Robert Utz is an Austrian national with more than 18 years’ experience at the World Bank. He is currently serving as Lead Economist and Program Leader for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions at the World Bank's Pacific Department based in Sydney. He is responsible for coordinating the Department's work on macro-economic and fiscal management, governance, poverty, trade and competitiveness, and markets and finance, which includes a series of Development Policy Operations for five Pacific countries, as well as a range of analytical and advisory services.

Through the World Bank Robert has served 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 Pilot Crisis Response Window, 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.