World Bank names new country director for Philippines

MANILA, Philippines —  The World Bank has named Zafer Mustafaoglu as the new country director for the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

In a statement, the World Bank said Mustafaoglu, whose appointment took effect yesterday, will be responsible for overseeing the support being provided by the multilateral lender in the three countries.

In addition, he will advance policy dialogues with government officials, civil society, academia, the private sector and other key stakeholders.

Prior to Mustafaoglu’s appointment, Ndiame Diop served as World Bank country director for the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand.

“I am deeply honored to assume the role of country director for the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei – countries that stand out as some of the most vibrant economies in the East Asia region, with significant achievements in economic transformation and poverty alleviation,” Mustafaoglu said.

“I look forward to meeting our partners across government, the private sector, civil society and academic institutions to deepen my understanding of the unique development challenges these countries face and to explore how the World Bank can further contribute to their progress,” he also said.

Before joining the World Bank, Mustafaoglu worked for the Turkish government as head of the Modeling and Economic Analysis Department at the Prime Ministry State Planning Organization.

He earned his doctorate in International Economics from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey and completed his master’s degree and conducted research in economics at the University of Essex and Cambridge University in England.