Economics from Emory University.