July 2, 2021
Lilia Burunciuc is the new Director of World Bank operations to the Caribbean, from July 1 2021. It will be based in Kingston, Jamaica.
Ms. Burunciuc will bring her extensive development experience to her new role. Of Moldovan nationality, she joined the World Bank in 1996 and has held management positions in several countries and regions of the world, notably in Europe and Central Asia as well as in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to being appointed to her current post, Ms. Burunciuc served as the World Bank’s Director of Operations for Central Asian countries.
“I welcome this opportunity to continue and deepen the World Bank’s partnership with the Caribbean, to increase their resilience and help them address the most pressing development challenges they face,” explains Lilia Burunciuc . “Economically, small tourism-dependent Caribbean states have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am determined to work closely with our local partners, be they governments, private sector actors or civil society, to support a green, resilient and inclusive recovery for the region. “
Ms. Burunciuc has gained extensive experience in conducting political dialogue with governments on different aspects of development. Before joining the World Bank, she was Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Moldova (Moldovan central bank). She holds an MA in Public Administration from George Washington University and an MA in Economics, Management and Planning from the Technical University of Moldova.
In her new role as Director of Operations for the Caribbean, Ms. Burunciuc will oversee the implementation of the World Bank’s program, which includes a portfolio of 75 ongoing projects, representing a commitment of $ 2.7 billion across 13 countries, funded by the International Development Association (IDA), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), as well as various trust funds. In order to develop regional resilience, the World Bank’s program is based on cross-cutting axes, in particular adaptation to climate change and its mitigation, development of human capital, sustainability of fiscal policies, digital transformation, protection finance, natural risk management, agriculture and the blue economy.