Guangzhe Chen, a Chinese national, is the Vice President for Infrastructure at the World Bank as of February 1, 2023. In this position he leads the Bank's global efforts to build sustainable infrastructure in developing and emerging economies and supports the World Bank Group’s strategic priorities such as the climate change action plan and the private capital mobilization and enabling efforts. He oversees the Bank's work across energy and transport sectors, digital development, and efforts to provide access to renewable energy, low-carbon transportation, digital connectivity, and quality infrastructure services to communities through public-private partnerships. Infrastructure represents around $72 billion of the Bank’s portfolio.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Chen served as the Regional Director for Infrastructure in the South Asia Region at the World Bank. He provided leadership and oversaw the formulation and implementation of the knowledge and financing programs across energy, transport and digital development in the region covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The regional department has a portfolio of over 60 projects amounting to approximately $17 billion.
He was the World Bank’s Global Director for the Transport Global Practice from 2018 to 2020 and prior to that was Senior Director for the World Bank’s Water Global Practice. He has also served as World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa, and subsequently for Southern Africa, covering Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, based in Pretoria. His earlier career positions at the World Bank include roles as team lead and manager in the transport and urban, water and disaster risk management units.
An economist by training, Mr. Chen has over 25 years of international experience in the field of sustainable development, infrastructure finance and management with the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank.
Mr. Chen holds a graduate degree in Economics from Harvard University, USA, and B.A. in Economics from Zhongshan (Sun Yat-Sen) University, Guangzhou, China.