The World Bank has appointed Robert Taliercio O’Brien as country director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

His appointment takes effect from 2nd January 2024, and he will be based in the World Bank’s Accra office.

Taliercio, an American national, joined the World Bank in 2000 as a Young Professional in the Africa region and has served as practice manager, lead economist, and country economist in multiple regions, including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Africa.

His most recent assignment has been as Regional Director in the Latin America and Caribbean Region for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) Department.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Taliercio was a Lecturer in Public Finance at the Harvard Institute for International Development and a Manager for HIID’s Program on Investment Appraisal and Management.

He also served as a visiting professor at the Bolivian Catholic University. He has written on public finance policy and administration in academic journals, books, and development publications.

He has received service awards from the Ministers of Finance of the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Taliercio’s top Three Priorities

In his new position Taliercio’s top three priorities will be to: (i) lead the Bank’s strategic dialogue with these countries and support the implementation of the Africa Region’s priorities, (ii) deepen the policy dialogue and partnership with governments and key stakeholders, and (iii) oversee the delivery and implementation of the lending and non-lending portfolio.

Robert Taliercio O’Brien, a U.S. national, is the Regional Director in the Latin America and Caribbean region for the Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions (EFI) department, which comprises nearly 200 professionals and delivered US$3.9 billion in new lending operations to clients last year.

He was previously a Practice Manager for the Latin America and Caribbean region in the Governance Global Practice (GGP). Prior to that, he was the Practice Manager of the Public Sector Group in East Asia and Pacific, a region where he has earlier served as Lead Economist.

In 20 years at the World Bank, he has served as senior country economist and public sector specialist in the East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and the Africa regions.

He has designed and led investment and development policy operations as well as public expenditure reviews and public financial management diagnostics for a range of clients, including Armenia, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

He has received service awards from the Ministers of Finance of the Republic of Korea and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Prior to joining the World Bank, Dr. Taliercio was a Lecturer in Public Finance at the Harvard Institute for International Development and a Manager for HIID’s Program on Investment Appraisal and Management.

He also served as a visiting professor at the Bolivian Catholic University. He has written on public finance policy and administration in academic journals, books, and development publications.

Taliercio holds a PhD and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. He has written on public finance policy and administration in academic journals, books, and development publications.